--By Dawnelle Froehler Translated by Annie Liu

It wasn't until I moved to Taiwan that I actually swam in the ocean. I tried snorkeling for the first time while swimming off Frog Rock Beach in Kenting. I put on the mask and was forever changed. I became acquainted with a diving instructor and other avid divers here in Taiwan, completed my first diving course (PADI Open Water) and went on my first diving vacation. A year later I finished my second diving course (PADI Advanced Open Water) and now I have done 97 dives at sites in south Taiwan, Malaysian Borneo, the Philippines and Thailand. Diving made me a stronger, more confident swimmer, taught me about aquatic life and brought many important conservation issues to my attention - while continuing to satisfy my desire for both adventure and relaxation. Most importantly, scuba diving is loads of fun.

There is a technical aspect of scuba diving that one must grasp at even the most basic level of diving. But it was nowhere near as difficult as I expected. The tension I felt while swimming on the surface was erased underwater. With my scuba gear on, fifteen meters under, I was as calm as a Hindu cow. In truth, diving in Taiwan is not as easy as in Thailand, the Philippines or Malaysia. Frequent typhoons, environmentally unfriendly fishing/sporting practices and the negligence of tourists mean that some of the sites are damaged with small amounts of healthy marine life. Virtually unsheltered from the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan has currents that can make scuba diving here more challenging. There are many dive/snorkel shops in Kenting and surrounding towns, but since they are private businesses, there is little professional protection of dive sites. The amount of information about these sites is also limited, as are connections to boat captains and dive shop owners.

Despite this, there are many reasons why diving in Taiwan is beneficial to those interested in becoming better divers. The conditions in southern Taiwan (medium visibility, currents, difficult shore entry points) make learning to dive here more challenging, so diving in other hot spots around the world is easy for Taiwan-trained divers. Because one may have to search harder to see fish here than in other places where they school in vast numbers, a diver's ability to pay attention to detail and learn about the physical characteristics of fish are greatly honed. Also, diving at resorts where all you have to do is put on gear and jump in tends to make one a bit careless; and while diving is as safe as any adventure sport, a careless or inexperienced diver is a hazard to everyone in the water, and that includes the fish! Having more experience can never be a detriment.

Many sites around Kenting National Park and Little Green Island are perfect for day or weekend trips if you live in south Taiwan. Green Island, Orchid Island and the Penghu Islands are also well renowned for good diving. There are many diving certification schools around the world and there are many Taiwanese dive instructors that are certified from different schools, but most foreign instructors here are certified to PADI standards.

Andy Gray (Kaohsiung) has been teaching and guiding divers for fourteen years and is a huge advocate of diving in Taiwan. He has established a web site (www.taiwandive.com) that has information about dive sites around south Taiwan, upcoming events such as International Clean-Up Day (September 16/17), course lists and prices, and diving links. He can be contacted at divingintaiwan@yahoo.com.tw. Sebastian Thomas (Mindful Phoenix Performing Arts, Kaohsiung) has been diving around Asia and Australia for three years and attained his instructorship this year. He is an avid diver and very enthusiastic about introducing people to diving. He is also affiliated with Newport Dive Center in Kenting. Newport has the only PADI certified dive pool in Taiwan and is a fully equipped dive training facility, complete with a multi-level dive pool, classroom facilities, gear rental and dorm accommodation rooms. Sebastian can be contacted at taoseth@gmail.com or by phone at 0922-391-856. John Boo (Kenting area) has been diving for over seven years, teaching for six, and also began diving in Taiwan. He is eager to share his love for diving and is available to take divers out any day of the week. He also provides hostel accommodations for those who want to stay in Kenting. He can be reached by email at scuba_diving1@yahoo.com or phone at 0913-388-065. If you would like to receive instruction in Chinese, Evin Pan (Kaohsiung) is a PADI-certified Taiwanese instructor. He has been diving in and around Taiwan for the past eight years and instructing for about a year. He can be reached at yuki911119@yahoo.com.tw or by phone at 0927-986-560. Evin is also affiliated with Newport.

All of these instructors are PADI trained and qualified to certify a diver from independent beginner (Open Water Diver) to the first level of PADI professional (Dive Master). In the PADI system, one can take a Discover Scuba course that lasts one afternoon and includes a dive with an instructor, just to get a taste of the life aquatic. The first PADI course that certifies one to dive without a professional is the Open Water course. Someone who has completed this course can walk into any dive shop that recognizes PADI standards, show their PADI card and rent tanks and scuba gear. An Open Water Diver is qualified to dive up to 18m without the company of a PADI professional. To attain this certification one must complete a written test and fulfill skill requirements in a dive pool and in open water. Next is the Advanced Open Water course which teaches divers more specialized skills. It includes dive adventure training such as night, wreck, deep diving, as well as fish identification, navigation and peak buoyancy control. An Advanced PADI diver is certified to dive to recreational limits (40m) without a PADI professional. After this, one can train to be a Rescue Diver and learn how to respond to emergencies in and out of the water (including First Aid/CPR training), as well as search and recovery techniques. Then one can apply for Master Scuba Diver certification (a Black Belt in Scuba). Finally, train to be a Dive Master, which is the first level of professional diving qualification in the PADI system. PADI instructors are also qualified to teach children, beginning with the Bubbles (8yrs), Seal Team (8-10yrs), and Junior Open Water (+10yrs). A 12-year old may dive up to 18m with and adult and a 15-year old may take the PADI Open Water course.

All of the above mentioned instructors charge the same rates for courses and gear rental. The rates are: Open Water - NT$12,000, Advanced - NT$10,000 (these costs include tanks and gear rental), Rescue - NT$12,000, Emergency First Response - NT$4000, Dive Master - NT$25,000, and between NT$15,000 and NT$20,000 for Seal Team courses. Under the latest PADI regulations these prices include a manual for self-study and continually refreshing your diving knowledge. All of these instructors are happy to guide certified divers on either 1 dive - NT$1500 - NT$2000, 2 dives - NT$2500, or 3 dives - NT$3000 on day trips, and these prices include tank and gear rental fees. Andy, John and Sebastian also organize boat trips around Kenting area, as well as trips out to Green and Orchid Island. They are always interested in meeting enthusiastic divers and sharing their experience in diving around south Taiwan.

There are many shore entry sites in Kenting National Park that are easily accessible and well within the experience limits of someone with a PADI Open Water certification. Sites such as Houbihu Beach, Rescue Beach, Flower Gardens, and 'The Cesspool' line the eastern side of the peninsula; while Frog Rock, Sail Rock and Sand Island are farther along the coast, past Kenting town. All of these sites are shore entries with a maximum depth of 18m, and a water level difference of about 2m between high and low tide. Gear can be rented from several centers in that area: in Kenting - Newport (contact Sebastian Thomas); in NanWan - NanBei Dive (contact Andy Gray) and Dolphin Dive Center (08-888-0661); in Houbihu town - NanChing (08-886-6338), as well as from Andy, John and Sebastian personally. A full set of gear will cost between NT$1000 - NT$1200/day and tanks generally go for NT$250/tank.

If you are diving without a guide, it is extremely important to check the weather and tide reports for the days that you plan on going. A typhoon or tropical storm can hit the coast very quickly and it is best not to be out in the water when that happens. It is very wise to at least speak to someone who has experience diving in the area. Finally, notify someone of where you are going and when you expect to return. It is always good to err on the side of caution. That said, it is now up to you. The underwater world awaits and there is no time like the present. You will not be disappointed.