Diving With Sharks in the Maldives

The “Maldives with Trinity” trip from March 23-26, 2023, finally attracted 20 participants. The itinerary remained the same as the one I posted earlier. The difference this time was the people. Many came alone as solo travelers, with some even embarking on their first solo trip. They were just brave enough to take the leap! But in the end, everyone was happy, having made new friends—so much so that our WhatsApp group is still buzzing because no one wants to move on!

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One highlight was the island hopping on a luxurious private boat, making us feel like the rich and famous. This time, we snorkeled and visited a different sandbank. The sandbank we visited was long enough for us to easily find empty spots for taking photos. has even upgraded with a drone, so the photo angles were crazier than ever. During our free time, almost everyone opted for a day trip to a resort, so we spent the day playing together, competing in water polo against tourists, learning to swim with free lessons from Coach Trinity, and practicing my signature pose with one leg in the air. On the last night, we partied on a boat in the middle of the ocean since alcohol is prohibited on land.

 

After the group left, I extended my stay to enjoy the Maldives in a different way, as I had already been to Maafushi twice. Besides strolling around Maafushi, my main goal was diving. Fortunately, recently launched a diving package in collaboration with Arena Dive Club, located in the same hotel where the group usually stays. I’m impressed with how Rudi and Pajay, manage the open trips. They test all the packages multiple times to ensure quality service, even going so far as to get their diving licenses there!

 

As usual, before diving, I went to their office to rent equipment and get fitted. Arena Dive Club just opened in July 2017, so all the equipment is brand new and top-notch. Roberto, the dive center’s boss, is Italian and previously ran a dive operation in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The dive guides and instructors are multinational: Veronica from Russia, Jean from Taiwan, Ahmed from Egypt, and Isa from the Maldives. What made me especially happy was that, now that I’ve lost weight, I can finally fit into a wetsuit designed for normal-sized people! So proud of myself! Hehehe!

 

Another impressive aspect—and what sets them apart—is that you don’t need a minimum number of participants to go diving. Even if you’re alone, the trip still goes ahead at the same price per person. Their boat is also huge! This traditional Maldivian boat can accommodate around 20 people and their gear comfortably. There’s a deck at the front and on the roof for lounging or sunbathing, freshwater showers for rinsing off, and even a toilet. The staff are incredibly helpful, even holding your hand as you walk to the edge of the boat to do a giant step entry.

 

I went diving for three days, twice in the morning starting at 8:00 AM and once in the afternoon at 2:30 PM. Since the base is on Maafushi Island, the dive sites are around the Kaafu Atoll, with a maximum boat ride of 20 minutes. The closer spots feature coral reefs and reef fish, caves, and a shipwreck. For some reason, the marine life there seems larger than usual. Nudibranchs are the size of mice, surgeonfish and angelfish are bigger than your hand, and the moray eels are super fat and swimming around (not hiding). Even the pufferfish are as big as a head!

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The farther spots, especially in the areas between the islands at Guraidhoo Corner and Kandooma Thila, were the real thrill. Diving at depths of up to 35 meters with strong currents, this is where the pelagic fish are! There were so many sharks (even at Maafushi Beach, there are lots of baby sharks, which must come from the adults here), including grey reef sharks, blacktip sharks, and whitetip sharks. The currents were so strong that at one point, we had to hook onto the coral and watch the sharks swim by. We also saw many turtles, barracudas, bumphead fish, dogtooth tuna, giant trevally, eagle rays, and stingrays. It was absolutely incredible!! One more discovery: since losing weight, my breathing has become more efficient. After each dive, I still had 100 bars of oxygen left! Even the other divers commented, “Are you a fish?” #proud

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I had one more day before my 9 PM flight. MaldivesHemat suggested I join a snorkeling excursion to Shark Bay or go whale shark watching. Since I had already seen whale sharks, I chose Shark Bay. They had been there before and said there were plenty of nurse sharks. But as nature would have it, I didn’t see a single shark. Instead, I encountered a school of giant trevally the size of babies! Seriously! After that, we had lunch on Fulidhoo Island, which was so stunning it made me want to cry. Then we swam with dolphins in the lagoon—though it was incredibly difficult to get close to them. Even though I’m a strong swimmer, I couldn’t keep up. #obviously

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In the afternoon, we headed to Malé. We were taken to the cheapest souvenir shop in Malé, called My Friends, where some participants asked me to pick up more gifts for them. We then toured the city, visiting the town square, the Friday Mosque, the Munnaaru Minaret, the Maldives President’s residence (which is smaller than some houses in Pondok Indah), the market, and finally the harbor to see the many stingrays.

