Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive and Adventure Centre offer Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Packages to the Best Dive locations in West Coast Sabah.

We also offer a wide range of different diving experiences within these packages including Sunset Diving, NIGHT diving, Mangroves and Muck Diving.

For divers with a buddy and more than 20 logged dives, we offer unlimited scuba diving on our Dive Centre House Reef - home to many secrets including the rare and beautiful Mandarin Fish !.

Our unique location is especially beneficial to underwater photographers wishing to explore the reefs without the crowds and air and bottom time permitting stay as long as they like.

Recently we conducted a Sunset and Night Dive package, our divers (image left) went out specifically to search for Mandarin Fish (image right) and were fortunate to find them. Mandarin Fish are seen at sunset when males and females rise together in the water column and mate.

To read more about these fascinating creatures, please take a look at one of Richard and Joanne (Downbelow's founders and company Directors) critter articles published in Sport Diving Magazine - Australia.

Please contact us or peruse our Travel Packages section to discover more about the Scuba Diving we offer.


www.divedownbelow.com

HOTLINE: +6 012 866 1935

Downbelow Dive Shop
9A first Floor, Likas Square Commercial Centre, Kota Kinabalu 88400
Sabah Malaysian Borneo

Downbelows Scuba Dive Shop in Kota Kinabalu has a wide range of underwater dive lights and torch.

We have become a reseller for Underwater Kinetics and now stock a wide range of underwater dive and torch lights.

Underwater Kinetics (UK) were the first to make injection molded protection cases, high performance waterproof lights and innovative accessories providing uncompromising performance since 1971

Also available are Ikelite C-Light 8 torches. Led, Rechargeable, Battery powered Dive Lights are all in stock.

We are also resellers for Atomic Aquatics, Suunto, BARE, Sherwood Scuba and Akona Dive and Adventure Equipment.

Please come and visit to see for yourself our range of Dive and Adventure products.

www.divedownbelow.com

HOTLINE: +6 012 866 1935

Downbelow Dive Shop
9A first Floor, Likas Square Commercial Centre, Kota Kinabalu 88400
Sabah Malaysian Borneo

Discover Scuba Diving DSD - Scuba Diving Lessons for Beginners - An ideal day trip from Kota Kinabalu.

It could not be easier to try Scuba Diving and within the same few hours see the beauty of the underwater world in a safe, warm paradise location.

Our Island based PADI 5 Star Dive Centre in the The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is ideally suited to beginner divers providing shallow, sandy confined water environments which slope to slightly deeper coral reef habitats.

The PADI Discover Scuba Diving program introduces people to scuba diving in a highly supervised and relaxed manner.

It dispels common misconceptions about scuba by letting individuals try it for themselves.

Under the guidance of a PADI professional, new divers learn basic safety concepts, put on equipment and swim around underwater in a closely supervised environment.

After trying scuba, many new divers may decide to repeat the experience. If not immediately, then on other occasions or in different areas. Others will choose to pursue certification by enrolling in a PADI Scuba Diver or Open Water Diver course.

When certain requirements are met, new divers may earn credit toward PADI Scuba Diver and Open Water Diver certification.

Our half day program competes before lunch time so you can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the tropical beaches. Alternatively we can take you on an additional pleasure dive to a maximum depth of 12m with and instructor in the afternoon as part of the full day program.

You don't have to book the afternoon dive, "try before you buy" if you get the dive bug you can decide on the day.

Daily Program

0800 - 0820 hrs  Hotel pickup (KK City)  transfer to Jesselton Point Jetty
0830 hrs Meet Downbelow Staff and Transfer to Downbelow's The Beach House - Gaya Island
0845 hrs Registration & Equipment Selection
0900 hrs Dive Theory, Equipment Orientation and Dive Briefing
Confined Water Dive & Skill Practice
Open Water Scuba Dive
13.00 hrs Lunch
14.00 hrs Optional Scuba Dive or Relax on the Beach or go Trekking.
1600 hrs Boat Transfer to Mainland Jetty
1615 hrs Return to Hotel


As with all our programs we offer a fully inclusive price, including hotel transfers (KK City) boat transfers, park entry fees, instruction, equipment rental, learning materials and certification fees.

For booking information please contact us

Telephone: +6 012 866 1935

www.divedownbelow.com

Congratulations to Peter, Paddy, Salin and Miska who have just completed their PADI Open Water Course - Scuba Diving lessons with Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre - Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

The PADI Open Water Course is the first certification within the PADI system of education.

The PADI Open Water Course takes 4 days to complete (8.00 am till 4.00 pm daily) and courses offered by Downbelow are all inclusive with no hidden charges !

At Downbelow your safety is paramount, we have a large staff team to accommodate different client requirements.

We adhere to PADI Standards and Procedures and follow British HSE guidelines.

Our ratio is no more than four people on a course with 2 PADI professionals, your PADI instructor and a Divemaster.

Most of the time we have 2 people on a course with 1 PADI Instructor.

Peter and Paddy chose to save a day on this course and completed the academic portion online in their own time through the PADI eLearning system of education. Peters wife Sandy also joined Peter on the island, she enjoyed snorkeling on our crowd free house reef with our snorkeling guide.

Peter wrote a very nice email to us after completing his course, the email can be viewed in our Guest Book, he has also uploaded some great pictures.

Our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre known as the Beach House is located within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park on Gaya Island where "Rainforest meets the Reef" located just 10 mins boat ride from the City of Kota Kinabalu (KK).

We have a very quiet lagoon for our confined water training, we have a very special house reef with lots of marine life and all dive sites are within 5 minutes boat ride from our centre.

We have many non divers joining us for the day who wish to snorkel or go trekking so if your friends or family wish to join it would be a great way for you all to still be together during your course, we have some excellent walking trails around the dive station all set in primary rain-forest and guides can be arranged for all activities.

So please join our recent clients and become a PADI Open Water Diver in Kota Kinabalu, email us now for a quick response.

Telephone: +6 012 866 1935

www.divedownbelow.com

Our Island based PADI 5 Star Dive Centre is nestled in a tropical bay and surrounded by primary rain forest.

We are the only operator in the area and we have some lovely neighbors !!

We share our little piece of paradise with some of the staff of Sabah Parks, their little children can often be seen playing around the Beach House, holding our hands and laughing every time a guest brings out their camera.

They have great fun with families that join us for the day, although the children don't speak the same language, its doesn't make any difference they spend all day together and get along just fine !!

Here are a couple of recent pictures of the little angles !!

Time and time again our quests tell us how wonderful it is to spend the day with their family whilst they enjoy their different activities with everyone returning for tea and coffee breaks, refreshments and lunch throughout the day.

We run daily scuba diving, snorkeling & snorkeling safaris, trekking, sea kayaking and camping from our dive centre. A trip to Downbelow's Beach House - Gaya Island is a must when in Sabah !!

Should you wish to learn more about our Dive and Adventure Centre please peruse our website or contact us.

Telephone: +6 012 866 1935

www.divedownbelow.com

The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park - TARP, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah is a section 3 protected national park which means only single line fishing with a maximum of 2 hooks is permitted by indigenous fishermen.

The use of nets within the park is prohibited but sadly this protection does not stop lost and abandoned fishing gear, primarily large trawl and drift nets, floating into the region and coming to rest within the more protected, low-energy, shallow water environments.

Whilst Scuba Diving around Gaya Island - Tunku Abdul Rahman Park - TARP we found a huge fishing net smothering the reef posing a real threat to the living coral and surrounding marine life.

Disturbed by what we found we called upon the KK Dive Club to volunteer their time and help us with the delicate, time consuming job of carefully removing the net from the reef.

KK Dive Club members were more than happy to lend a helping hand and spend their free time with us removing the net.

After the job was done we provided them a free lunch and refreshments and they got to spend the rest of the day at our Beach House on Gaya Island - infact they played Frisbee on the grassy green next to our Dive Centre.

Since this net removal project we discovered another net on Sapi Island, caught in the net was a dead black tip reef shark and a parrot fish.

The worry with this particular net was that it was still floating and therefore consuming more victims.

We called Sabah Parks, the governing body in charge of the parks protection.

They immediately called on the Marine Police to investigate the situation and began cutting the net to pieces to avoid any further casualties.

