Interns & DMT Skin Diving

As part of the Interns and Dive Master Trainees (DMT) continuing education, one requirement is to undertake the Skin Diving Course. It is one of the many skill sets that form part of every Dive Masters training. Here at Crystal Divers a little fun is injected into the training and every participant is assigned with coming up with a skill or game that can be used during the course. Any number of games are thought up and whilst fun, they do have a great deal of added value.

The ideas for the games are varied and diverse and it never ceases to amaze the ingenuity of those that come up with them. Games vary from the simple to the more inventive. Examples of the games were swimming from one end of the pool to the other, swim through a submerged hoop and collect as many weights as possible before returning to the other end; diving from one end of the pool to the other, exchanging masks underwater, writing your name on a slate before returning underwater to the other end.

Other games played were swimming around the edge of the pool whilst keeping one fin out of the water. No easy task and if you don’t believe it, try it. Another popular game was two skin divers battling underwater to try and remove the others mask whilst keeping hold of your own. More often it would be a draw as each of the players lost their own mask. One skill game that brought out the competitive nature of those taking part was the longest breath hold, with some showing themselves to be as near to fish as possible.

But by far the most inventive game was one thought up by Wulan, combining ’aquatic life trivial pursuit’ questions with skin diving tasks. She gave each diver a clue as to the identity of an aquatic life form and then the diver had to swim underwater to the far end of the pool and find the weight with the correct answer. Some wrong answers meant the diver returning with the wrong weight and an early exit from the game.

Whilst the games and skills were fun, there was added value, from breath holding techniques, finning techniques to buoyancy control when navigating though the submerged hoola-hoops. All skills that are important to the skin diver but also the diver in terms of buoyancy. Not breath holding of course as all divers know the most important rule of diving;

”NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATHE”

In all it was a most enjoyable experience for those partaking and is testament to the internship at Crystal Divers. I have no doubt that the interns will go from strength to strength, becoming amazing Dive Masters and Instructors.

DDD

ADVENTURE DIVING

After finish our Open Water final exam with great score ( of course because we study for 1 month – usually they only study for 3 days :p), we are now officially become Open Water Certified Diver! Yeay! Maybe the rest already had it before but since this is the first time with me, I am really feels good to accept that. The card will be sent to me within 6 weeks!!

For the next step, we will study about adventure in diving (intro for advance diving) this time we will study a lot more about specialty in diving such as :
1. Altitude diving
2. AWARE Fish Identification
3. Boat Diving
4. Deep Diving
5. Diver Propulsion Vehicle
6. Drift Diving
7. Dry Suit Diving
8. Multilevel and Computer Diving
9. Night Diving
10. Peak Performance Buoyancy
11. Search and Recovery
12. Underwater naturalist
13. Underwater Navigator
14. Underwater Photography
15. Underwater Videography
16. Wreck Diving
We need to study about all this specialty but not all the diving above can be practiced in Bali because we didn’t have the tools or the place nearby.. Else open the adventure diving briefly, she showed the video and told us about things about all specialty and I am so exciting about these kind of dives! And like Minni said just understand it slowly because you have plenty of time!
Oh well in the middle of our reading, I and Nico got the chance to dive in Sanur with the open water training guest. We got it because we already finish to read the chapter! Cool 😉 like always we packed our stuff and go to Sanur channel. In there we dive with Om Toto, Mike (the dive master), and Eric (the student). Five of us dive together and Eric needs to do the skills on the surface and underwater. He did it smoothly… Om Toto also showed us some magic under water such as he take out a stick from his mouth and he put a sand to his mouth and suddenly its changed into big rock.. It was Great!
There was something bad on the second dive.. My fin slip out from my boots and straightly I ascent to the surface, luckily no boat on the channel and Nico come with me 😛 When we want to descent again, I cant sink at all.. OMG OMG.. I really need to get the usual weight! ( I take out 1 kilo because in first dive I feel ok) so we back to the boat while Om Toto still dive with the guest.. sorry Om!! Make you worry but promise will never happened again.. I talked with Eric after the dive, he is from Holland and first time come to Bali and first time to dive also. And for sure he will come back to Bali again :p anyway enjoy your time in Bali Eric!

The Bali Aga, Desa Tenganan

We got 2 days holiday and on that holiday I decided to go to Candi Dasa with my friend and we go early morning. We stop at Bat Cave but since there was Saraswati ceremony, we just saw the gate…
Then we continue our journey to The Bali Aga, Its an ancient Bali village which keep their generation with the pure Bali blood. They only marry with each other around that village.
If someone want to marry the outsider, they should go from that village because they not allow to stay in that village..
Well you can see the picture below Enjoy!

