It’s been a hectic week at Downbelow with lots of excitement.

For one, the May Instructor Development Course has started and a 7-strong contingent is keeping resident PADI Course Director Richard and his Go Pro team on their toes.

We’ve also moved into new offices.

It’s still in the same complex we’ve been in for the last few years – KK Times Square – but now we’re on the 5th floor in Block L, facing Sutera Harbour Golf Course and the islands beyond, with a particularly beautiful view of Gaya island.

Our new office space enables us to better serve you, our valued customers.

There is a dedicated customer consultation area, so that when you drop in to chat about diving, dive courses or where to stay and what to do in Kota Kinabalu, you’ll have a comfortable, quiet place to sit and discus your wants and needs with us.

Our travel consultants also have a little more room so that when they’re building extensive itineraries and replying to emails with lightning speed, nobody gets hurt.

Our dive shop too got an upgrade and with more space it’s easier to find what you want at a glance. A better browsing experience for you means you can find your size and colour faster and get diving quicker.

Last but not least, the classroom – mostly used for IDCs and group orientations and presentations these days – are roomier and more comfortable than ever, making those few days away from the island that much more enjoyable.

All said, with enough room to swing 3 cats, our customers will be as happy as we are in our new offices in KK Times Square, Block L, Level 5.

Drop by for a visit, or contact us for excellent service.

Get 2 nights free when you book 5 nights at Layang Layang for departures in June and July through Downbelow.

Included with the package is accommodation, the use of tanks, weights and weight-belts, 5 meals per day and 2 boat dives on arrival day, 3 on subsequent days and 1 on the day prior to arrival.

Excluding only your flights and other equipment rental, the 2 free nights with this package makes for incredible value at Layang Layang and is the perfect excuse to finally book that fantastic diving holiday you’ve been putting off.

Layang Layang is beautifully isolated island in the South China China sea off Sabah’s coast, offering some incredible, unspoiled diving sites. Find out more about Layang Layang.

Downbelow had a local celebrity visitor at our PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre on Gaya island today.

Dr. Hakimi, who you may remember from our visit to Sabah’s hyperbaric chamber in Sepangar joined us for a day of fun diving.

Dr. Hakimi is the Head Medical Doctor for Diving Medicine at the facility and is also the charge of the most modern chamber treatment facility in Malaysia, which is right here in Sabah.

It’s was a pleasure and honour to host Dr. Hakimi today and we’re sure he had a great time.

Our Borneo Adventure group spent their last day on the island yesterday.

While resident PADI Course Director Richard Swann took the advanced students through their final knowledge reviews and dives, the rest of the group took the opportunity to sun themselves on the tranquil shores of our beach house dive centre.

In the afternoon, as the clouds moved in over Gaya island, the group moved out to spend 1 night on the Kota Kinabalu mainland.

Today they head to Downbelow’s HQ in KK Times Square where they will be briefed before taking on their next adventure: Sabah’s Salt Trails.

Over the next 5 days the adventurers will be trekking the jungle paths that are the Salt Trails, winding along the ridges of the Crocker Range mountains.

They will encounter dense tropical jungle, isolated village settlements, all sorts of weather conditions, a variety of bugs and yes, leeches.

All part of the Borneo Adventure, which of course, will be documented right on this blog.

Environmental awareness is just one of the ways we give back to the environment here at Downbelow, which is why we have awareness modules in all our group programs.

Our latest Borneo Adventure group, who is currently on Gaya island learning to dive with us, got better acquainted with the environment when resident PADI Course Director Richard conducted the AWARE Coral Reef Conservation course for them.

The Coral Reef Conservation Course is all about coral reefs, why we should protect them and how they are endangered.

Coral reef conservation knowledge forms an essential part of especially divers’ knowledge, as apart from being our playground, coral reefs play an important part in the the health of the ocean’s ecosystem.

Intern-turned-Downbelow-pro-staff Paul was also on hand to introduce the group to the plight of sharks, and collected all their signatures for the Give Sharks a Chance Petition, which is used to help compel governments to enforce shark saving legislation.

All in all the ocean was winning today with education spread that is sure to make a positive impact on the marine environment.