The following day Sabah Parks staff returned with our logistic support and some of our own staff to remove the net from the reef.

We would like to thank the KK Dive Club for helping us remove the first devastating fishing net and highly commend Sabah Parks for their immediate response and commitment to removing the second fishing net and providing protection for the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

Should you wish to join the KK Dive Club and get involved in Conservation and Awareness Programs please visit the website or contact us for more information.

Should you wish to Scuba Dive with us in this stunning tropical paradise please visit the Dive Centre section of out website for more information.

Telephone: +6 012 866 1935

www.divedownbelow.com

Learn to Scuba Dive in Kota Kinabalu - We run PADI Open Water Courses for beginner divers every week at Downbelow Dive Centre.

Congratulations to our recent group of Open Water Divers - enjoy the next chapter of your holiday in Sabah !

The PADI Open Water Course is the first certification within the PADI system of education, you complete academic portions with home study and elaboration from your instructor, 5 confined water dives - this is where you learn diving skills, plus 4 open water dives where you put your skills into practice at our local dive sites.

The PADI Open Water Course takes 4 days to complete (8.00 am till 4.00 pm daily) and courses offered by Downbelow are all inclusive with no hidden charges !

We give you all required PADI learning materials (yours to keep).

Qualification fees, equipment rental, jetty fees, boat transfers, park entry fees, lunch and refreshments are all included. We even pick you up from your hotel in KK City and bring you back at the end of the day.

At Downbelow your safety is paramount, we have a large staff team to accommodate different client requirements. We adhere to PADI Standards and Procedures and follow British HSE guidelines.

Our ratio is no more than four people on a course with 2 PADI professionals, your PADI instructor and a Divemaster.

Most of the time we have 2 people on a course with 1 PADI Instructor.

If you choose to save a day on this 4 day course you can complete the academic portion online and in your own time through the PADI eLearning system of education.

You can register for eLearning with us by visiting our website HERE.

Our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre known as the Beach House is located within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park on Gaya Island where "Rainforest meets the Reef" located just 10 mins boat ride from the City of Kota Kinabalu (KK).

We have a very quiet lagoon for our confined water training, we have a very special house reef with lots of marine life and all dive sites are within 5 minutes boat ride from our centre.

We also have a Dive Shop and Classroom located in the city of Kota Kinabalu, we are resellers for top named brand Dive Equipment such as Atomic Aquatics, Suunto, Sherwood, Vaude and more ...

You can of course stay anywhere you wish in KK and we will transfer you daily to our dive centre for your activities, we also offer our divers discounted rates on various accommodation types from Backpacker to 5 Star Resorts.

We have many non divers joining us for the day who wish to snorkel or go trekking so if your friends or family wish to join it would be a great way for you all to still be together during your course, we have some excellent walking trails around the dive station all set in primary rain-forest and guides can be arranged for all activities.

So please join our recent bunch of clients (pictured above) and become a PADI Open Water Diver in Kota Kinabalu, email us now for a quick response.

Telephone: +6 012 866 1935

www.divedownbelow.com

Join our Scuba Diving Internship Students (pictured left )and become a PADI Scuba Diving Instructor in Kota Kinabalu KK, Sabah, Malaysia Asia.

James from England and Tanja from Denmark have both joined Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre in Kota Kinabalu to become a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.

James is already half way through his Internship, he initially joined us for a Divemaster Course in August and returned in October !

He will join our IDC Instructor Development Course in Kota Kinabalu in March 2009, the PADI IE will be held on 30th & 31st March 09.

Tanja joined us in December as a NON Diver, she has now completed her PADI Open Water Course and Advanced Open Water Course.

She is now enjoying UNLIMITED Scuba Diving and gaining vital experience in recreational diving before beginning her PADI Rescue Course.

Tanja will be ready to join our PADI IDC - Instructor Development Course in Kota Kinabalu in May 2009.

Duncan, Cyril and Kenny, all joined us as non divers, they are at various stages of their professional training and over the next two years will undergo in-depth training and development to become PADI Dive Masters and PADI Open Water Instructors.

Local and international candidates mutually benefit from the mixed program by providing opportunity to learn new languages, cultures and traditions and most importantly it brings people together forging new friendships.

If you'd like to join our team, please peruse our Scuba Diving Internship Program section of the website, we have a program to suit everybody.

If you would like to discuss options in more detail please call: +6 012 866 1935

Or Contact Us by Email.

www.divedownbelow.com

The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park TARP in Kota Kinabalu - KK, is the ideal location for kids, families with children wishing to try scuba diving.

We organize a full day of activities for children.

William and Veronique pictured here with their PADI Instructor Gon, spent 3 days with us.

One day on a Bubblemaker program - experiencing scuba diving for the very first time, whilst their Mum and Dad joined our Boat Dive activity.

The PADI Bubble maker program is a way for youngsters to join in the family fun of scuba diving.

Children should be OK in the water, but they don’t have to be super swimmers since the maximum depth is only 2m/6 ft.

Safety on all our courses and programs is paramount, we adhere to PADI standards and procedures and follow HSE guidelines.

The exciting Bubble Maker program is for ....

* Children eight years and older who want to have fun in our confined water environment
* Also available as an open water experience (two metre/six foot max. depth)
* Conducted by PADI Instructors
* No pre-training required

Should you be interested in joining us for a fun filled family day in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park at our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre please contact us

www.divedownbelow.com

HOTLINE: +6 012 866 1935

The D4 is the latest in Suunto's popular line of dive computers, an introductory model that rounds out a line that started with the more expensive D9 and D6.

The D4 can log 80 hours of dive data and can be set for diving on regular air, with nitrox at up to 50% oxygen or for free diving for serious breath hold divers.

It is a decompression computer.

You give up the digital compass and multiple gas features that you get on the D6 and D9.

But like the D6 and D9 from the Suunto Finnish company, the D4 is small and good looking enough to serve as a regular wrist watch when you are not diving.

Downbelow Dive Shop in Likas Square, Kota Kinabalu are resellers of the Suunto range of computers.

Currently the D4, D6 and D9 are on a very special christmas offer !!

Visit their Dive Shop at:

Downbelow Marine and Wildlife Adventures Sdn. Bhd
PADI 5 Star Dive Centre S-36441
Registration No: 809487-K.
KPL/LN 5472. 
Lot 9a , First Floor, Likas Square Commercial Centre,  
Kota Kinabalu 88400,
Sabah, Malaysia
Tel: +6 088 266 935, Fax: +6 088 266 935, Mobile: +6 012 866 1935
www.divedownbelow.com

Full details of our Christmas Day Package Promotions & Celebration Information can now be viewed online.

Guests are invited to join us for Christmas Day or both Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Options are there to include accommodation in Budget/ Backpacker, Mid Range or High End Accommodation.

Please join us and enjoy the fun !!!!

Please peruse our Christmas Day Celebration information page for details.

www.divedownbelow.com

HOTLINE: +6 012 866 1935

Our Good friend Jeffrey (AKA Jeff D' Corner) joined us for a DSD, Discover Scuba Diving Program in our Lagoon and House Reef on Gaya Island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Islands TARP. KK.

He came with a group of his friends which included our dear friend John.

Every one had a fabulous time, each couple with their own qualified Divemaster or Instructor, they saw a turtle, lots of snappers, parrot-fish, clownfish, sting rays along with all the usual suspects.

This was Jeffrey's second DSD program and no doubt he will be back again.

Jeffrey is the owner of Jeff D'Corner and in our opinion he cooks the best steaks in town, you can read more about him on our Eating Out in KK page.

The PADI Discover Scuba Diving program introduces people to scuba diving in a highly supervised and relaxed manner.

It dispels common misconceptions about scuba by letting individuals try it for themselves.

Under the guidance of a PADI professional, new divers learn basic safety concepts, put on equipment and swim around underwater in a closely supervised environment.

After trying scuba diving for the first time, some of the group are considering completing a PADI Open Water Diver course.

Should you wish to try this wonderful and rewarding sport please contact us or peruse our DSD page.

HOTLINE: +6 012 866 1935

Celebrate Christmas Day with a Beach BBQ, Scuba Dive, Snorkel, Trek, enjoy Games a Christmas Day Raffle and a few beers and wine at the Beach House, Gaya Island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Kota Kinabalu - KK Sabah.

