Downbelow’s May PADI Instructor Development Course IDC has officially started on the 18th of May 2013 at our KK Times Square head office.

Downbelow’s Go-Pro Team would like to wish Vui How, Francis, Holly, Beth, Mike, Charlie & Mell all the best for their course.

As always we will be posting updates from the course.

Did you just miss the deadline? Don’t worry – Downbelow regularly conduct the PADI Instructor Development Course IDC throughout the year. Our PADI IDC’s are in such high demand we are considering schedually another course for July this year so watch this space !

Our next scheduled PADI IDC will be in September 2013. You can also check our PADI IDC programs for the whole year.

Contact us for details on how you can join our PADI IDC according to your preferred schedule.

Downbelow Managing Director and PADI Platinum Course Director Richard Swann and his team of staff and our local PADI Divemaster trainees continued with the next phase of the coral replanting project over the weekend.

This time the team brought the prepared reef block and positioned them at the bottom of the ocean in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Borneo.

This was probably the hardest part of the whole project as they need to carry the heavy modified water tanks up on the boat, secure them and then carefully bring them down.

Old tyres filled with concrete are then used to hold the containers in place so they remain even during stormy weather.

Now that the blocks are ready, next step will be planting the coral in our nursery to ensure they will grow before placing them here.

Good job guys!

You can view more photos at the gallery.

Downbelow Managing Director & PADI Platinum Course Director Richard Swann welcomes our latest professional PADI Divemaster internship arrivals to our PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre, Gaya Island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Borneo.

Martin, Karen, Chris & Christina will spend the next month or so learning all the skills necessary to become dive professionals ready to work in the dive industry.

Only their second day in & they have already signed up for our latest net removal project. More on that in another blog post.

Great effort guys!

Downbelow’s May Danish Adventure group have just spent the last week camping at our PADI 5* IDC dive centre & learned to dive.

The 22-strong group have all completed the PADI Open Water Course & Coral Reef Conservation program & worked incredibly hard to achieve their goal. Photo above shows them surrounded by yellow snappers – the perks of being a diver!

Big thanks to the awesome Downbelow team of instructors & also our wonderful PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) candidates who helped out assisting the team during the program.

Next in their one month adventure program they will travel to Sandakan & experience the wildlife of the mighty Kinabatangan river… have a ball boys and girls!

With the approach of World Turtle Day on 23rd May it was our pleasure to meet with Christine Perroud of Borneo Connections, Dr Pushpa Palaniappan of University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) & Suzila Idrus of 1Borneo Ballroom.

Together with the Sabah Ministry of Tourism they are organising Mabul World Turtle Day 2013 from 22nd – 24th May 2013 at Mabul Island in Sabah.

We would like to thank them for visiting us at Downbelow and inviting us to be involved in the worthwhile project to create awareness and help raise funds for activities related to sea turtle conservation.

Awareness and conservation of marine life forms a large part of our organisation and we are delighted to assist in their program, the data that can be accumulated from such events forms the founding structure for future protection initiatives and due to the sheer number of turtles in Sabah waters, this is a critical location for their survival.

At Downbelow we always strive to provide the best service to all of our clients and interns whether through correspondence, face to face interaction, our courses, programs, products and equipment – even our coffee!

It’s always fabulous when our efforts are recognised and yesterday we received a letter from PADI accompanied by another Certificate of Recognition for Excellence.

Contained within the certificate our guest Katherine DeSantis gave some lovely feedback.

Thank you Katherine! We are very happy to know that you are happy. This is exactly why we give our very best every time – every day.

Richard & Joanne would like to say a special HUGE thank you to all our very awesome island & office team for being part of the Downbelow family & working so hard to deliver a top level service everyday rain or shine – YOU’RE THE BEST!

The final phase of Downbelow’s May IDC prep program is in full swing with all our awesome candidates assisting on a mass PADI Open Water course consisting of 26 participants! Add a few more numbers in there and we could be gunning for some sort of record!

Actually the group is mainly made up of our young European adventurers who are here for their exciting Borneo Adventure program.

It is certainly a great experience for the PADI Divemasters who are soon to be PADI Instructors & at the same a great help to Downbelow’s team of instructors – their mentors.

Downbelow resident PADI Platinum Course Director Richard Swann is very happy to see the progress so far & is looking forward to officially starting the IDC on the 18th of May 2013.

If you are interested in joining please contact us!

Enjoy a 3 night stay at Manukan Island and a day of fully guided scuba diving or snorkelling with us, PADI 5 Star IDC Centre – Dive Downbelow. Manukan Island offers beautiful detached beach chalet accommodation within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP), near our very own Beach House Dive & Adventure Center on Gaya Island.

Located only 10 minutes by speedboat from Sutera Harbour Resort, it’s an idyllic island getaway that will not cost you a fortune. In addition you can enjoy some of the most stunning sunrises and sunsets on the planet !

By day the island is open to the public but soon as 4pm comes around you will have the island to yourself along with staff and a small number of other guests staying at the resort. The resort does have its own separate beach for in-house guests, a swimming pool and sunset point which is a short walk through the jungle – a must see when in Sabah!

Beach Resort Package

4D/3N with 1 day Scuba Diving: MYR 1,325.00
4D/3N with 1 Day Fully Guided Snorkelling: MYR 1,240.00

3 Nights Accommodation in a Beach Chalet
Return Boat Transfers Sutera Harbour Marina – Manukan Island Resort
Daily Breakfast
Evening Meal on Day 1
BBQ Lunch on Day 2
All Room & Government Tax

Facilities Include

• king-sized bed
• spacious dining/ living area
• air-conditioning
• en-suite bathroom
• satellite TV
• tea / coffee making facilities
• housekeeping service
• drinking water

Activity Day (Day 3)

Return Transfers to Gaya Island for Fully Guided Snorkelling or Scuba Diving
Snorkelling & Diving Equipment Rental on Gaya Island
Lunch and Refreshments on Gaya Island
All Park Entry & Jetty Fees

Note: You do not have to be a qualified diver to enjoy the diving activity, just let us know and we will conduct a PADI Discover Scuba Diving program for you with an extra boat dive in the afternoon.
Family & honeymoon rates are available, please contact us for more information.

Another PADI Pro hatchling has emerged from its shell!

Resident PADI Platinum Course Director Richard Swann and the whole Downbelow family is happy to congratulate Dylan Lim for successfully meeting all the performance requirements and becoming a PADI Divemaster.

He came to us as an intern and now he’s a qualified Divemaster – nothing makes us happier then to see a recreational diver take the plunge into the world of professional scuba diving and succeed.

Great job Dylan! You are most welcome back to our dive centre if you ever need to learn more.

Do you love diving? Ever thought of making a career out of it? It is as exciting as it sounds!

Contact us on how you can make your dreams come true.

Downbelow’s May Danish Adventure group have so far successfully climbed Mt Kinabalu, trekked for days through the historic Crocker Range in the Salt Trails program and now it is time for them to learn how to dive in the lovely waters of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

The 22 strong group will all take the PADI Open Water Course & Coral Reef Conservation Courses.

However before that they attended a briefing conducted by Downbelow’s Director Joanne Swann & Travel Centre Manager Alice Siniong at our KK Times Square head office.

The group will spend the following week with our awesome dive team at our lovely PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre, Borneo.