The Gili Shark Conservation divemaster Internship by Addie

If you are an aspiring marine biologist with a love for diving and the ocean, the Divemaster Internship through the Gili Shark Conservation (GSC) project is the perfect project to take on. Any PADI professional will tell you the divemaster course is fun and challenging, and added to the responsibility of being a research assistant, it becomes incredibly rewarding to someone with a passion for conservation. Though it can seem like a lot on ones plate to be involved in professional diving training while also going on research dives and working with data, thanks to the staff of Oceans 5 Gili Air and GSC, I never once felt like it was too much.

Gili Shark conservation Gili Air

Throughout the divemaster training, everyone was incredibly supportive with helping me complete my training while also participating on research dives. We all worked closely together to ensure my training was thorough, fun, and successful in both the diving and research aspects. Because of the stellar training I received, I felt confident and extremely excited to take on the added responsibility of guiding research dives towards the end of the internship.

The lessons I’ve learned and the opportunities I’ve been given through this internship have made me so much better equipped to pursue my dreams while also allowing me make wonderful memories and lifelong friendships. I know I always have a family on this island no matter where I take the skills I’ve gained here.

My road during the PADI IDC Gili Air by Emily

PADI IDC Gili Air by Emily

Captains log Entry #1:

In the beginning there was nothing. Nothing but good ole fundives with the Oceans 5 Gili Air crew. Then our fearless leader, Queen Giny said: “We start tomorrow with a IDC IDC Gili Air prep”. That was it. Our lives would change forever. Surely there was no more fun to be had. Ever.

But thats not what happened. PADI IDC Gili Air Prep was basically just going over Divemaster theory. As our knowledge on k and j valves grew, so did your little group. Everyday our numbers increased, until we finally had morphed into the full-fledged PADI IDC Gili Air army of little Giny Warriors that we are now.

Then came the classroom, and with the classroom, seemingly neverending hours of sunshine, which we could not enjoy. Also mating sharks. Today will be the first day of pool training. The tension grows. We are now at war. This is the moment we have all be trained for. I dont know if we will all make it, lesser divers have fallen into the abyss of chlorine swimmingpools.

Captains Log entry #2

After all, we made it. Queen Giny made us make it. Fast forward to one night before the PADI IE. Why were we ever even worried about the confined water? Between now and the first confined water presentation much has happened. About 17000 ear infections, the odd IDC Beers, one million three houndred thousand and 7 whoooop whoooops, Knowledge Developments, one too many true facts videos and many Open Water and Pool practices later: we are now ready. At least we feel ready. In German the word for ‘ready’ can also be used for ‘exhausted’. But no, we are ready. Prepared, pumped and pretty. The three Ps of life. No, scratch that. That is not in the General Standards and Procedures. We only trust general standards and procedures. Nothing is or ever will be as sacred at general standards and procedures. Queen Giny said so. Queen Giny must know. Queen Giny knows best. On this note i must end todays entry. Hopefully the next entry will be made as an Instructor.

And they became a PADI Dive Instructor with PADI IDC Gili Air

Emily Perle, PADI IDC Gili Air class February 2017

PADI IDC Lombok

Last November Oceans 5 Gili Air finished its last PADI IDC Lombok with 6 PADI scuba dive instructor candidates. After a 13 days instructor development course all passed the PADI Instructor Examination with brilliant scores. One of the PADI IDC Lombok candidates, Danni, likes to share his experiences with the PADI dive instructor course.

PADI IDC Lombok in Indonesia

This is his story:

Hi.

I thought the PADI IDC Lombok was very good, I found the course quite intensive.

I really enjoyed the pool and open water sections but not so much the classroom but that’s only because I really don’t enjoy classroom activities.

I really like how were all worked as a team, any questions or things that I was stuck on were answered/explained very well . I found this to be a great help.

I really like how everything that I needed was provide for example eRDP, calculators etc…

I felt the IDC really prepared me to work in the dive industry as an instructor.

The PADI Instructor Examination (IE ) was also very well organized.

I felt all the staff/members of the dive centre were very welcoming.
Overall I would highly recommend Oceans 5 Gili Air to anyone that wants to do their PADI IDC Gili Air and IE.

I would like to say a big thanks Giny, Joeri any everyone from Oceans 5.