We have come up with an itinerary for a perfect day of celebration. Ideal for families and friends wishing to spend Christmas on a tropical island taking part in various activities !!

Based at Downbelow's Beach House on Gaya Island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park just 10 minutes from Kota Kinabalu City.

Surrounded by tropical rain-forest, ocean, marine & wildlife !

FOUR dives will be available to those who wish to dive - two morning dives, an afternoon dive and a sunset dive (in search of Mandarin Fish )!!

Enjoy a delicious BBQ, with Tenderloin Steak flown in from Australia. Vegetarians will not miss out, we have TOFU alternatives !

Football & Frisbee can be played on our green, we have a Treasure Hunt and a Christmas Day Raffle to win a SUNNTO GEKKO DIVE computer worth RRP 1,300.00 !!!!!




The days itinerary is as follows:

Christmas Day Celebration
Diver Rate: MYR 460.00 p/p
Non Diver Rate: 270.00 p/p

0825 hrs
Meet Downbelow Staff & Transfer on Boat to Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre at The Beach House - Gaya Island, TARP
0915 hrs
1st Boat Dive/ Games / Snorkeling/ Trekking
1030 hrs
Surface Interval for Divers
1115 hrs
2nd Boat Dive/ Games / Snorkeling/ Trekking

1300 hrs
Beach BBQ & Christmas Day Raffle to win a SUNNTO Dive Computer
1430 hrs
3rd Dive Boat or Shore
1600 hrs
1st Boat Transfer back to Jesselton Point for those that wish to return
1745 hrs
Sunset Dive
1900 hrs
Return to Jesselton Point Jetty


All our programs are ALL Inclusive, the only additional option extra is the RAFFLE Ticket costing MYR 50.00, the chances of winning the SUUNTO Dive Computer are very good with only 16 tickets for sale per computer !!!!

Includes: Boat transfers from Jesselton Point Jetty to Beach House, Gaya Island Return (10 minutes each way), Park Entry Fees, Jetty Fees, Dive & Snorkel Equipment Rental, BBQ Lunch & Refreshments, Beer & Wine, 4 Guided Boat Dives (Diver Rate).

Overnight camping is available for the intrepid adventurer !!

Pre booking for this special Christmas Day Celebration is required, please contact us on (+6) 012 866 1935 or Email Us.


www.divedownbelow.com

Suunto Dive Computers are now IN STOCK at Downbelow Scuba Dive Shop in Kota Kinabalu, KK, Sabah.

We have outstanding Christmas discounts and special offers on the D9, D6, & D4 with the rest of the Suunto range at very competitive prices.

Our PADI Course plus Gekko Dive Computer bundle is back on offer, having previously sold out of stock, we re-ordered more



Suunto Diving Equipment - Innovative, Essential and Accurate

Suunto specializes in essential diving equipment that helps enthusiasts focus on the experience and make the most of every dive.

From the industry's first liquid-filled dive compass to the first wristop dive computer, Suunto innovations have become standard equipment the world over, trusted by professionals for accuracy, salient features and outstanding durability. Because divers differ in motivation and style, Suunto provides options.

With the Suunto D9, for example, you can equip yourself with a full decompression dive computer, digital compass and wireless air integration - all in one convenient wristop unit.
Take a moment to explore the full line of Suunto dive computers. Use the comparison tool to find the right Suunto dive computer for you. Start here.


We also have many other special offers and bundles on Atomic Aquatics, Sherwood Regulators & BCD, Underwater Kinetics Dive Lights, Bare Wetsuits and many more items.

Please come and visit to see for yourself our range of Dive and Adventure products.

www.divedownbelow.com

HOTLINE: +6 012 866 1935

A BIG welcome to Norzumaayati Goloi, fondly knows as "Gone" who has recently joined the Downbelow Dive Team as an OWSI, Open Water Scuba Instructor & EFRI Emergency First Response Instructor in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, Borneo.

Gone has a wealth of experience that she brings to the international staff team.

Having worked with Greenforce, Raleigh International and Lankayan Island Resort Gone is a huge asset to an expanding company with many educational and environmental projects already underway.

Gone is pictured here conducting a Discover Scuba Diving program with Marcin Stepinski, who, along with his family were a guest of Downbelow - from Poland.

Gone will assist in "Team Teaching" our growing number of Instructor Candidates who have joined Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre in pursuit of a new career path, please use this link to peruse our Internship Programs should you be interested to join.

www.divedownbelow.com

HOTLINE: +6 012 866 1935

KK Dive Club NIGHT Diving !

The islands within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park - TARP offer some very safe and rewarding night dive sites with plenty of marine life to be found including a variety of crustaceans, nudibranchs, squid and cuttlefish, feeding coral polyps and much more.

Night diving is a unique experience, with your vision restricted our other senses are heightened and more alert !

The KK Dive Club aims to get specifically locals - Malaysians and Expats in the water to appreciate what we have right here on our doorsteps.

If you live in Kota Kinabalu or Sabah and you love diving, then you've gotta dive with us!

KK Dive Club patrons Richard & Jo from Downbelow are crazy about diving and a passion like that is infectious. 

Further more, they love the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine National Park (TARP) and show you thing you never knew existed so close to the city.

So how do i get involved ?

Please visit the KK Dive Club website or CONTACT US for more information.

To join please call us on +6 012 867 7375 OR +6 088 23 23 75

www.downbelow.co.uk

Congratulations on completing the PADI Open Water Course Kota Kinabalu, KK. Sabah !!

Pictured left, Mazlan, Hairol and Felix who work in the Marine Biology Department for Sabah's Government statutory conservation department - Sabah Parks within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park have recently completed their Scuba Diving Course with PADI 5 Star Dive Centre Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures.

Also pictured with them - standing outside the Beach House - Downbelows Dive Centre, in the centre is Misol their PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.

The PADI Open Water Course is not only our most popular course but the most popular Scuba Course in the world.

This Scuba Diving Course is the first level of PADI Certification and as a certified PADI Open Water Diver you have the freedom to dive with a buddy independent of a professional to a maximum depth of 18 meters.

The Beach House on Gaya Island, Downbelow Dive Centres Island Paradise location in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah provides an ideal venue for this course, with a confined shallow, sandy area lagoon - ideal for skill practice and open water coral reef dive sites just minutes from the centre - ideal for open water dives.

Throughout the course, students learn fundamentals of scuba diving, including dive equipment and techniques.

Completing five confined sessions, knowledge development sessions and four open water dives. Participants don't have to be super fit to learn, virtually anyone who is in good health, reasonably fit, and comfortable in the water can earn a PADI Open Water Diver certification.

For more information please peruse our PADI Open Water Course website page or CONTACT US for more information.

For bookings please call us on +6 012 866 1935 OR +6 088 23 23 75

www.divedownbelow.com

Tags Scuba Diving

Downbelow's Beach House Adventure Centre based on Gaya Island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP) provides the perfect island base from which to snorkel the dive sites and coral reefs of TARP, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.




With daily pick ups from Kota Kinabalu City hotels and departure from Jesselton Point Jetty snorkelers, trekkers and scuba divers can choose from a range of daily activities.

Non swimmers can also join various programs, we provide snorkel guides and snorkel vests.

Snorkeling takes place in our shallow lagoon just in front of our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre, on our house reef and from the Dive Boat to various stunning coral reef just minutes from our Beach House.

To discover more information on the various programs that we offer please visit the Travel Packages section of our website.

For bookings please call us on +6 012 866 1935 OR +6 088 23 23 75

www.divedownbelow.com

Tags Snorkelling, Snorkeling

The Beach House on Gaya Island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Kota Kinabalu is the ideal location for friends and families to spend a fun filled activities day out whilst in Sabah, Malaysia Borneo.

Home to PADI 5 Star Dive Centre Downbelow Marine and Wildlife Adventures it is the perfect setting and provides the perfect venue for friends and family wishing to relax, snorkel, go trekking and scuba diving, snorkelling safaris, island hopping, play football, frisbee and volleyball !!

Our 37ft Speed Boat provides very comfortable transportation for such activities.