FIRST OPEN WATER DIVING

I can’t believe it, time flies so fast. We have been here for two weeks and now on the second week we have so much more things to do such as QUIZES, swim and float, and the best thing of this week FIRST OPEN WATER DIVE (well its for me of course :p)
The first lesson both theory and practice is done. Now time to test us! Will we understand the lesson or no? So its time for QUIZ!!! The quiz consist of 10 question and passing grade is 75% correct (my friend told me that :p) and the good news was all of us pass the test with minimal 80 point ( close enough with the border line right!) but its still the beginning need to pass more exam to get the open water license 😉

Beside passing the test, to be eligible to this program, we need to swim 200 meter and float for 10 minutes so Minni test us to swim 8 rounds ( 25 meter for 1 round) the swimming pool and 10 minutes floating in the deep end. It was easy but Minni prepare us more for the Dive master program, we need to way more than that. So this week schedule is every time we finish the class, we need to swim at least 8 rounds in the pool and floating at least for 5 minutes. So here we are everyday end up in the swimming pool train for better and faster swimming.

The best thing in this week for us is we will have our first open water dive… cool isn’t it??? This is the first time for me of course 😀 so I was so excited! We did that on Saturday. But on that day one of our friend was sick so he can’t make it to do the diving… Get well soon Komang! So we need to be at crystal diver on 8.30 am to prepare the equipment then go to the beach This time MINNI and PAUL will be our instructor. After all prepared, we depart from Sanur beach to the Sanur channel. We have another dive master and one person on the open water course so a lot of people in the boat today. We assemble the BCD and prepare to dive. We will do sitting back roll entry (that time felt butterflies in my stomach) – sit on the edge on the boat side, put your butt hanging in there, lean you body to the water but don’t forget to clear the area, secure your mask, regulator and your head with both hand…1-2-3 go! I’m in the water already lol.. It was so easy but feels so stress before :p
Now time to descent, usually we only descent in the swimming pool so it’s not that hard but since we go deeper in the sea, I need to equalize each time I descent. We hold the rope to descent and one hand to equalize. It was so hard in first dive but just need to do that slowly until the air space didn’t hurt anymore. Minni accompany me during the descent and while in the bottom of the sea, she holds my hand! Thank you very much Minni! Under the sea we saw many creature such as coral – don’t know the name but when you flick your finger the coral will hide into the ground – ; fish – cockatoo waspfish- variation – the brown little fish; starfish – black and orange one; and snake fighting , they, banded sea krait with snowflake moray, convolute to each other. Minni said she rarely saw this thing during her 700 dives but lucky us, we saw it in our first dive 😀 this time Nico did something bad, he throw a rock to a fish! Big no no Nico and he promised will not do that again. After 36 min underwater, we ascent and do some lesson practice such as change snorkel to regulator and muscle cramp recover. Then we go descent again, this time is faster than the first time descent. For ascent we need to practice the controlled emergency swimming ascent! We did that in the pool before not vertically but horizontally, and this time is easier than in the pool. Everytime finish diving, we need to write a diver’s log. In diver’s log consist of where, when, how long ,the visibility, the weight we use, temperature, depth, the air we use, comment and of course the sign from the instructor if you still on training. We will write all the information in each dive so we will know the record and the situation of the place.

For closing the week, we got some present again! Yeay! The complete equipment! We got the wet suit earlier and now we got Mask, Snorkel, BCD, Boots, Fins and regulator… We were so excited about this and we want to thank everyone who gave this equipment to us! (PADI, Minni, and anybody else who I don’t know :))

And this is one opinion from IMAM for this week ;);)
”You’ve probably seen photos, television and films about diving, but until you do it your self, you can’t really understand what it’s like. Nothing on earth matches the sensations you experience-the THRILL OF BREATHING UNDERWATER, the freedom of “WIGHTLESS-NESS” and UNIQUE SIGHTS and SOUNDS. The underwater world is not a silent world…..Ms. Minni (padi course director) you are the best, the best teacher, (Ms. Holly, Mr. Toto, Ms. Anita, Ms. Bettina, Ms. Martina) all of you are the best teachers also, PADI, all staff in Crystal divers, thanks thanks thanks very much all of you. Oke I am very very sorry, my English is not very good. Already 9 days, my head will explode. My head fatigue, labored breathing, a feeling of suffocation, weakness, anxiety, headache ( kind of symptom of overexertion!!!!!). I’m panic, I am panic. Help – help ….. give me CPR (NAFAS BUATAN!). I am a panic diver in the surface (in the class room). Everything in English, books in English, teacher speaks English, quizzes and exams in English, watch video speaks English also. ONLY underwater no speak English ( of course, we cant talk in English! Only sign language) too much pressure in my head and I get deco in the surface help…help…help. One more thing that makes me headache.. SWIMMING!!!!!!!!!!! Everyday I need to swim 400 meters and 10 minutes floating! BUT everything gonna be okeeeee. This is my process, process to become successful, process to become instructor. I will always try and act to be the best, better than yesterday! I can do it, thanks very much for all. I love you full. Go pro with Crystal diver and PADI. (@_@) ……. (^_~) ………..”

