WATCH: Dive with Dolphin

2010/01/16

Ridzwan A. Rahim

Win an all expense-paid PADI Open Water scuba diving course and a Panasonic Lumix underwater camera when you watch TV3's new morning show AMmax.

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Aidid (from left) and Sherry with their instructors Yong and Lee Sherry (left) and Aidid discover scuba diving at the Panasonic pool Kids, invited to the shoot, cheering the duo as they jump into the pool

THE two young and cheerful TV hosts are ready in their scuba wetsuits and gear. For one of them, it will be her first taste of what it's like to breathe underwater.

TV3's Aidid Marcello and Sherry are trying out an activity called Discovery Scuba Dive, an introductory course to scuba diving conducted within the safe, confined water of a swimming pool.

On hand to guide the pair are instructors Dolphin Lee and Cyrena Yong from Dolphin Sport Adventure.

First-timer Sherry was earlier briefed by Lee on the basic skills of scuba diving, such as breathing techniques, mask clearing and sign languages.

In the pool and in full diving gear, they go through the skills again which the pair master without any problem, especially Aidid who is already a certified rescue diver.

Satisfied with their competence, Lee then leads them on a swim into the deeper part of the pool at Kompleks Sukan Negara Panasonic in Shah Alam. "That's when I started to panic," says Sherry.

At one point, she tries to surface but was prevented from doing so by Lee.

With the instructor's help, Sherry solves her problem and survives to tell the story on TV3's brand new infotainment programme called AMmax.

Aired every Saturday and Sunday morning, the show aims to provide the younger generation, the working group and families with ideas on what to do on weekend mornings. The 'Dive with Dolphin' segment will mark the program's fourth episode.

"Our theme is maximising your morning, so we cover lots of stuff. Families looking to have a roti bakar or roti canai breakfast, for example, can watch our program before they go out," says Aidid.

"We provide ideas on where to go for breakfast and also on things like travel destinations for families, island holidays, hotels and low-budget travelling.

"We do not have fixed segments. If we have the latest gadgets or suitable IT stuff for example, then we update on those as well," he adds.

He says so far, the biggest response is coming from the 20 to 30 age group "because they are of the same age as us and therefore are able to relate to what we talk about."

Part of the draw is the programme's interactive element. There are contests for viewers and the questions are delivered during the show but viewers can participate by signing up on Facebook and answering on AMmax's Facebook page.

The prizes for this week are an all expense-paid Open Water scuba course sponsored by PADI and Dolphin Sport Adventure worth RM1,650 as well as a Panasonic Lumix digital camera sponsored by Panasonic Malaysia.

Sherry (left) and Aidid discover scuba diving at the Panasonic pool

The team also uses Facebook to update the public on their next shoot location, so that not only can they come and witness the actual shoot, but also again answer some questions and win prizes.

So what else after scuba? Aidid says the team has been getting requests from viewers, asking them to visit places outside KL.

"We are still new, so we want to get the mould and the feel of the program around the KL area first," he says.

For now, Taiping looks interesting. "They have people doing tai-chi and exercises, climbing Maxwell Hill and bathing at a waterfall."

Tune in to TV3 at 8am Jan 17 to catch the 'Dive With Dolphin'
segment featuring Aidid and Sherry and their instructors from Dolphin
Sport Adventure.

Become a fan of AMmax on Facebook. Search for "AMmax Primeworks".