Wildlife lovers will be amazed by the diversity of wildlife that can be seen in one day, monkeys, butterflies, snakes, hornbill and lizards are seen regularly.



Wild Boars and Proboscis Monkeys also inhabit the island but they are very shy, occasionally they are heard but rarely seen.

Time and time again our quests tell us how wonderful it is to spend the day with their family whilst they enjoy their different activities with everyone returning for tea and coffee breaks, refreshments and lunch throughout the day.

Often Grandparents will relax or try our guided Snorkelling program, Mums and Dads will Scuba Dive or go Trekking whilst Children can play on the beach or grassy lawns or try our Kids Discover Snorkelling Program.

Our Adventure Centre is at the base of the best trekking trails in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

We have a confined lagoon, a fabulous house reef for snorkelers and divers and all snorkel and dive sites in the park are within a few minutes from our Adventure Centre.

The ultra adventurous visitor can camp overnight at our centre, we provide waterproof tents, dinner and breakfast and guests enjoy a safe environment with a 1 million star hotel accommodation !

A trip to our Adventure Centre is a 'Must See" day out whilst in Kota Kinabalu.

Our international staff team provide premier 5 Star service which it to be expected from a 5 Star Centre.

We pride ourselves on very small group tuition providing a very personal service.

We have extremely high safety standards and procedures and follow British HSE Guidelines. 

For more information please peruse our website or call us on +6 012 866 1935 OR +6 088 23 23 75

www.divedownbelow.com

Tags Scuba Diving, Snorkelling, Trekking, Island Hopping, TARP, Kota Kinabalu

PADI 5 Star Dive Centre Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures is offering an end of year Scuba Diving Special Discount Package in Kota Kinabalu and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP).

This 4 Night, 3 Day Scuba package includes Accommodation and Buffet Breakfast at the Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel in Kota Kinabalu City.

Centrally located this hotel offers very good mid range accommodation twin/double rooms with en-suite bathrooms, internet and satellite TV.

With a great watering hole on the ground floor scuba divers of Downbelow can enjoy beer buckets at discounted rates, arguably the cheapest in town !!

The diving package includes 3 full days of diving (9 guided dives in total), equipment rental, jetty fees, park fees, lunch and refreshments all included - NO HIDDEN Extras !!!

The hotel is located 5 minutes walk from our daily pick up point at the Jesselton Point Jetty, from here our boat will collect you and take you on a 10 minute speed boat ride to our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre located at The Beach House on Gaya Island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

This is where we surface interval and take our lunch break, all dive sites are within a a few minutes from our centre. You will also have time to look around, its very peaceful and surrounded by primary rain-forest with lots of wildlife.

Priced at MYR 1140.00 per person (approx. GBP 189.00) This really is a fabulous offer, pre booking is advised as availability is limited! Prices are based on 2 person bookings. For single travelers there is an additional MYR 200.00 surcharge.

You can discover more information about the daily diving and marine life you are likely to encounter here Downbelow Daily Diving Package.

The park offers some great diving for beginners and experienced divers alike, lots of hard and soft coral, great macro life, schools of tropical fish and many prized critters. 

You can find more info about Tunku Abdul Rahman Park ( Tarp ) the park here Scuba Diving TARP.

We have a Dive Shop and Classroom located on the KK mainland, please feel free to drop in, we offer free wireless internet, tea,coffee and biscuits !!!

TEL: +6 012 866 1935
www.divedownbelow.com

Tags Accommodaion Kota Kinabalu, Scuba Diving

Looking for a Career Change ? Are you a Gap Year Student ? Are you looking for a Challenging Internship Program in Asia ? Do you thrive on Adventure Sports ? Looking to live and learn about another culture, meet new people and learn new languages ?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you should consider joining one of our Professional Scuba Diving Internship Programs in the exciting city of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo South East Asia.


Our great value internship programs can be suited to non divers wishing to enter the professional sport of scuba diving or qualified divers wishing to continue their scuba diving education.

The minimum internship period is 1 month.

To co-inside with these internships we run at least two PADI Instructor Development Courses (PADI IDC) annually which are followed by the PADI Instructor Examination (PADI IE)

On all our internships you receive UNLIMITED scuba diving.

We can offer this because our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre is actually based within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP)with direct access to our training lagoon & house reef and just a handful of minutes boat ride from TARPs surrounding dive sites.

Based only 10 minutes from the City of Kota Kinabalu, we dive everyday!

We also have a Dive Shop and Classroom in Kota Kinabalu City.

We can also include very affordable accommodation to participants.

At Downbelow we also offer internship programs to local people under long term contract, providing opportunity and security for their career development.

Local and international candidates mutually benefit from the mixed program by providing opportunity to learn new languages, cultures and traditions and most importantly it brings people together forging new friendships.

For more information please visit the Scuba Diving Internship section of our website.

Feel free to call us on +6 012 866 1935 or Email Us with your enquiry.

Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures were invited to spend the afternoon in Klias Wetlands with Sabah's Tourism Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.


Downbelows Manager Evelyn, along with other guests enjoyed a Fish Foot Spa, Traditional Malaysian Buffet Dinner, a River Cruise and admired the Fireflies that light up the Mangrove Jungles like a Christmas Tree !!

Everyone had a fabulous time including our Instructor Development Internship - James who enjoyed rubbing shoulders with some of Sabahs industry players.

Klias Wetlands can be visited on a day trip from Kota Kinabalu.

For More information, please see our dedicated Travel Packages section of the website.

Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre in Kota Kinabalu and Gaya Island are very pleased to offer the PADI Open Water Course & Suunto Gekko Wrist Dive Computer at an Incredible bundled price promotion of MYR 2141.00!

Nope we have not gone crazy we just have great dive equipment prices in our dive shop and are happy to pass them on !!

Throughout the PADI Open Water Diver Course, you'll learn fundamentals of scuba diving, including dive equipment and techniques. You will also be taught using the Suunto Gekko Dive Computer (Brand New with Warranty) which will be yours to keep at the end of the course.

Suunto Gekko can be used with both air and enriched air nitrox, and it is designed to give the specifics of any diving situation, including decompression, at a glance.


Easy to use push buttons and a straightforward menu structure make Gekko simple to operate.

The extensive logbook memory stores up to 50 hours of dive profiles and logbook data including dive start time and date, dive time, maximum depth attained and temperature at maximum depth. In addition the dive history keeps track of up to 999 dives and 999 dive hours, as well as the maximum depth ever reached.

Scuba Diving with a dive computer has many benefits, very simply put - dive computers constantly track a divers decompression status, allow for more time underwater by using multi level techniques, provide accurate depth/time recordings and decompression status is made simple with automatic calculations.

What better way to become familiar with using and diving with a dive computer than learning to scuba dive with your very own !!

Please contact us to book you PADI Open Water Scuba Diving Course with the Suunto Gekko Dive Computer - only available while stocks last - In Stock Now !

I must admit to getting a little star struck when in the presence of celebrities which is why i wasn't invited to Richard's day out with Brad Pitt !

One celebrity that i did have the pleasure of meeting though is Deepau Gurung - a famous Nepalese Pop Star, fondly remembered as Poppy !!

Poppy is also Corporal within the British Royal Gurkha Regiment. He was a participant with one of our Adventure training groups this year.

The Gurkhas, a British special ops unit that has existed since 1815 are considered to be some of the finest soldiers in the world, as is evidenced by the high regard they are held in for both their fighting skill, and their smartness of turnout on parade. Today there are 3400 troops within the British Army, they are all gentlemen and we are very honored to be given the opportunity to conduct their Adventure Training.



During Poppys program he completed the PADI Open Water Course. He enjoyed his AT week so much that he then returned with another group for some daily fun diving.

We had dinner with Poopy and the rest of his group at the Moonbell Restaurant in KK and Poppy charmed us with a few tunes and signed his autograph for me (pictured left with Richard) !!

We hope to see Poppy again and wish him and the boys all the best in their careers and happy diving !

With our Adventure Sports Training & Team Building Season 2008 almost coming to an end (only one more group to come), we thought we should write a quick review and say a "BIG Thank You" to the Downbelow Staff Team, Sabah Parks, Friends and Colleagues.

Its been a hard working year but great fun and once again we've met some fabulous people.