First Lesson

First week in Sanur… We all start the class from open water diver. Only 6 of us because the other 2 will be came on 21th April due to they need to finish their degree. So they got exception for this scholarship. As Minni said we need to know all the things really careful, so take our time to know better about the details of the lesson.

First lesson:
Study about the form. STUDENT RECORD FILE… As we are the scholarship students we need to know any details on this form, in case in future one of our student ask what this meaning is. This form includes of 6 sessions: Student profile, Medical Statement, Diver Medical Questionnaire, Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding, Liability Release and Assumption of Risk Agreement, and PADI Open Water Diver Course Record and Referral Form.
As a new to this theory, we translated it one by one together and it took 2 days for finish all the material.
Then for closing the day, Minni took us to fitting our equipment in DIVE MASTER… we tried our Mask, Snorkel, Boots, BCD and wet suit.. Nice to do that after whole day just stick with the form 😀 Thanks to Minni and Anita of coz who help us with choosing and fitting

On the second day of the class, there were 2 instructors who want to take their licenses. They taught us DSD- Discover Scuba Diver- Since some of us already know bout it, it didn’t take long to teach us about that – Well I need to learn more about this actually :p Since I didn’t have any certificate or learnt this before the second time confined water practice, I stay in the class finished all the material given. Well just need to learn step by step I guess.

Ok now we move forward to next lesson :
The third day of the class that Friday, she gave us 2 books, the open water diver manual and the log book.
First we watch the section 1 video… it told us what is in the first chapter of this book, its better to see the video then study the book… In the book there are questions
1. for main objective s– we need to highlight the answer
2. Quick Quizes – we need to try answer before we see the answer in the bottom of the question
3. And Knowledge Review- it come after we finish read all the things in this section
After several discussion and headache – because too much reading, Minni took us to the pool. In there we learnt how to assemble and disassemble our equipments. Mr. Toto, the teacher for this practice really knows how to do this. He showed us how to do that before we do that by ourselves.
Assemble the Scuba Equipment:
1. Wet your BCD ( because the nylon stretches when wet)
2. Put the tank valve faces toward the BCD and slide the BCD to the tank
3. Measure about four fingers from the top to the band, tight it and check with lift the BCD by holding it. If the tank stand still, it’s already correct.
4. Check the O-ring ( if there is no o ring, don’t use the tank)
5. Smell the air ( if you smell oil in the air, don’t use it coz it posion!)
6. Open the dust cover from the regulator
7. Put it to the valve and tighten it until it is just finger tight (if yoke style) or screw the DIN style until its tight enough
8. Put the Low pressure hose to the BCD low pressure inflator.
9. Open the valve all the way and put back a little bit for the closing
10. When you open the air keep the SPG away from your face ( precautions if there is leaks) – put it in front the BCD faced down
11. Check the SPG while you are breathing from the Stage 2 and the octopus ( if air comes free flow put the lock to the – ), the SPG will not move when we check it
12. And finally put the octopus in the place ( the triangle) and the SPG in the jacket pocket
13. Lay the tank down
And Disassemble the Equipment
1. Lock the air by turn the valve clock wise ( remember ! finger tight)
2. Clean the regulator from air by push the purge button
3. Unplug the low pressure hose from BCD
4. Dry the dust cover with the air from tank and put it in the stage one
5. Put the regulator with the stage one below on the BCD
6. Untighten the BCD band and release the BCD from tank
7. Lay down the tank so you will not harm other people

