Sipadan no cameras!

[jamesdiving]

How does one use a pointer in a destructive way?

You'd be surprised. Let me count the ways:
- like a walking stick/ice axe for pulling yourself around the reef
- for moving flora/fauna into better positions for photos
- to provide a constant soundtrack of excited tank banging at every juncture

 

[Hintermann]

How does one use a pointer in a destructive way?

Poking it in holes and crevasses trying to make something hiding there to come out so that you can take a picture. Teasing a resting turtle with it to get it to move so that you can get a video clip.

 

[dirtfarmer]

I love my pointer. I always watch where I stick it.

I've had 2 dives where my pointer has kept me from being drug down to the depths. Once in Tulamben a downcurrent came in and both my guide and I besides kicking like mad had to use our pointers to creep up the slope. It was an exposed slope with no other alternative. We had been down to 35M for quite some time and while doing our deco we were just hunkered down holding on to our pointers jammed as deep as we could get them just hoping the current wouldn't get worse. That deco stop I was hanging on waiting for those minutes to tick off.

The other time was in Lembeh, again on a exposed slope when wicked a downcurrent came in threatening to blow us down deep. Our pointers were the only thing that allowed us to creep up the slope to safety. No deco involved but still kept us from being blown to who know where.

And most my guides are half deaf so for tank banging I use a tank banger

My pointer is not a weapon of mass destruction and mayhem, used responsibly they prevent damage to the ecosystem.

 

[ScubaDutch]

Pointers do more damage than good. Doesn't hurt to have one as a tank banger, or to actually point at something. Using it as a hook to safe your life is another valid reason, but most places doesn't require this at all. Tenggol is perhaps the only tricky place in Malaysia to dive. And then again, when you have down current just swim away from the slope and you are fine and don't waste your air on crawling up.

In most cases I feel that people using pointers or gloves are just compensating their lack of diving skills.

 

[jphehe]

Just came back from sipadan. While we did wear no gloves during the first two days, people started getting their hands hurt when there were currents. Even the guides had to hold on to the rocks.

All standard practices apply, it is still about protecting youself. So eventually we started wearing gloves.

When I go uw, I touch nothing and yet I still prefer wearing gloves. This has nothing to do with the "skill" whatsoever. No-glove rule is just stupid and doesnt make sense at all. Period.

I also refused to hold onto the rope during safety stop, because that will likely scratch and infect my hand, especially when you also want to avoid being too near others.

You see, guidelines should justified properly and not to be treated as "follow or no".

 

[janecui11]

I went March 15, 2015 to Sipadan, and there were many people with goPros. I didn't see anyone with pointers.

I think the reason why the government is trying to ban cameras is because of all the people who see turtles and try to stick cameras up their faces. I was diving with a guy who was 20 years old, just bought a goPro, and was really excited. He proceeded to get really really close to the coral, fish, turtles, barracuda schools, etc.

I think the creatures get extremely disturbed or change behaviors if many divers come and try to get too close.

Also, having to record all the time takes a little bit away from your dive experience. I like using cameras, but I feel that if you are going to dive Sipadan, you should just enjoy yourself, and not let the camera distract from the beautiful scenery.

 

[jh_MacLeod]

I'm going to make an attempt to reply to comments from ScubaDutch, jphehe, and Janecui11:

<<ScubaDutch
Pointers do more damage than good. Doesn't hurt to have one as a tank banger, or to actually point at something. Using it as a hook to safe your life is another valid reason, but most places doesn't require this at all. Tenggol is perhaps the only tricky place in Malaysia to dive. And then again, when you have down current just swim away from the slope and you are fine and don't waste your air on crawling up.
In most cases I feel that people using pointers or gloves are just compensating their lack of diving skills.>>

In some situations I agree with you, but I think you generalize too much. Guides in Asia tend to use the SS pointers; so students, as they become more experienced, tend to use them also. I have seen them used improperly, by dive masters and ordinary divers. But just because it is possible to dive without a pointer and without gloves, does not mean that people should or must dive without them. Tools are tools and they can be used properly, or improperly. Your attitude, based on your experience, is too narrow-minded. Tengol is not the only dive site in peninsular Malaysia where you may encounter challenging currents, and if an experienced diver chooses to use tools (rod or gloves), it does not necessarily mean that their skills are less than yours.

<<Jphehe
Just came back from sipadan. While we did wear no gloves during the first two days, people started getting their hands hurt when there were currents. Even the guides had to hold on to the rocks.
All standard practices apply, it is still about protecting youself. So eventually we started wearing gloves.
When I go uw, I touch nothing and yet I still prefer wearing gloves. This has nothing to do with the "skill" whatsoever. No-glove rule is just stupid and doesnt make sense at all. Period.>>

I choose to wear gloves most of the time; definitely in Sipidan, and in any other location where there is likely to be current sufficient to justify holding onto mouring lines to assist other divers. Not to do so is stupid, IMHO. Although I don't carry a pointer, I do carry a blunt-edged knife. I will take it out to bang the tank, to cut a fish (or myself) loose from a fishing line, or to anchor myself in current if necessary. It is not a crutch or a substitute for lack of buoyancy control.

<<Janecui11
I went March 15, 2015 to Sipadan, and there were many people with goPros. I didn't see anyone with pointers.
I think the reason why the government is trying to ban cameras is because of all the people who see turtles and try to stick cameras up their faces. I was diving with a guy who was 20 years old, just bought a goPro, and was really excited. He proceeded to get really really close to the coral, fish, turtles, barracuda schools, etc.
I think the creatures get extremely disturbed or change behaviors if many divers come and try to get too close.
Also, having to record all the time takes a little bit away from your dive experience. I like using cameras, but I feel that if you are going to dive Sipadan, you should just enjoy yourself, and not let the camera distract from the beautiful scenery.>>

I saw a good example of this during my last trip to Sipidan. The guy with the camera came in fast and much too close to a very big turtle, eventually sticking the camera to within inches of the turtle face. I laughed through my regulator when the turtle violently gave the camera a powerful left back-fin, knocking the camera out of the divers hands. Fortunately for the diver, he had his expensive camera (not just a Go Pro) tethered and it was not permanently damaged. But I wondered later, had learned anything from that experience?