Probably our biggest achievement this year was our British Army Royal Gurkha Riffles Event for 291 pax.

Run over a period of 8 weeks this was the largest single PADI Certification Event in Malaysia and arguably in South East Asia !




During the program participants camped at our Beach House Adventure Centre on Gaya Island within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park TARP.

Every participant completed a PADI Certification including Discover Scuba Diving, Open Water Course, Advanced Open Water Course and Rescue Diver Course.

In addition we conducted Sea Kayaking, Skin Diver Programs and White Water Rafting. After days of Adventure Training & Team Building participants went Trekking along the fabulous Gaya Island Trails, played Volleyball and Football !!

Since conducting the event we have received numerous emails from the British Army with glowing feedback from organizers and participants, to the extent that we're now making plans for the same program next year.

Please take a look at out Adventure Training Photo Album so see images of this Adventure Training Event plus previous events.

We have also had the pleasure this year of accommodating many other corporate groups and special interest organizations.

We are very fortunate to be based on a small island in the South China Sea, surrounded by stunning coral reef and rainforest - all this only 10 minutes from a bustling city !!

Should you be interested to learn more about our company and location, please visit our website:

www.divedownbelow.com

Or Contact our International Events Organizers Richard or Joanne

Yes, Sharks, a Whale, Giant Sting Rays, Turtles, Mandarin Fish, Cuttlefish, Ribbon Eel, Octopus, Fascinating Jellyfish and schools of Snappers and Fusiliers are just some of the marine life that we have seen in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Kota Kinabalu THIS WEEK !!

This is not to mention the Bornean Short Python, Pied Hornbills, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Long Tail Macaques and Green Crested Lizards that we saw during our surface interval !!!

Almost everyday we return buzzing from the marine and wildlife experience that us and our guests have experienced.

To elaborate on the Whale sighting, which is not a normal occurrence -"Whilst scuba diving one of our favorite dive sites just 5 minutes from our dive centre Downbelows boatman was drawn towards some enormous splashing".

Our divers were infact underwater at the time but Osmera (boatman) was a little perturbed, when realized he was watching a Whale longer than our boat (37ft) surface and dive 5 times !!!

Coincidentally it was almost two years ago that we found a 21 meter Brydes Whales beached but alive on the reef at Gaya Island, perhaps we could be experiencing a migration - yet a new project for us to investigate !!

Fortunately Richard has been taking his camera to the island this week so managed to catch some of the marine & wildlife on camera

Should you be interested to learn more about some of the Marine & Wildlife to be found in Sabah please peruse our Photography Section or visit us at Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre.

Congratulations to Jussi from Finland on completing his PADI Open Water Course with us - Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre in Kota Kinabalu.

Jussi deserves a special mention because we feel he could be an inspiration to other amputee, physically challenged or indeed able bodied potential divers wondering whether they could embark in the sport of scuba diving

Throughout the PADI Open Water Course Jussi demonstrated mastery of each performance requirement in some cases by modifying techniques to meet requirements.



Its been a pleasure to meet and spend time with Jussi, he's a great guy and we had a lot of fun.

He became part of the team for his few days with us.

Jussi is pictured above completing his compass navigation exercise with James, our IDC Internship Candidate.

Richard, our company Director offered to teach his course, from the hundreds of students Richard has taught over his 2 decade diving career Jussi will remain one of his most rewarding students.

Jussi has now gone to Sipadan where we're sure he'll have a fabulous time and we look forward to welcoming him back "Downbelow" one day in the future !


Should Jussi inspire you to take on a challenge that you thought would be beyond your ability please contact us to discuss a tailored PADI Open Water Course in more detail.

Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre, Kota Kinabalu have decided to make the PADI Enriched Air NITROX Course speciality of the MONTH for November 2008, this means we're offering the speciality at a discounted 10% OFF !!

Congratulations to James, Nav, Patrick and Tan who recently completed their Nitrox Course, now they can stay longer Downbelow !!!!

For more information on this popular speciality please see our dedicated PADI Enriched Air Nitrox website section.

For information on just some of the other PADI Courses we offer please peruse our dedicated web pages.

HOTLINE !! Tel: +6 012 866 1935

Email Us to register for this super offer !!

Downbelow PADI Star Dive Centre on Gaya Island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park TARP, rent Enriched Air NITROX Tanks to their divers and neighboring Scuba Diving Centres.

For more information on Tank fills and rental please Contact Us.

For information on becoming a Nitrox certified diver and enrolling on our PADI Enriched Air Diver Course, please peruse our dedicated pages.

Click for more Information on our Tropical Island Diving Paradise Dive Centre at The Beach House, Gaya Island, TARP.

HOTLINE !! Tel: +6 012 866 1935

Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre in the TAR Park (TARP) was a buzz yesterday when the morning dive boat returned to the Beach House on Gaya Island with a group of very happy divers from Australia, UK, Denmark and Holland.

The excitement was over a Black Ribbon Eel that they discovered on a deep dive just a couple of minutes boat ride from our Island Dive Centre.

Our knowledge and experience tells us that these delightful little critters remain in the same area for some time, so revisiting this prize find should be possible.

Ribbon Eels (Rhinomuraena quaesita) are a rare find and quite secretive usually only showing their head and their distinctively large flared nostrils.

Should a diver get to close, they will hide away in their hole and probably stay hidden for a few minutes.

Black Ribbon Eels with a yellow dorsal fin are juveniles and sub adults.

To read more about Ribbon Eels please peruse our dedicated Marine Biology Section within our website.

Should you wish to Scuba Dive with us, please peruse our Daily Diving Package or PADI Courses Section.

Alternatively please call us on +6 )12 866 1935 or Email Us for a quick response.

Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre are running a PADI Enriched Air Nitrox Diver Course Speciality - Kota Kinabalu 20th & 21st October 2008.

This scuba diving course is one of PADI’s most popular specialties.



Diving with enriched air nitrox lets you safely extend your no stop time beyond the no decompression limits for air.

Diving with enriched air means more time underwater – but you need to be certified as an Enriched Air Diver to get enriched air fills.

Whether you’re into underwater photography or macro diving, at home or on holiday the PADI Enriched Air Diver course helps you get more out of diving by giving you more time underwater. Certification counts toward the Master Scuba Diver rating

Pre-requistite

To enrol on the course you must be a PADI Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another organization).

You will Learn
To analyze cylinder contents.
Plan enriched air dives using tables and dive computers.
Safely increase your no stop time.


Once qualified guests can rent NITROX tanks for their leisure diving from our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre and extend their bottom time Downbelow !!

For more information on becoming a PADI Enriched Air Diver please Contact Us to book your place on the course.

HOTLINE !! Tel: +6 012 866 1935

Everyday people write to us asking about the Dive Sites and Scuba Diving in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, TARP, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

So i thought i would write a very quick summary for those that are interested.

Firstly its important to say that we enjoy year round scuba diving.

Often people think that the monsoon season is off limits for us divers but its not, infact monsoon time can bring some of the best weather because its no longer the Typhoon season.

Scuba Diving wise there is really no best or worst time to visit in terms of weather for the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

March through May is Whaleshark season so i guess if you can visit any time atall this would be an additional bonus and our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre is ideally located to track them down safely and unobtrusively.

For Beach Lovers, Snorkelers, Skin Divers, beginners to the sport of Scuba Diving and professionals alike the park offers a great deal.

Tropical waters abundant with diverse and fascinating marine life, sheltered reefs, idilic island paradise settings to relax and while away surface intervals - all this within view of the KK city centre and Mt Kinabalu.

Dive sites within TARP are predominantly sloping coral reefs with stunning hard and soft covered coral blocks, mangrove areas and sand slopes with plenty of fish life and macro subjects - ideal for photographers both beginners and those more advanced.

Depths range from shallow coral gardens at 5m to caverns and overhangs at 30m. Some of the well know Dive Sites include, Clement Reef, Rons Reef, Edgell Patches, North Sulug and Police Beach, but we make many many more new dive site discoveries all the time in and around the TAR Park.

So What Can We See ?

Macro life is what we are passionate about but having said this there are plenty of larger marine creatures to found. We regularly see Turtles and Rays, especially at Turtles House Dive Site.

