To dive for: Learning to dive in challenging Hong Kong makes for a stronger skill set
Hong Kong’s scuba community appears to be growing, and local divers say that the city has more to offer underwater than most people may realise
Gliding through the cool, murky waters of the Ninepin Islands near Sai Kung, scuba instructor Anssi Iivari didn’t see anything out of the ordinary – until he came face to face with a metre-long squid.
“It appeared right in front of us for a few seconds, wondering who we were and what we were doing, then took off,” said Iivari, master instructor at Pro-Diver Development. “I had never seen a squid that big in Hong Kong before.”
It was one of Iivari’s most memorable dives in the city. With cooler temperatures and lower visibility compared with its more tropical neighbours, Hong Kong is not a traditional dive destination. Yet the scuba community appears to be growing, and local divers say the city has more to offer underwater than most realise.
Diving certificates issued in Hong Kong by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (Padi) increased by more than 45 per cent from 2010 to 2015. Those issued to divers with a Hong Kong address – both locally and overseas – also grew by more than 55 per cent.
Although Padi does not provide statistics on the exact number of certified divers, Iivari estimated there were about 25,000 to 35,000 in Hong Kong, 5,000 to 8,000 of whom were active.
Hong Kong is a good training ground that boasts a high level of instruction compared with other countries, Iivari said. Since underwater conditions are tougher, divers have more practice navigating difficult situations during their training and ultimately develop more skills, he added.
“People in Hong Kong pay attention to training, they train themselves to a fairly high level,” Iivari said. “Conditions are more challenging. You learn good diving habits quicker but you’re never far from the surface, should things go wrong.”
Operators run regularly scheduled boats from April to November, although you can dive all year round. The water is warmest in August when temperatures reach about 32 degrees Celsius, yet visibility in the summer only ranges from three to five metres – about half the visibility found in Thailand or the Philippines. Visibility improves in the winter, but temperatures can drop below 17 degrees.
“One of my favourite sites is East Dam. In good visibility it’s a world-class dive,” Iivari said, referring to the dam at Sai Kung’s High Island Reservoir. “What makes it unique are the concrete forms. There is also a lot of marine life ... crabs, sea urchins, common rockfish, Chinese Demoiselles, moray eels, clown fish.”
According to David Baker, assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong’s Swire Institute of Marine Science, the city’s ecology is ideal for diving. With more than 80 types of coral and almost 6,000 recorded species – about 25 per cent of China’s marine biodiversity – Hong Kong also boasts unique geology, rich maritime history and incredible seasonal variations, he said.
Yet Baker warned there were also serious concerns divers can harm reefs by breaking corals and rendering them vulnerable to diseases.
“Diver awareness underwater, proper training and education are very important to ensure our best dive sites remain that way,” he said.
Karin Wong, a 45-year-old local and part-time instructor at Mandarin Divers, has been diving for nine years and is passionate about underwater photography and videography. The rise of hi-tech products, such as GoPros, allowing people to shoot underwater, as well as fashionable scuba gear, have made diving more popular among locals, she said.
“It’s nice to go out early in the morning, you have the sun and the sea, you have great friends and facilities are quite developed. A weekend diving is more fun than going to a mall,” Wong said, adding that many also train in Hong Kong and dive overseas. “It’s also [about] taking pictures and showing off.”
After diving in Hong Kong for the first time in April, Donald Morris, a 35-year-old Cathay Pacific flight crew service delivery manager, is now “addicted” and particularly enjoys night diving.
“You see different sea life coming up which you do not see in the daytime. I saw a lot of small fish that, as soon as you use a torch, they get attracted to [the light],” Morris said. “There were hundreds.”
As the community has grown, local divers have said the government should do more to promote diving, create opportunities and improve safety.
Andrew Couch, owner of Mandarin Divers and PADI course director, said the government could sink wrecks and other structures to create more dive sites, and also ensure boats stay at least 60 metres away from dive flags – which are raised to indicate where divers are present. Fixed anchors should be placed at popular sites so boats do not have to drop anchors and damage the seafloor, he said.
“We don’t have the best visibility, but if people have things to see down there then they’ll come diving,” Couch said.
An Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department spokeswoman said buoys have been installed to mark high coral coverage areas where boats should not anchor but there were no plans to sink structures to create dive sites.
Officers will “step up patrols” and “take action against illegal boating activities,” a Marine Department spokesman said.
