Diving in Paradise - Phu Quoc

With the disappointment of not being able to dive at Nha Trang, due to poor visibility and stormy weather, I investigated a little known island off the coast of Vietnam after overhearing a conversation in a bar from one young traveller to another. I decided it was time I had a holiday!

                     

Hands up if you've heard of Phu Quoc? Exactly. Everyone has heard of the Thai islands which litter the Gulf of Thailand (Phuket, Ko Samui, Ko Tao etc), but no-one knows that Vietnam has an island in the Gulf too.

This place is a (relatively undiscovered jewel). It enjoys wonderful weather for most of the year, has a population of 40,000 Vietnamese inhabitants (but growing rapidly) and a handful of international residents. It is also home to the best diving in Vietnam. I looked online and after checking out a number of reviews decided on Flipper Diving in the market town of Duong Dong. 

What a good choice.

                                         

I contemplated simply booking a day or two of diving, but after checking out their dive courses thought that instead I should pursue my next qualification. I reasoned it was not only time for me to take my diving further, but a training course would be a good challenge mentally and physically and it wouldn't cost that much more than a regular dive. I also knew that I would feel a greater connection with the dive school staff and my fellow divers, if I was involved in a training programme, as opposed to simply going out for a day of diving.

Another good choice.

The course was excellent. PADI Rescue Diver really makes you think about other people as you dive and not just yourself; yet at the same time it makes you consider your own level of dive readiness and stops you becoming a 'dive passenger', dependent upon others.

My course lasted three days and began with a classroom dvd session. I was training with Lisa, from Denmark, and we got on like a house on fire, laughing more than we should and forming a close friendship that I know will continue well into the future. We had to create an Emergency Dive Action Plan, research international recompression facilities, find out about the dive support organisation DAN, track down emergency service numbers and create a script in the event of a diving emergency. The afternoon was spent with Edgars and Dan (two fellow Rescue Diver trainees) and our South African instructor Megan. We spent it off the beach at Duong Dong, trying out surface and shallow rescue exercises and discussing possible scenarios. With a merciless sun beating down, I was soon bright red despite my factor 70 war paint, as two and a half hours bobbing on the surface and just below was perfect for burning! We took home our 213 page Rescue Diver manuals and a 10 page quiz and were told we'd be picked up early the next morning. 

    

                               Horrible beaches to deal with on this island as you can see!

    

I spent some time with Lisa back at the dive centre, studying the quiz and textbook, but we only managed to complete the first two pages in an hour before going our separate ways - I realised it would be a long night!

    

                    Me and my fabulous buddy Lisa and getting to grips with my homework!

Day two was all practical and a 90 minute boat trip soon had us at our first dive location. We would be practising entry and exit techniques and rescue procedures for surface divers in trouble. I buddied with Lisa and we persevered and encouraged one another as we tried to master the skills and remember the rules. Fortunately, the four of us were getting on wonderfully and Megan had a degree of patience and enthusiasm that was a pleasure to experience. She loves diving and every day she counts her blessings as she gets to work in the water. Her eyes were vibrant with humour, enjoyment and not a little 'minxiness' as she contemplated ways to stretch our team with 'real life' accidents and emergencies - courtesy of her dive master colleagues on board the boat. We had no sooner clambered on board after our first training session when 7 people were 'suddenly' in the water in various stages of distress and need! We were terrible as we forgot most of all we'd been taught and independently tried to rescue everyone! When we de-briefed afterwards, Megan said she had seen a lot worse, but I don't know how many of the 7 would have survived our efforts to rescue them and bring them back onto the boat!

    

Dive two was all about underwater exercises and we all had the chance to lose consciousness underwater (not literally) and be rescued by our buddies. Lisa and I did our best not to drown one another, but when we reached the surface it was so choppy it was very hard to deliver rescue breaths without swallowing sea water. The levels of laughing (and choking) grew throughout the session and Megan sat there on a life ring laughing the loudest (though actually rather pleased and impressed with our collective efforts.) We also learned how to search for a missing diver, practising a range of search patterns using an underwater compass whilst we counted fin cycles (leg kicks.) Despite great incompetence in our team, Lisa and I passed (though afterwards we decided that we were so focussed on the compass, counting our kicks and maintaining a correct bearing, that we would have swum right over a 'lost diver' and not seen them!)

               

                               Planning our next exercise

Day three saw us head North for 3 hours. Today would be a mixture of exercises on the surface, rescuing underwater victims and dealing with yet more 'real life accidents and emergencies' courtesy of a dive team who were really getting into the swing of teasing and challenging our Rescue group! I had just removed my equipment when 5 divers found themselves in trouble. I grabbed a tank, fins, mask and weight-belt and went in to get the tall guy splashing in clear distress furthest from the boat. Of course I didn't stop to check if my tank was secure and my releases were all clipped in correctly! 

When I reached my victim, he promptly tried to drown me in his desperation to get out of the water, so I submerged, came up behind him and filled my buoyancy jacket and tried to fill his. So far so good, but he had disconnected his inflator hose and after I had calmed him and began to take him back to the boat with one of the tow methods we had been taught, he promptly sank, choked and became hysterical again! Meanwhile the swell, which had been growing all morning, soon had us moving away from our boat and straight into the hull of a nearby fishing vessel. I was exhausted by now trying to keep us both afloat and if it wasn't for my timely grab of the anchor line, we may have collided with the boat. I hung on for dear life and yelled to my rescue colleagues on the boat to come and help and to not just sit there laughing and congratulating themselves for rescuing the other four victims!

              

   The fishing boat I had to avoid with my victim               Megan telling us how well we had done!

Our second dive was more relaxed. Megan was more than impressed with our progress and efforts and whilst she threw in a number of challenges for us to deal with, she was also keen that we would see some fish and coral. I spent the dive watching her like a hawk, stopping her from bolting to the surface when she 'ran out of air' and having to play dead at one point for the others to rescue. I was unable to enjoy the dive though, as my mind was on the theory test I still had to complete. Back on the boat, Megan told us we were outstanding and that she had thoroughly enjoyed teaching us; complementing our efforts, our genuine success and our progress. 

We got back to the harbour after 5.00pm and I arranged to go back to the dive centre to sit my test later that evening. 

For three days I had studied hard. I had read the book, had asked questions and listened fully, completed my homework and even had time to revise with Lisa on day two and Edgars on day three (who had both asked if they could practice their theory with me.) Megan said the test would take no more than an hour and she left me to it. 15 minutes later I finished. Concerned I had missed something I signalled Megan over. She was as surprised as me, but said I had no more to do, was I happy for her to mark it? 50 questions and 50 answers. I agreed and held my breath. 

I made only one mistake! 98%. The other dive leaders in the shop congratulated me when they heard I'd passed and then teased me when they heard the result. I am sure the un-PC phrase "girlie swat" was uttered!

               

So I am now a PADI certified Rescue Diver to add to my Open Water and Advanced Open Water qualifications. I should have done this course years ago and would thoroughly recommend it to all divers. I managed to save myself $140 courtesy of the first aid training I had done back at school in October 2013, as it meant I didn't have to take an extra day completing that element of the training - so many thanks Mablins Lane! 

I want to thank Lisa, for being such an excellent buddy and friend (I know we shall keep in touch), Edgars and Dan for making the team so interesting and fun, but most importantly Megan, for being such a great teacher. She is a wonderful example of someone who is clearly doing the right job (one they absolutely love) and you can see that enthusiasm in her eyes. 

    

And by the way - don't tell anyone else about Phu Quoc - let's keep it our Vietnamese secret. Just make sure if you ever get out this way - you take time to visit this 50km strip of paradise.

Paul