At the moment Eagle Rays seem to be hanging around with a recent Open Water Course student seeing one in our lagoon in 4m of water !!

Schools of Barracuda, Snappers, Fusiliers and Anthias are common. We often see Cuttlefish, Moray Eels, Lionfish and Pufferfish.

Occasionally we see Sharks but sadly Sharks are these days a minority due to overfishing and illegal Shark-finning practices worldwide.

Nudibranchs are common, so too are all 7 species of Clownfish which can be seen in just one dive site! Many species of Crustaceans, Scorpionfish, Pipefish, Demon Stingers, Cuttlefish and Stonefish are also usual suspects.

From time to time we find Frogfish, Ghostpipefish and once in a while the highly prized Blue Ringed Octopus !

Our House Reef and Home Corner Dive Site which is just a giant stride from our Beach House Dive Centre jetty has many surprises. Generally we know where to find Mandarinfish at certain times of the day.

The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park should not be missed when visiting Sabah, often overlooked this Divers paradise offers constant surprises.

TARP also a perfect location for a Scuba Review before a trip to Sipadan or for non divers to try out the sport of Scuba Diving with the Discover Scuba Diving program. Also for qualified divers to continue their diving course education.

Two or three day dive packages offer great value for money and you certainly wouldn't see the same dive site twice - unless you wanted to of course, which can happen !!

For more information on packages please visit our Travel Packages page.

Or Contact us for Bookings.

To learn more about the Marine Life we find, please visit our dedicated Marine Biology Section of our Website.

We are running a day trip to Pulau Tiga - Survivor and Snake Island this Sunday 12th October due to popular demand !!

Guests old and new plus our KK Dive Club Members are welcome to join the fun, places are limited so advanced bookings are required.

We have the fastest Dive Boat in Kota Kinabalu which makes a trip to Tiga very comfortable and quick !!!

Made famous by CBS as the location for their Survivor Island reality based TV show.

Located 6 miles offshore Sabah in North Borneo this fascinating island was formed on September 21st 1897 by a volcanic eruption way of the coast of Borneo. To this day warm mud oozes from geometric vents on the island.


The surrounding dive sites offer great variety of hard and soft coral with plenty of tropical fish life.

Aboard our 37ft spacious speed boat a day trip to Palau Tiga, Survivor Island departs at 7am and includes the following:

Return sea transfers from Kota Kinabalu (approx. 1 hour each way, sea conditions permitting), Unlimited Snacks and Refreshments, BBQ or Buffet Lunch. Park Entry Fees, Jetty Fees. Guided Snorkelling and/ or Scuba Diving 2 x Boat dives (depending on package). Guided Trip to Mud Volcano and Snake Island. Optional overnight stay.

Non divers and snorkelers are also welcome !

To discover more about this fascinating island and great day trip please visit our Pulau Tiga pages.

If you are interested to join us, please drop us a line or give us a call, visit our contacts page for information.

CALL NOW TO BOOK YOUR PLACE +6 012 866 1935

We are night diving in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park on 19th October 2008.

The islands within the park offer some very safe and rewarding night dive sites with plenty of marine life to be found including a variety of crustaceans, nudibranchs, squid and cuttlefish, feeding coral polyps and much more.

Night diving is a unique experience, with your vision restricted our other senses are heightened and more alert, i liken this feeling to walking through the woods at night !

Departure from the jetty is at 6 pm and we should return by 8pm for the 1 dive program.

All equipment including torches are available to rent. Please contact us if you'd like more information and would like to join us.

We are running a day trip to Pulau Tiga - Survivor Island on 2nd November 2008.

Guests old and new plus our KK Dive Club Members are welcome to join the fun, places are limited so advanced bookings are required.

We have the fastest Dive Boat in Kota Kinabalu which makes a trip to Tiga very comfortable and quick !!!

Made famous by CBS as the location for their Survivor Island reality based TV show.

Located 6 miles offshore Sabah in North Borneo this fascinating island was formed on September 21st 1897 by a volcanic eruption way of the coast of Borneo. To this day warm mud oozes from geometric vents on the island.


The surrounding dive sites offer great variety of hard and soft coral with plenty of tropical fish life.

Aboard our 37ft spacious speed boat a day trip to Palau Tiga, Survivor Island departs at 7am and includes the following:

Return sea transfers from Kota Kinabalu (approx. 1 hour each way, sea conditions permitting), Unlimited Snacks and Refreshments, BBQ or Buffet Lunch. Park Entry Fees, Jetty Fees. Guided Snorkelling and/ or Scuba Diving 2 x Boat dives (depending on package). Guided Trip to Mud Volcano and Snake Island. Optional overnight stay.

Non divers and snorkelers are also welcome !

To discover more about this fascinating island and great day trip please visit our Pulau Tiga pages.

If you are interested to join us, please drop us a line or give us a call, visit our contacts page for information.

Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre had the pleasure of entertaining the Wang Family from Singapore and Australia on their Day Trip to Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Tarp Kota Kinabalu (KK).

We like to post news of "out of the ordinary" clients and we feel that to host a family of 12, grandparents, parents and children is quite special.

Basing themselves at our Dive Centre at The Beach House, Gaya Island within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park TARP, just 8 minutes speedboat ride from Kota Kinabalu City.

Their day consisted of Daily Scuba Diving, Discover Scuba Diving, Snorkelling and Trekking.

On their day trip and between all their activites, the Wang family enjoyed a freshly cooked lunch and relaxed on our verandah to the sound of hornbills flying next to the Beach House where primary rainforest meets reef !

Everyone had a fabulous time and we'd like to thank the Wang Family for spending the day with us.

For more information on our daily packages ideal for families and individuals please visit our dedicated website section Travel Packages.

PADI 5 Star Dive Centre Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures is offering an end of year Scuba Diving Special Discount Package in Kota Kinabalu and Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (TARP).

This 4 Night, 3 Day Scuba package includes Accommodation and Buffet Breakfast at the Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel in Kota Kinabalu City.

Centrally located this hotel offers very good mid range accommodation twin/double rooms with en-suite bathrooms, internet and satellite TV.

With a great watering hole on the ground floor scuba divers of Downbelow can enjoy beer buckets at discounted rates, arguably the cheapest in town !!

The diving package includes 3 full days of diving (9 guided dives in total), equipment rental, jetty fees, park fees, lunch and refreshments all included - NO HIDDEN Extras !!!

The hotel is located 5 minutes walk from our daily pick up point at the Jesselton Point Jetty, from here our boat will collect you and take you on a 10 minute speed boat ride to our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre located at The Beach House on Gaya Island, Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

This is where we surface interval and take our lunch break, all dive sites are within a a few minutes from our centre. You will also have time to look around, its very peaceful and surrounded by primary rain-forest with lots of wildlife.

Priced at MYR 1140.00 per person (approx. GBP 189.00) This really is a fabulous offer, pre booking is advised as availability is limited! Prices are based on 2 person bookings. For single travelers there is an additional MYR 200.00 surcharge.

You can discover more information about the daily diving and marine life you are likely to encounter here Downbelow Daily Diving Package.

The park offers some great diving for beginners and experienced divers alike, lots of hard and soft coral, great macro life, schools of tropical fish and many prized critters. 

You can find more info about Tunku Abdul Rahman Park ( Tarp ) the park here Scuba Diving TARP.

We have a Dive Shop and Classroom located on the KK mainland, please feel free to drop in, we offer free wireless internet, tea,coffee and biscuits !!!

TEL: +6 012 866 1935
www.divedownbelow.com

In a bid to improve the health of underwater eco systems Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures rallied 50 volunteers to clean up their base station and House Reef on Gaya Island including the ocean, beaches, mangrove area and rain-forest trails to help make clean waters a reality.

The cleanup event was spearheaded by Project AWARE Foundation who coordinate the global volunteer effort devoted to cleaner, healthier oceans. Every year seven million tonnes of rubbish enters the world’s oceans. Marine debris kills more than one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles each year.

“Dive Centres like Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures are instrumental in the global fight to wipe out marine debris. We could not make a difference without their support,” said Mike Holme, Executive Director of Project AWARE. “Project AWARE thanks Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures and all the local volunteers for their commitment to marine conservation. Local clean ups are a fantastic example of how people can work together to take action and make a positive contribution to the local community.”