Follow the link for more information about our Borneo Adventure program, or contact us to see what we can do for your group.

Our latest adventure group has settled down in their jungle camp on Gaya Island here in Kota Kinabalu, while they busy themselves with the first leg of their Borneo Adventure.

While spending time at our PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre on Gaya island, the adventure group will learn how to dive.

The first timers will be taking part in our popular PADI Open Water Scuba Diver course and will earn themselves a fully fledge PADI Open Water certification.

The few who are already qualified, will go on to take Advanced Open Water and speciality courses to increase their diving skills.

In the meantime they are enjoying their time on this island in the Downbelow Jungle Camp. We erect the temporary accommodations for our adventure groups to give them a taste of a round-the-clock tropical setting… and perhaps a soft introduction to what’s to come.

During their 1 month with us, the adventure group will also spend 5 days jungle trekking the Borneo rainforest. Other activities include cultural experiences, climbing Mt. Kinabalu, white water rafting and wildlife safaris.

Find out more information on our Borneo Adventure page, or contact us for a customized program for your group.

Downbelow’s PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre on Gaya island in Kota Kinabalu is once again humming with excitement as we get invaded by the next group of adventurers keen on exploring Sabah through our Borneo Adventure.

In fact, so eager was the group of 19 to kick-off their adventure, that they arrived at the island early.

We were ready.

Immediately the adventurers took advantage of the gorgeous Kota Kinabalu day and headed straight for the ocean. Under the close watch of our trained instructors they snorkeled the clear waters of the Tunku Abdul Rahman park and got a taste of what was to come.

During the first week of the Borneo Adventure, participants learn how to dive. Those already qualified to dive get to further their qualifications with an advanced or speciality qualification.

During their month on Downbelow’s Borneo Adventure, the group will also be jungle trekking Sabah’s rainforest, conquer Mt. Kinabalu, whitewater raft the Padas River and go on a culture and wildlife safari when they visit Sabah’s east coast.

The benefit of the hands-on experience to be gained during an internship just can’t be over-stated, as our May PADI IDC candidates are finding out.

Even though our next IDC only starts on 16 May, all 6 our currently enrolled IDC candidates are already at our PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre on internships, to gain as much experience as possible (and we still have space, join this next IDC).

Aside from getting hands-on experience by assisting our full time instructors when they conduct open water courses for the group members, our candidates also have the unique opportunity to learn from each other.

During their IDC prep earlier this week, they had to work through mock exam questions.

The Instructor Development Course candidates, all of who are experienced divers, worked through the questions they knew well, and marked the questions about which they had doubts.

Afterwards they engaged in group discussions, giving the opportunity to present their answers to each other, as they would have to do to examiners during the Instructor Exam.

Resident PADI Course Director and IDC Staff Instructor James were always nearby to clarify whatever questions or doubts remained.

There are 2 more weeks to go before the next IDC and lots of opportunity for our candidates to hone their skills and knowledge.

We hosted a group of enthusiastic participants from Hong Kong at the Gaya island beach house recently, who joined us for Discover Scuba Diving in Sabah, Borneo.

It was serendipitous for one of our new IDC interns Kenji, who got the perfect opportunity to assist during the group’s program.

Everyone had a great time as the Hong Kong group worked through the DSD, which was followed by 2 open water dives.

All the while, of course, under the close supervision of Downbelow’s professional instructor staff to ensure safety at all times.

Our friends from Wild Borneo Expeditions and their group recently spent the day with Downbelow again, snorkeling the beautiful coves and bays of Gaya Island.

The group, consisting of students from an international school in Dubai, was watched over by our instructor team, ensuring their safety at all times throughout the day.

“Thank you to Downbelow and the team for another great day,” said Wild Borneo Expeditions’ Mia Robinson, “as usual our group had an amazing time.”

Wild Borneo Expeditions regularly use Downbelow’s awesome facilities and services on Gaya island, 10 minutes from Kota Kinabalu, to facilitate snorkeling, diving and marine conservation education for their groups.

Contact Downbelow for more information on what we can offer school, corporate and leisure groups.