 

A week in the Maldives flew by. That’s what happens when you thoroughly enjoy your vacation. If you want to join a budget holiday package in the Maldives or go diving, contact maldives-hemat.com. It’s highly recommended!

One comment

  1. You do NOT want your hands tremendous close as this can lead to wrist discomfort and also
    you won’t be leveraging the triceps to their fullest extent.
    The first step and arguably crucial step with the close-grip bench press is establishing a grip that may permit
    you to get essentially the most out of this train.
    Past simply units, reps and loads, there are some additional issues you could need to take into consideration when programming based on your
    targets. For hypertrophy and building overall volume, persist with 3-5 sets of about anyplace from 6-20 reps at about 55-70% of your 1 rep max.

    The close-grip bench press is an awesome pressing variation for targeting and biasing
    the triceps. This exercise could be great for lifters and athletes from all walks of life.
    Until you’re performing close-grip bench press for power with a velocity-focused
    aim or utilizing accommodating resistance it’s normally a good suggestion to slow down your reps and perform with a clean tempo.
    If you’re new to performing close-grip bench presses you’ll need to make sure you’re not
    making any of those errors as they will take away from your positive aspects and progress.
    A nice barbell bench press requires a excessive diploma of skill and tinkering
    to ensure you’re leveraging your anatomy and mechanics to their fullest extent.
    In this context, I don’t all the time love performing the bench press
    when I’m not in prep for powerlifting meets.
    Nonetheless, many lifters feel ache and discomfort of their
    wrist and forearm as a outcome of a completely supinated grip on a normal barbell.
    Many bodybuilders have relied on the standard barbell curl for many years to
    strengthen their biceps. The close grip standing barbell curl has some distinct benefits over the wide-grip standing barbell curl that you
    might not have thought of. The first problem most
    run into is how to carry the barbell properly on the anterior torso.
    Moreover, many athletes aren’t ready for the demands placed on the trunk and spine, contemplating the importance of proper brace and posture when performing
    the front squat. The entrance squat will assist improve the power of the back and trunk, and the movement will also pressure
    athletes to brace appropriately and implement strict form.
    Not Like the back squat, where the trunk might help mitigate spinal flexion, athletes can solely tolerate so much spinal flexion in the course of the lift before they lose control of the barbell.

    Another variation is the seated dumbbell concentration curl,
    the place you sit on a bench and curl one
    dumbbell at a time, specializing in squeezing the bicep at the prime of the motion. This variation helps isolate
    the biceps and improves power and definition.
    In truth, ask a handful of lifters what certainly one of their health club goals is, and we guarantee “construct greater biceps” is at the high of the listing.
    And whereas we’ll be the first to confess that biceps can make your favourite t-shirt look
    infinitely better, there’s one other arm muscle just as necessary, if
    no more, for making your upper arms look jacked.
    So, should you don’t like them, you don’t have to do them
    when you don’t need to. So lengthy as you include a couple of completely different rowing exercises in your
    again workout, you need to get the results you want. Whereas there may be nothing mistaken with this, it does put your arms in a much less biomechanically environment friendly position,
    which suggests your biceps might fail earlier.
    The wide-grip barbell upright row is preferable
    to the regular upright row because it prevents the elbows from going too excessive, stopping rotator cuff accidents.

    When accomplished correctly, the bar upright row is a good train for building higher back and shoulder muscles.
    You can alter between normal and wide grip bench
    press as you see fit. For instance, one session you use
    normal, the following you utilize broad grip. Actually, go light if you
    are new to the reverse grip barbell bench press. The primary
    good factor about shut grip preacher curls is that
    they’re an effective way to promote muscle growth in your arms.
    The change in grip also means your biceps need to work harder than they do in normal bicep curls, as fewer different
    muscle tissue are acting as stabilizers.
    They include the usual close-grip barbell bench press, the close-grip dumbbell bench press, and the close-grip ground press.
    If you need to work completely different muscle fibers in the chest, attempt incline and decline close
    grip barbell presses. If you’re not feeling the close-grip bench press with
    a barbell, then you presumably can opt for dumbbells and get some triceps-focused advantages utilizing them by tweaking how you’re urgent.

