Wet new world opens up

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN (The STAR newspaper on 14 Aug 2003)

WHEN it comes to having a good time, the deaf know how to make a big splash!

Thirteen members from the YMCA Kuala Lumpur Deaf Club and Friends Of The Deaf (a group of non-deaf students of sign language and volunteers) embarked on an exhilarating five-day diving adventure in June to explore a whole new world under the sea.

The YMCA Deaf Club, which presently has 250 members nationwide, is Malaysia’s first organisation of its kind that was set up for deaf youths in 1973. This year marks its 30th anniversary, and the diving adventure was one of a series of commemorative events being planned for the year.

Chak Choy Sim, 45, who is one of the Friends Of The Deaf, joined in the underwater challenge. The following is her account of the experience.

We set off on a 10-hour bumpy bus ride that began from the Pudu Raya bus station in KL. After that we went by speedboat and reached Pulau Tioman, Pahang, at 9am the next day.

The underwater excursion for the deaf was the brainchild of Tioman Reef Divers, a professional undersea diving company which first trained a deaf individual from the YMCA Deaf Club six years ago.

This year, however, is the first time that they worked with a group with disabilities. Their aim was to expose the wonders of the undersea world to more divers with hearing disabilities and also to introduce diving as a water sport for the deaf.

Our motley group, with ages ranging from 20–45 years, comprised of four deaf women and five deaf men. The others were hearing females and a male, all students of sign language.

During those five days, we stayed at the Babura Sea View Resort. The Dive Centre was conveniently located within the vicinity.

Before we plunged into the crystal clear waters, the dive master, with the help of a sign language interpreter (fully sponsored by the Tioman Reef Divers), briefed us on the basics of how to get started with the diving equipment. Underwater risks were also clearly spelt out, together with the necessary precautions and safety measures to take, in case of emergencies.

We spent a whole afternoon familiarising ourselves with, and selecting, the right kind of snorkels, diving suits, fins and buoyancy compensator jackets.

Our first lesson in snorkelling involved observing the nearby coral reefs which came alive with the many tropical sea creatures. We were amazed at their vibrant colours and gleaming textures, and even managed to spot a ”Nemo” or two.

The deaf took to the sport like fish to water.

As an added safety measure, each diver had a personal “buddy”.

At mealtimes, the deaf gestured animatedly to one another; their gestures and lively facial expressions showed just how much they were enjoying themselves.

On the fourth day, we ventured out by boat into the open seas off Labas and Coral islands with depths reaching 15m. The waters were not only clearer than near the House Reef but the undersea flora and fauna were more varied, exotic and brilliant. Before the day ended, the deaf explored an old shipwreck and fed the shoals of fishes that swam vigorously past us.

Our trip ended with a surprise birthday party held for two deaf participants, Anne Laura and Kathy.

After a final dive, it was just one mad rush to shower, pack, receive final instructions on how to fill up the diver training and recreational logbook, lunch and be ready to leave on time.

Though we arrived back in KL past midnight, the deaf were still ”talking” non-stop about their adventure all the way.

One participant from Sabah said: “I’ve always wanted to know what it felt like to be underwater. The wonders of the sea are awesome! Everything is so beautiful and peaceful.

“This outing was nothing like the near-drowning experienced I had as a child. But I’m not scared of the sea anymore. I just can’t wait to go scuba-diving again with some of my friends in Sabah.

“Until the experience, I had only seen images of divers on TV. I never thought that I would be lucky enough to go on such a trip. And despite my problems with balance, owing to my deafness, I was able to coordinate my body, hands and feet, thanks to the expert help of our dive master, Reeno Chew.

“Sometimes I wish that the whole world was covered with water. In this silent and wonderful world, the deaf are strong as we would have no problems with communication: we are perfectly able to ‘talk’ with our hands.

“I was scared at first but then forgot all my fears when I reached out and touched a turtle during one of the dives.”

The YMCA Deaf Club is pleased and proud to announce that all 10 of the deaf divers recently received their diving certificates and licenses after completing their written exams and eight dives.

This has prompted the Deaf Club to encourage more deaf individuals to obtain a scuba-diving certificate which will give them a tremendous sense of personal accomplishment.