The management of Downbelow said “Thanks to the commitment of passionate local divers and volunteers we have made a real impact cleaning up the local area. It is amazing what can be achieved and we’d like to thank Sabah Tourism Staff, holiday makers from London and Germany, Scubazoo Staff, KK Dive Club Members, Sabah Park Staff, Local Travel Agents, Family Volunteers and Local School Children for their efforts. In total we removed 403kgs of rubbish from the area”

We have submitted data from the event to Project Aware. With so many volunteers diving for debris and collecting vital information on different types of materials entering aquatic environments, International Cleanup Day is the most effective event of its kind. Project AWARE submits all the data collected to the Ocean Conservancy. The data becomes a powerful tool that is used to inform the public, governments and businesses of the damaging effects of debris.

This clean up day has made such a great difference to our local area we will be running these volunteer days regularly and will post all such events.

Please re-visit this page of the website, or subscribe to our RSS feed to keep updated.

TEL: +6 012 866 1935
www.divedownbelow.com

Downbelow PADI 5 Star Dive Centre - Kota Kinabalu are pleased to announce next years PADI Instructor Development Course to become a PADI Open Water Scuba Diving Instructor beginning 14th MARCH 2009

Covering areas as diverse as risk management, teaching children, the business of diving and PADI standards and procedures, the IDC is designed to develop a rounded diving educator who can work anywhere in the world.

The IDC begins with independent self-study Knowledge Reviews and encompasses two PADI programs: The Assistant Instructor Course and The Open Water Scuba Instructor Course.

Together these two programs make up the full IDC.

Certification as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor is by successful completion of the PADI Instructor Examination scheduled at the end of the IDC, confirmed for the 30th and 31st March 2009 also in Kota Kinabalu.

During the IDC you will learn how to successfully transfer knowledge and skills to others. Furthermore you will develop a clear understanding of The PADI Philosophy of Continuing Education and the full range of PADI programs, teaching materials and tools, including digital products, that are available to you as a PADI Instructor.

Once you have understood the basic teaching methods employed in teaching scuba and how to use the PADI system to it’s fullest, you will find teaching an easy and exhilarating experience !!

For more information about this exciting program please drop us an email, if you do not receive a reply within 24 hours please check your JUNK mail folder.

TEL: +6 012 866 1935
www.divedownbelow.com

Downbelow Dive Centre and Project AWARE are calling all divers, snorkelers and water enthusiasts to make their data count and help reverse debris trends this September !

Whether you are a frequent beach/ underwater clean up volunteer or a beginner you will have a fun and rewarding day !!

Join friends and clients of Dive Downbelow to help clean up our house reef and beach.

Pick up plastic, styrofoam, flip flops and other debris from our beach and underwater before seabirds, sea turtles, marine mammals and other marine-life can get entangled or eat it. Prevent plastic pollution, save the oceans !!

Our venue is our base station at The Beach House, TAR Park, Kota Kinabalu. This is a land and water based event so all are welcome.

For more information please Contact Us.

We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded the PADI 5 Star Centre upgrade for our Scuba Diving Centre Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures.

This Prestigious PADI 5 Star Dive Center status is awarded, on an annual basis, to progressive PADI Dive Centers that excel in providing dive consumers with a full range of diver education programs, equipment selection, and experience opportunities and that actively promote aquatic environmental awareness.

A PADI 5 Star Dive Center is active in its community presenting a professional image consistent with, or better than, the norm of the marketplace.

These dive centers embrace the PADI System of diver education and are committed to providing customers with quality products, services and experiences.

We would like to thank all friends and clients of Downbelow past and present who have contributed to the success of our PADI Dive Centre and we look forward to exciting times ahead.

From the Team at Downbelow !!



Please visit our Dive Shop in Kota Kinabalu or email us for more information on our full Range of Scuba Diving Opportunities, Programs and Equipment Sales.

www.divedownbelow.com

Telephone Hotline: +6 012 866 1935
Dive Shop: +6 088 23 23 75 (with answer phone)

No sooner had we launched the our new "Atomic Aquatics" Regulator Product Range we completely sold out of the Titanium T2 !!

Really there is no wonder. Known to be the Rolls Royce of Regulator Sets, recent reviews by Scuba Diving Magazine named them "the Ferrari of regulators" as this latest innovation from Atomic Aquatics earns the highest ergo scores of any regulator tested in the last four years, leaving other manufacturer ratings behind in ScubaLab tests.

Check out the Spec below:

T2 Regulators

The T2 from Atomic is designed to be the best performing and best looking regulator on the market.

The T2 is the perfect travel regulator, especially for remote diving destinations where every pound of excess baggage counts and regulator repair is not an option

• First and second stage components precision machined from solid billet Titanium that is lightweight and corrosion free

• An "all-Titanium comfort swivel" standard on all T2 regulators

• A new high flow second stage case and lever design that significantly lowers breathing effort at any depth from shallow water to beyond the limits

• Metal-accented front cover ring, adjustment knob, and AFC cover

• Factory sealed first stage to prevent outside contamination such as silt and sand

• Atomic Aquatics Jet seat first stage high flow piston first stage

• Deluxe padded travel bag

• Nitrox ready for mixtures up to 40% (Must be dedicated for EAN use)

• Patented Atomic Aquatics "seat saving" orifice

• Patented Automatic Flow Control (AFC)

Not to be forgotten is our Atomic B2 Range which we currently have a Seasonal Special on.

Please visit our Dive Shop in Kota Kinabalu or email us for more information on our full Range of Dive Equipment.

www.divedownbelow.com

Telephone Hotline: +6 012 866 1935
Dive Shop: +6 088 23 23 75 (with answer phone)

Downbelow Dive Centre Kota Kinabalu is pleased to announce itself as an authorized reseller of Atomic Aquatics Regulators.

Atomic Aquatics continues to turn the dive industry on edge with its innovative products. First came the ground breaking Atomic regulator family, followed by the awardwinning SplitFins.

We currently have a Seasonal Special on the Atomic B2 First Stage Regulator. Only while stocks last !!




Purchase the Atomic B2 First Stage Regulator Set and get an SSI Air 2 completely FREE !!

Please visit our Dive Shop in Kota Kinabalu or email us for more information on our full Range of Dive Equipment.

www.divedownbelow.com

Telephone Hotline: +6 012 866 1935
Dive Shop: +6 088 23 23 75 (with answer phone)

Congratulations to James and Chris on completing their PADI Divemaster Course with Dive Downbelow, PADI Scuba Diving Centre in TARP, Kota Kinabalu Sabah.

During their 3 week Divemaster Course they learned about Scuba Diving Science, Dive Planning, Dive Site Mapping, Conducting Divemaster programs, Assisting with Student Divers in Training, Diver Rescue Development as well as completing many pleasure dives.

They even managed to squeeze in two trips to neighboring Pulau Tiga - Survivor Island and a night dive !

Whilst they were here they became part of our team and we will all miss them but we very much look forward to them returning next year for their PADI IDC Course (Instructor Development Course).

Well done guys !!!

Should you be interested to learn more about our Divemaster Course and Internships please visit our dedicated website pages or contact us for more information.

Our Dive trips to Survivor Island - Pulau Tiga have become so popular that we're now running a trip every week. Scuba Dive and Non Divers are welcome.

Made famous by CBS’s Survivor Island series Pulau Tiga makes for a very exciting day out.

Located 6 miles offshore Sabah in North Borneo this fascinating island was formed on September 21st 1897 by a volcanic eruption way off the coast of Borneo.

To this day the warm mud oozes from geometric vents on the island.

These mud baths are very accessible via a 1.2km walk through a well trodden jungle trail. The volcanic mud is said to have age reducing properties for the skin and can be bathed in!

Next to Pulau Tiga is Snake Island, named for the amount of Banded Sea Krates that lay their eggs on the rocky slopes.

A day trip or overnight visit to these very interesting islands is a must when in Sabah.

Our Day Trips include Speedboat transfers, 2 Guided Boat Dives, all park entry fees, jetty fees, free flow drinks, lunch and refreshments, guided walk to Mud Volcano and visit to Snake Island.

The surrounding dive sites offer great variety of hard and soft coral with plenty of tropical fish life.