    Utilizing dumbbells as an alternative to the barbell presents
    a quantity of advantages. Dumbbells enable for a larger range of motion and better isolation of the biceps.
    To modify the Barbell Seated Close-grip Concentration Curl for different health ranges, contemplate incorporating variations that concentrate on completely
    different muscle groups while sustaining correct kind and technique.
    Patrick Dale, PT, ex-Marine, is a Training Editor with 30 years of expertise in Private Training and Energy & Conditioning.

    A former British Royal Marine, fitness center proprietor,
    and fitness skills assessor, he’s dedicated to delivering informative, dependable content material.

    In addition, Patrick is an experienced author who has authored three fitness and train books, dozens of e-books, thousands of
    articles, and various other health videos.
    He’s not just an armchair health skilled; Patrick practices what he preaches!

    Ideally, the shut grip bench press should be executed with the proper approach, beneath good control.
    This permits for optimum activation of the triceps muscle and more
    muscle built. One drawback of the shut grip bench press is
    that it puts extra stress on the elbow joint.
    The closer grip position causes the elbows to flare out
    more during the press, which may result in elbow pain and discomfort.
    This is very true for many who have already got elbow points or those that are utilizing too much
    weight. Utilizing a wider grip, such as in the traditional
    bench press or the extensive grip bench press,
    might help alleviate some of this stress on the elbows.
    The close-grip bench press is a bench press, so the main focus shall be on the chest muscles.

    If nothing else, switching to an underhand grip will allow you to do more reps or raise
    somewhat extra weight than ordinary. You can make reverse grip rows safer by
    doing them with a slightly arched and never rounded decrease again. You must also
    brace your core and stop your sets earlier than your form starts to interrupt down. This is glorious news for anybody who does bodyweight or
    resistance band training, where excessive reps
    are the norm.
    A close grip bench press is sometimes called any bench press where the arms are placed nearer collectively than what you
    would usually use to bench press. Cranium crushers are another exercise that may improve
    triceps strength; nevertheless, the close-grip bench press may be the better different in case you have elbow points.
    Dips are one of my all-time favourite workouts
    and one I imagine should be in virtually any program
    making an attempt to develop higher physique size
    and energy. In a Standard Bench Press, your palms are spaced wider aside, normally a bit
    past shoulder width, focusing the exercise extra on your
    chest muscle tissue (pectoralis major) and less in your triceps.
    Equally, athletes and lifters with elbow pain might discover the narrower
    grip less aggravating, highlighting the importance of aligning bench variations with private health considerations
    and fitness targets. Focusing on the triceps during the
    Shut Grip Bench Press, by consciously contracting and lengthening them, enhances your capability to perform the train successfully.

    In conclusion, the shut grip bench press is a useful exercise for concentrating on the triceps and inside chest muscle tissue, nevertheless
    it may not be the greatest choice for everybody. It can put extra stress on the elbow joint and be harder
    to steadiness the burden, and will not be as efficient at targeting the chest
    muscular tissues as different variations. It can also be less suitable for those with a limited range of movement in the
    shoulders. It is important to contemplate these components and choose
    the bench press variation that’s finest suited to your particular person needs and goals.