We need to do these 4 times so we can remember how to assemble and disassemble the BCD to the tank (like I write all this :p)
After this we go to the pool with full equipment. In the pool Minni gave us some lesson about the first section before that she gave us the simple signal ok and problem …
First, she told us using the inflator to inflate and deflate the BCD. Inflate is putting the air to BCD so we can float and deflate is releasing the air from the BCD so we can sink. Second, how to use the regulator and breath under the water. CONGRATULATION we officially dive for the first time! Because dive is breath under water and we did that! Third, how to find the second stage if we lose it ( two technique for this : bend our body to the right with open hand and move our body backward and find the second stage then put it in our mouth then exhale/ push the purge button. Remember keep breath when you lose your second stage with a small bubble. Forth, how to use the octopus if we run out of air, make the “out of air” signal and your friend will come to you and give you the octopus/ alternated air source (REMEMBER TO KEEP BREATHING), hold your buddy right hand, then look to his/her eyes and give signal if its already ok. Fifth or the final lesson, clears our mask when the water come a half or full. Just put the water half or full to the mask then exhale from your nose while you look up to clear the mask. ( I have difficulty to do this because I let my self exhale from the mouth :p) after that we were swimming around the pool and the lesson for today was DONE! Before go home, we need to disassemble the BCD and clean all of the equipment! Cleaning it with the fresh water and put it in cool place ( not direct sunlight please but that day it was cloudy).

First week in Crystal diver all I can say is many many reading and translating but they know how to make some interesting things in between so we are not that bored with the books and dictionary.
One step to another step should we do. All of us Its just a little step from the whole program..

The Whole New Life

Today is the whole new life for me. I got scholarship to be a diving instructor from PADI. A scholarship I applied for this scholarship 2 months ago when I saw my facebook friends status about a diving scholarship for Indonesians. 8 Indonesians will be chosen to get the scholarship. All the facilities are provided. We just need to buy the airplane ticket to go to bali.
Wow when I saw this thing I straightly asked my friend about it. This is an opportunity – once in a lifetime I can say because my age is the maximum age for the scholarship – so I decide to apply it.
I needed to send my CV several times. First to my friend in facebook ( well he doubt about me that time i guess :p) then he asked me to send it to the director of the program in facebook then Minni Vangsgaard ,the director, asked me to send it officially to her office email. After 1 month I got an email from the PADI regional manager for Indonesia, Mr. Abbi Carnegie. He asked me to do the interview. The next day we did the interview by phone, well we talked about 30 minutes about what make me apply for this, what will make sure that i am eligible for this scholarship? What is my goal? And of course we talked in Bahasa and English – since the requirement needed basic English.
One month of after that I got the good news that I got accepted to this program and I needed to be here on 4th of April to attend the opening ceremony of this scholarship.

WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!
Unbelievable…

I really never think about this. I do hope a lot for this but this is the greatest news – second one :p the first one is I got the love of my life this year – so here I am in Bali.
The first day I don’t know what to do to. They just gave me some instruction to be in Crystal divers center at 2pm and we will have a little opening ceremony. I got the early morning flight 6am with Batavia from Jakarta and arrived in Bali at 8.35am. I borrowed “karimun” since it will only be me me and nobody else, so I decided to rent a small car, of course its also cheaper than avanza… but apparently bad luck, the car is broken and they offer avanza for cheaper price than they used to. So I just say yes to the rent car… he offered 175k for 1 night with the avanza ( well not a big difference with karimun -150k). I drive to the crystal diver with Sanur map and I found the place easily – not lost at all, good job wulan! :p
Arriving there, I met Mr. Abbi Carnagie and Anita, they greet me since Minni is in the sea for teaching the other students. One of the staff there, Jemi, showed me the accommodation – it haven’t finished yet, thanks God I didn’t come here earlier- after that I went back to the center and sit there for waiting for the other students to show up. The first one in Vintty, she is from Manado and already took advance dive master certificate. there are only 2 girls for this class me and Vintti. We will be roommates for the next 10 months.
The clock shows 1 pm already and I went to McD with Vintty, first time eating McD in Bali what a pathetic. its all because I don’t know where is the cheap food around Sanur, ok I did browse all the restaurant before but I don’t know the place is. Finish lunch, I came back to the center and meet the other guys… Komang, Eri, Imam, and Nico. They all have been diving before! OMG!!! Im the only one who never dived before! But why the gave me this opportunity? I really amazed with this.

Since the students and the PADI vice president cant come this day, they will move the opening ceremony to 20th of April. Then we did a little meet and greet/ speech, Introduce ourselves and a information for the next step ( also dont forget to take the picture :p). After finish all the speech, we – all the 6 students go to the kost ( the accommodation for 10 months training) its behind the center Jl. Bumi AyuI still don’t know the number because this house hasn’t finished yet. They still do the first floor. I will share the room with Vintty and we still need a couple stuff for the room such as bucket, dust bin, kitchen appliance, etc. So we do the shopping to get what we need for the room.

Well so far the day been so tiring and fun. I can live my own without my parents ( well it is different when your parents still in the same city), new places to discover, new friends, new activities, whole new life for me! Thanks to my lovely Boy friend who always support me through all this things, he always encourage me to go with this thing. Love you babe! And I look forward to this whole new world!