If you are interested to join us, please drop us a line or give us a call, visit our contacts page for information.


www.divedownbelow.com

Telephone Hotline: +6 012 866 1935
Dive Shop: +6 088 23 23 75 (with answer phone)

Our mainland Kota Kinabalu dive shop and classroom offers free wireless internet and refreshments for clients wishing to drop by and organize their diving and wildlife trips in Borneo.

Our friendly staff are on hand to help with enquiries.

There are books and PADI materials available to read, our limited edition Photographic Prints are also on display and for sale.

We can be found at:

Downbelow Marine & Wildlife Adventures Sdn. Bhd
Registration No: 809487-K

Office Address:
9A first Floor, Likas Square Commercial Centre, Kota Kinabalu 88400
Sabah Malaysian Borneo
Tel: +6 088 266 935, Fax: +6 088 266 935
Mobile: +6 012 866 1935 or +6 012 867 7375

See you there ....

We are night diving in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park on 29th August.

The islands within the park offer some very safe and rewarding night dive sites with plenty of marine life to be found including a variety of crustaceans, nudibranchs, squid and cuttlefish, feeding coral polyps and much more.

Night diving is a unique experience, with your vision restricted our other senses are heightened and more alert, i liken this feeling to walking through the woods at night !

Departure from the jetty is at 6 pm and we should return by 8pm for the 1 dive program. All equipment including torches are available to rent. Please contact us if you'd like more information and would like to join us.

We are running a trip to Pulau Tiga this coming Sunday 24th August. Dive Club members and guests old and new are welcome to join the fun.
Its a 3 dive program departing at 7am. Lunch and refreshments are provided and our 37ft dive boat makes for a very comfortable trip.

Non divers and snorkelers are also welcome !

Made famous by CBS as the location for their Survivor Island reality based TV show, the island is also known as Snake Island because of the amount of Sea Snakes that lay their eggs on the sand banks.

Located 6 miles offshore Sabah in North Borneo this fascinating island was formed on September 21st 1897 by a volcanic eruption way of the coast of Borneo.

To this day warm mud oozes from geometric vents on the island.

The surrounding dive sites offer great variety of hard and soft coral with plenty of tropical fish life.

If you are interested to join us, please drop us a line or give us a call, visit our contacts page for information.

We recently had the pleasure of entertaining guests Kathy Walsh and Martin Payne, they joined us for a 3 Day Diving Package in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, Kota Kinabalu.

On day 3 their Divemaster guide Clare took them to an un-named dive site where Martin surprised Kathy with an underwater proposal of marriage, lovingly prepared on a white slate - fortunately she said yes !!!

Our dive site is now called Married Reef, a sloping reef to 14m with hard and soft coral, tropical fish-life, cuttlefish and many macro critters.

Congratulations to Martin and Kathy, we hope you will someday return as husband and wife, you have left a legacy behind in Sabah, we tell your story to all that dive Married Reef !!!!

This June we were very pleased to welcome back our old friends from 7 flight on a 1 Day Adventure Training Program.

Joining us for Scuba Diving, Discover Scuba and Snorkelling within the TAR park, it was a very busy day and great fun was had by all.

We hope to see them again as there's never a dull moment !!!

It was our pleasure to organize and conduct the day for the group and look forward to the next time !

The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park provides an ideal location for Teambuilding and Corporate Exercises such as this with year round diving in tropical coral reef waters just minutes from the city and overlooked by Mt Kinabalu.

For more information on tailored group A.T and corporate events please contact us directly or view our dedicated website section Corporate Events, Team Building and Adventure Training.

Well ... we've had a very busy time of it of late and as a result our news and events page has been a little neglected !

Throughout the next few weeks we'll update this section with all our exciting news including pictures of our new Dive Station and Offices plus our recent Adventure Training Activities !!

Meanwhile, we must share the news of a rare sighting within the surrounding waters of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park.

Whilst conducting a Deep Dive as part of a PADI Advanced Course, having completed the required skills at 30m we began our assent along the sandy bottom towards the sloping reef.

The current was actually pretty strong but manageable, with all four divers finning fairly hard, when all of sudden a small movement on the rubble seabed caught my eye. Edging towards it for a closer look i recognised the unmistakable blue rings that decorate the body and legs of the Blue Ring Octopus Hapalochlaena sp. I beckoned over my students, they could see by my excitement that this little creature was of special interest. I pointed and screamed through my regulator, by now the current had picked up as we neared the reef slope and our bubbles were trailing horizontally in the water column. We all finned furiously to maintain our position to see the little critter, who just perched on a small piece of coral rubble, no doubt wondering what all the commotion was about !

Although Blue Ring Octopuses are seen with some what regularity in the region of Kapalai in the Celebes Sea, this is the first time any of us have encountered one within the TAR Park in the South China Sea. Some of our instructors have been working here for 10 + years with no sightings so i feel very privaliged and excitied to have come across such a highly prized and beautiful creature in my back yard !!

For more information on this interesting an venomous creature please visit our dedicated Octopus and Squid Marine Biology Section.

For Diving within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park please visit our Daily Dive Package section.

We are currently on Lankayan Island in the Sulu Sea, Malaysian Borneo and feel we just have to share some of our sightings as the diving is just incredible at the moment !!!

Octopus are mating, Black Tip Reef Sharks are circling, Leopard Sharks are in abundance, yesterday our boat saw a Whaleshark and today a Giant Manta !!

All this along with the usual suspects Nudibranchs, Giant Jawfish, Leaf Scorpionfish, Seahorses all kinds of Crustaceans .... and the list goes on !!!

We must now dash as we're off for a night dive.

Images of the trip and results of the photo competition will be posted upon our return to Kota Kinabalu next week.

For more info on Lankayan Island with booking info please visit Lankayan Island section

The PADI Open Water Diver Course teaches us that a dive knife can be a useful tool to carry when diving but in many cases we forget to keep one with us, i recently found myself in this very position.

On a dive at Sulug Island in the TAR Park, Kota Kinabalu such a tool would have been very useful and i for one learned a valuable lesson in remembering to pack this rarely used tool.

We discovered an abandoned 10m long fishing net tangled among the corals, posing real danger for the surrounding marine life which includes the endangered Hawksbill and Green Turtles.

Various crustaceans had already perished after becoming entangled which attracted other animals to feed on the remains, putting them in danger also.

After 20 minutes we managed to free one Lobster - had we been carrying a knife the process would have been much quicker, suffice to say the creature survived.



Fortunately we were able to revisit the dive site the following day with a cutting tool and after an hour of hard work remove the net from the reef and dispose of it safely on land.

In many cases it is better to just cut up the net and leave it in place because more damage can be done to the delicate corals when trying to remove it. So long as marine life cannot become entangled in the net then it can remain in place causing little harm.

Questions as to why anyone was fishing within this National Park is for another discussion but the lesson learned here is as divers carrying a dive knife can be very useful because sadly from time to time we do encounter disregarded fishing nets that pose hazards for marine and human life.

Thanks to Spencer Steadman for the images and his patience and assistance during the dive.

For more information on the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, please read our dedicated pages.

A web-site has been created to host a petition against "Whaling for Scientific Research"

Every year thousands of precious mammals are slaughtered in the name of so-called 'scientific research'. Add your voice by signing this campaign then forwarding it everyone you know. They hope to obtain 1 Millions names on the list and they've almost achieved this ambitious target.

Please help to stop the killing.



www.whalesrevenge.com

We'll be visiting Lankayan Island Resort in the Sulu Sea from 20th -27th April. Famous for its natural beauty and tranquility the small tropical island is accessed via speedboat from Sandakan in Sabah, Borneo.

The surrounding waters are Marine Protected Areas and offer the diver Macro and Wreck dive opportunities as well as passing seasonal Whalesharks (April - June).

The resort has adopted an eco tourism concept and has the same owner/ managers as Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort in the Celebes Sea, Borneo.

Should anyone wish to join the trip please drop us a line and we'll put you in touch with the resort to book your reservation.

Please visit our Dive Trip Photo Album to see a selection of images from a previous visit.

Should you wish to visit Lankayan Island Resort independently please contact us and we'll provide you with a direct contact at the resort.