    Due To This Fact, past powerlifting, many athletes
    embody bench presses for the needs of higher body
    improvement. Nonetheless, if you are not competing as a powerlifter, you may profit
    from closer grip bench press work instead of the more extensively accepted broad grip.
    If you notice your elbows flaring during the bench press you could profit from adding shut
    grip bench press into your weekly training so as to emphasize your triceps extra and de-emphasize
    your shoulders. A regular bench press grip takes advantage of how massive and strong your mid and lower chest
    is, and it balances demands between your chest, shoulders,
    and triceps, permitting you to lift more weight. As
    a outcome, the close-grip bench press is often used as
    a lighter help carry that helps us gain measurement in our entrance delts,
    higher chest, and shorter heads of our triceps. While each
    the standard and narrow-grip bench presses are staples in enhancing higher physique strength,
    incorporating incline and decline variations also can help with comprehensive
    muscular growth.
    One of probably the most useful elements of our coaching strategies is the ability to
    use particular workout routines to introduce particular stimuli and
    bring about particular coaching diversifications. Whether
    we are focusing on developing the power lifts or looking for movements
    that supply vital carryover to sport, we are ready to
    always find varied particular workout routines to assist
    us efficiently attain our training objectives.
    The Tate Press is a superb triceps isolation motion that hits all three heads whereas minimizing elbow stress.
    One of the most important reasons that individuals miss out
    on potential gains in muscle mass is that they don’t include enough number of workout routines
    inside their exercises. The Triceps are the biggest muscle tissue of the arm and are formed of 3 heads (lateral, medial
    & lengthy head). Collectively, they act to extend the
    elbow (bring the elbows from a bent position to a straightened position).
    The third mistake to watch out for is touching the bar too high in your
    torso.
    Barbell shrugs have remained a preferred train for constructing the traps, and for good reason! Despite there being many variations and methods to
    do it, the barbell shrug nonetheless holds up as a top choice, particularly for those aiming
    for energy gains. Plus, incorporating free
    weight barbells into your workout routine is a brilliant move for
    anyone looking to enhance their power.
    Every Time the shoulders are abducted and externally rotated, this puts the shoulder joint in a vulnerable position. Though you’ll use
    extra weight and fewer ROM, you need wonderful shoulder mobility to pull this lift-off.
    Because you’re mendacity down on a bench, utilizing a barbell mixed
    with a relatively straight urgent path, the bench press ought
    to be your strongest pressing exercise. The height you place the bar in the rack
    is probably more important than it gets credit for.
    Place it too low and it provides a partial deadlift to the train however place it too high and you’ll hit the bar off the rack while doing reps.
    An alternated grip, one overhand and one underhand, will dramatically improve your grip
    power on the bar. This is as a outcome of of the truth that a barbell has a pure tendency to want to roll out of your palms.

    You Will be able to prepare your triceps with
    heavier weights than you’d with normal single-joint isolation movements, which is in a position to
    end in power and dimension gains. You’ll also see payoffs in your normal bench
    press, due to work you’ve put in to develop your tris. THE
    SMARTEST LIFTERS perceive that they need a number of approaches to succeed in their objectives.
    They can’t just perform rep after rep of bench
    press, for instance, and count on that they’ll develop the largest, strongest chest possible.

    Certain, they need to bench to get better
    at bench, but in addition they have to add complementary variations and accent exercises to construct up the opposite muscular tissues
    concerned in the movement.
    In order to construct all three heads of your triceps, you want to in all
    probability add a triceps extension train.
    Some people will advocate gripping the barbell even narrower than shoulder width,
    to the point the place we can’t bring the barbell all the way down to our torsos anymore.
    That is usually a good carry for emphasizing the triceps, however it’s not what we’re speaking about
    here. We’re talking a couple of bench press variation that’s done with an in depth
    grip, not a kind of triceps extension. Setting your bench
    to a 15 to 20-degree decline is an effective way to boost decrease pec muscle activation. Most weight lifters find it simpler to perform decline presses as they feel stronger when in this position.
    The features of the lats are extension, adduction, and medial rotation of the shoulders.
    Nonetheless, reverse grip rows are predominantly a shoulder extension exercise.
    The barbell upright row is a compound train that 
    targets the muscles of the shoulder and upper back, together with the
    deltoids, trapezius, as properly as the rhomboids, and even the biceps.

    As with the close-grip flat bench urgent, bringing your arms nearer collectively (till they’re
    roughly shoulder-width apart) on the push-up will increase elbow extension and extension — shifting the
    load to your triceps. The shut grip bench press shifts the load extra
    to your triceps and less to your chest and anterior deltoids.
    You need to ensure your arms are sturdy enough to carry out the move
    safely and correctly.
    It doesn’t goal the heads of our triceps equally; it’s just nearly as good for bulking up our shoulders, and it’s probably the greatest workout routines for
    our upper chests. Maybe most of all, it’s one of many best
    possible help lifts for powerlifters who are making an attempt to increase their bench press 1-rep max.
    The close-grip bench press isn’t exactly a complicated model of the barbell bench press, but it’s actually a more
    specialized variation. It’s a much bigger compound lift that’s a bit extra intuitive to learn, and
    it will do a greater job of stimulating your entire chest as properly as your shoulders, higher chest,
    and triceps. To get essentially the most out of this exercise,
    it’s essential to do the correct exercise method.

    Proper type and beginning position will be sure that your train is effectively carried
    out and will cut back your risk of injury.
    To execute it, the starting position of your dumbbells ought to be closer than shoulder
    width. This train is performed with decrease reps to gain extra strength or with higher reps for more muscle development.

    You can be onerous pressed to discover a lifter with a bench
    press that’s worth a shit that has small triceps.

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