One of the first prominent diving groups was born out of Tanglin Club. The Club itself was founded in 1865 as a hub for the British to socialise and engage in recreational activities. 30 years ago, the Scuba Section was formed as a branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club. Named Branch 758, the section regularly conducts dive trips, teaches the ropes to newbies and organises talks about marine life.

In the early 1990s, a group of military men from the SAF’s ​​Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) Club got hold of a current stock of compressors and dive tanks, and thus started a small dive club. After a week of hard training, the men would load up dive gear to their 3-Tonner army trucks as they made their way to the Harbourfront area, then board bumboats to Pulau Hantu.

At that time, divers were not as adequately equipped with knowledge of the diverse marine life in our waters. They mostly dived to spot the same few creatures

The current three official local dive bodies are the Singapore Swimming Association, the Singapore Underwater Federation and the Commercial Diving Association. They seek to regulate best dive practices amongst practitioners in Singapore. These organisations also provide much needed support to commercial, recreational and professional divers. There are over 40 dive shops around the island that cater to the various needs  of dive enthusiasts. Most also offer diving courses and organise dive trips. Deep Blue Scuba, Big Bubble and Gill Divers are some of the better known local companies. Head online to read reviews before heading down to check out the equipment and services available.

While it is true that the Little Red Dot does not have world-renowned dive sites, one cannot simply write away the gems that thrive beneath our seas. Water temperature is a rather constant 30 degrees celsius throughout the year, so only one wetsuit is needed to last you many dives. Average visibility ranges from four to seven meters, though you can expect certain sites to have less than five metres of visibility.

Unfortunately, many reefs are rather over-dived and show hints of wear and tear. Our waters are also filled with various vessels while factories and refineries litter the shorelines. Heavy maritime traffic also ply our sealanes, forcing divers to work around these vessels. Diving and nature enthusiasts face a constant challenge to conserve our waters so that future generations of divers can enjoy the marine biodiversity in a safe and vibrant environment.

However, many Singaporean dive groups take advantage of the plethora of dive spots in neighbouring Indonesia and Malaysia, and love to make the trip to these destinations. Popular in Indonesia are Komodo and Wakatobi. To our north, the waters of Malaysia are filled with well-loved sites like Tioman Island and Sipadan island.And since there are no liveaboard vessels in the Lion City, many divers opt to do multi day trips to these overseas spots to make the most out of their time there.

Conclusion

Scuba diving may not be a widely popular hobby, but any professional or recreational diver you meet will surely have many stories to tell of their underwater exploits. It sure takes effort, money, and a whole lot of commitment, but is it the love for the ocean and marine life that keeps many divers going. Sounds like something up your alley but don’t know how to take the first step?

Join us at our Condo Swimming Lessons to get all the necessary water confidence and skills under your belt before you take on the big wide seas.

I’m Isabel, your friendly uni student who’s always waddling knee deep in readings and projects. But I’ll go through hell and high water to have regular suppers with my friends. You can find me with a film camera in one hand and a flat white in the other on the weekends. Also am able to rescue you if you ever capsize from a sea kayak.