BUZZ has been reporting the deaths of divers in Sai Kung waters* this year at an alarming rate, the latest just a week ago. We asked Senior Diving Instructor Jowie To Tsz-ying of Galaxy Diving, what is going wrong?
Jowie agreed the death rate has worsened and said the main reason seems to be health problems. Three deaths have happened near Sai Kung’s Green Egg Island, popular with divers for its clear water and rocky beach.
Jowie was at the scene during one recent fatality. With students and crew she was on a boat when another professional divers’ boat nearby had two people get into difficulty. One person panicked and surfaced to be rescued by friends. Another man, 40 years old and an experienced diver, apparently had a heart attack under water and floated to the surface. The mouthpiece of his breathing regulator was still in his mouth. Friends pulled his body onto their boat and tried to do CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). A marine police boat arrived in less than a minute. It took the lifeless man to a pier at Hebe Haven Yacht Club and he was taken to hospital to be declared dead on arrival.
Emma, left, has attained a diving licence at 10. Jowie on right
Two weeks earlier, Jowie said, a 48-year-old experienced diver doing a night dive near Wong Shek Pier got into trouble and drowned. Again it was believed to be a health issue, although precisely what was the cause is not known yet.
“Yesterday,” Jowie said, “a student diver who had gained her first diving qualification only a month ago had an issue under water. I was with her as her buddy (safety diver). The mouthpiece of her breathing regulator was suddenly faulty. She choked on water. I was proud of her. She settled the matter by quickly using her back-up regulator.” Another concern with experienced divers is that they can get bored with ordinary diving and push the boundaries too far. Accidents can occur. “Be humble when diving,” Jowie said. “Respect the sea.”
Jowie, in white top, on dive training
People should be aware of their health and never dive when unwell. They should go with a buddy or instructor. Do a refresher course with a professional.
Jowie proudly showed BUZZ photos of Emma, her student who has just got her open water diving licence at the age of 10.
Galaxy Diving is Jowie’s own business. It has five instructors; Jowie is the only one full-time. She is a tall lass who is very fit because of all the swimming. You can take diving lessons with Jowie or other instructor for $3800 to $4200, which includes gear: air tank, mask, face regulator, buoyancy control device, wet suit and fins. About 250 people have gained diving qualifications since Jowie qualified as an instructor under SSI rules four years ago. Galaxy Diving teaches to SSI standards.
Emma, 10, during dive training with Galaxy Diving
If you do a diving course with GD first you will do five hours of classroom training, then an exam. This will be followed by one day of training in a swimming pool or at a safe area off a beach, likely Clear Water Bay’s Little Palm Beach. The serious stuff follows: two days of open water training with an instructor, “usually me”. If you meet SSI’s standards you will then attain an open water diving licence which means you can dive to 18 metres. But go with a buddy or instructor, Jowie says. Further qualification can be attained with training such as the solo diver’s licence which you need to go diving in Thailand or the Phillippines.
Jowie will soon take experienced divers and students to Bohol Island, PI, to deepen their experience. She is planning to do Bohol trips monthly. If you would like to train with Galaxy Diving or go on a PI trip with Jowie and friends contact her at jowieto822@gmail.com. Galaxy Diving is on Instagram with lots of photos to tempt you.
* Some of BUZZ’s recent reports on diving accidents:
https://hongkongbuzz.hk/2022/08/another-weekend-another-diving-fatality
https://hongkongbuzz.hk/2022/07/corpse-found-floating-off-sharp-island
https://hongkongbuzz.hk/2022/07/green-egg-island-claims-another-victim
https://hongkongbuzz.hk/2022/06/learner-diver-in-a-coma-after-incident-in-clear-water-bay
https://hongkongbuzz.hk/2022/05/49-year-old-man-dies-in-diving-accident-at-green-egg-island
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