Bali 2009

[tome]

I will be commencing my dive master training next week and though this could be a good place to keep updated with the goings on dive reports and issues that i find through the journey, im new to the boards but have been a reader for some months, if anyone is in the area il let you know where ive been diving and the things that are about.

cheers

Tom.

 

[Wayan]

welcome to Bali....enjoy all it has to offer

 

[divewench1]

Hi Tome
Good luck with the DM course. Where are you training??

 

[tome]

PT. Bali Ocean Adventure

ive been reading all this stuff about tech diving and various gas pressures and feeling like im going to have an extreme few months, these boards are inspirational and overwhelming

im not great at maths i can teach someone but when i have to do it myself i get all dyslexic .. so we will see how that goes, had dramas on the table stuff in o/w but hey lets see..


i currently cant see the attraction of tech diving but i am new to the sport so maybe it will grow on me, i actually love the feeling of just being weightless weather 10 ft down or 67ft. i know there are a lot of skills i need to learn and master so it willl be interesting to say the least, my hope is to get my sac right down, currently blast a tank in around 40-45 mins but ill be happier when i have a greater ability to breath in a more controlled manner and stay as neutral as possible. awaiting the visa approval and will know tomorrow looking froward to getting back to warm waters!

T.

 

[tome]

So ive been doing my a\AOW to tick the boxes and work on my diving skills,
was diving at a wreck at tulumben today, my first wreck dive very interesting and i seem to be having difficulty with my boyancey, mind i attempted to dive on 3 Kg's upon advice of a dive master, i should have stayed with 4, these things happen though!

the volume of material to work through is staggering, as are the 6:30 am starts.. all part of it though,

the underwater navigation shoed me the difficulties of remaining trim and level when you have a no real reference point for depth, takes time though,

the 20 skills i went through in the pool yesterday with some guys further along their d/m a long way to go,

the water is balmy @ 28+ (centergrade) i may have to dive in boardies as a shorty is still too hot! tough life! its amazing to be diving with some viz beyone 3 m ( 20 m+ today!!) im not 100% on understanding blends of gas and nitrox, everyone seems to rave about it but i dont know.. we will see i suppose, seems to be alot of testing for every dive, i HATE my tables but am working hard to get through it so i can eventually teach,

anyone near bali keen for a beer or two let me know

T.

 

[tome]

AMAZING day earlier this week with manta rays during my deep dive doing back flips and ballet to clean parrasites, very beautiful and humbeling experience to be with jsut an instructor and 7 HUGE mantas swimming around us.

i have a small video zSHARE - P6040105.AVI ill upload some more when i can this was after the ballet when i realised my point and shoot was still working( supposed to be 10 M limit)



Working very hard, ive compleated advanced efr and rescue ( 96%) very happy with the result but more importantly practicing and learning all of the skills, trying to make things a presentable quality takes time,

today the viz was terrible making it hard to do the scenarios but also more realistic, less than 2 m, in sanur, good training i guess,

looking forward to getting back into the dive sites and doing some more learning through watching how each person dives, an amazing pace of life here with the IDC guys all getting through and doing very well, a very challenging! the 6 am starts are getting much easier, which is a worry, im considering a nitrox/ean course also.

The staff ehre are AMAZING their achievements in the tech realm and experience amount to things i dont want to comprehend. ive been very impressed with the 1 to 1 help ive had and the approach to learning has been great, getting into the divemaster study now... much to learn! not sure about an IDC after as i want to practice as a DM , it will be tough to find somewhere!
tomorrow off to tulumben again

T.

 

[tome]

Diving with a mola, huge mantas and turtles very hard work indeed!, the conditions in bali vary so much its been a difficult month, dealing with all kinds of things from people being unfamiliar with their brand new equipment to sudden changes in current. guiding and assisting has been a huge challenge. the IDC here has been crazy, they work so so hard! the results were very positive with 100% pass and a solid mark for all. A great group of people, awaiting the busy season and the next influx of IDC. getting crazy with guests, interns and trips all over. unsure as yet which avenue to peruse once im done with the course im looking as far a filed as egypt and beyond. any ideas would be most welcome!

Some amazing wreck diving and some great discoveries. coming across sleeping sharks at manta point, molas vanishing and appearing in strange darkens in crystal bay and ripping 4 knot currents at sakanan.


T.