Danni McManus

Oceans 5 Gili Air is a PADI 5 star Career Development Centre located on the Gili Islands in Indonesia. It has 3 in the house course directors, Joeri van Hal, Giny Pinto and Sander Buis. They cover the following languages: English, Dutch, German, Spanish and French. There is on Japanese and Chinese speaking PADI IDC staff instructor on side.

Oceans 5 offers in 2017 twelve PADI Scuba Dive Instructor Courses. Every month there will be one.

If you like to have more information about the PADI IDC Lombok dates or the PADI Instructor Development Course prices write us an email at idc@oceans5dive.com

PADI IDC Gili Air

Last November there was the last PADI Instructor Course at Oceans 5 Gili Air. Oceans 5 had 6 candidates and one of them was Sylvain. Sylvain was already a SSI dive instructor and did the cross over to PADI. One the reasons is that he will be more employable and he will find easier work in the dive industry. Good reason do start your dive instructor course with PADI IDC Gili Air.

PADI IDC Gili Air: Scuba Diving Instructor Course

Sylvain wrote his PADI IDC Gili Air experiences:

“I did my PADI IDC Gili Air at Ocean 5 in November with Ginny and Joerie, It was a really good trainning, very professionnal with a lot of support from the whole of Ocean’s 5 team.

The 2 weeks went by very quickly, between the theory, the pool sessions, the open water sessions and the workshop.

Everything is very well organised in training you to become a PADI Scuba Dive Instructor.”

Oceans 5 Gili Air is a PADI 5 star Career Development Center in Indonesia. It has 3 in the house PADI Scuba Diving Course Directors, Joeri van Hal, Giny Pinto and Sander Buis. All together they have more than 30 years of diving experience in diving around the Gili Island. They know how it is, how to dive the Gilis.

Next year Oceans 5 has scheduled 12 PADI IDCs at Gili Air. This mean there will be every month a possibility to become a PADI Dive Instructor. Oceans 5 offers PADI IDC Gili Air in different languages, like English, Dutch, Spanish, French, Japanese and Chinese.

If you like to have more information about the PAD IDC Gili Air dates or Instructor Course prices write us an email at idc@oceans5dive.com

Indonesia PADI IDC at Oceans 5 Gili Air

Pourquoi choisir Oceans 5 Dive Resort pour votre formation de professorat PADI?

Indonesia PADI IDC at a Oceans 5 Gili Air

A la recherche d’un centre de formation PADI pour votre formation d’instructeur? Le choix sur internet peut vous paraitre impossible, tant d’informations!!! Laissez nous vous aider dans votre choix: pourquoi choisir Oceans 5 Dive Resort sur la petite ile tropicale de Gili Air en Indonésie?

Regardons en premier lieu les facteurs que vous recherchez pour votre formation:

Professionalisme Ö

Fun Fun Fun!! Ö

Attention personelle Ö

Devenir un modèle à suivre Ö

Aspiration à devenir un leader Ö

Petits groupes Ö

Aspiration à devenir un bon instructeur et non simplement passer un examen Ö

Langues: français, anglais, néerlandais, espagnol, chinois, allemand, turque Ö

A Oceans 5 Dive Resort à Gili Air, Indonésie, nous avons le luxe d’avoir 3 Courses Directeurs à temps complet et de pouvoir vous offrir les IDC dans 7 langues. Cela signifie que vous pouvez beneficier des meilleures conditions d’apprentissage et d’une formation, sur mesure en petit groupe. Nous vous donnons donc toutes les chances d’une réussite assurée en tant qu’instructeur de plongée PADI.

Consacrant son but dans la création d’individus hautement professionnels, Oceans 5 Dive Resort fier de son succès sur la prestation de qualité à tous les niveaux de l’éducation et sur l’investissement dans des installations de classe mondiale pour créer un environnement d’apprentissage détendu: 2 grandes piscines, une enorme sale de classe climatisée, un bateau et son equipage dédié aux IDC et des équipements de haute qualité.

Alors pourquoi ne pas combiner votre apprentissage en profitant de l’ile tropicale de Gili Air, Indonésie, une petite île entourée d’une immense biodiversité sous-marine où aucun transport motorisé n’est autorisé et où à fin de la journée nous regardons le coucher du soleil en sirotant une Pina Colada !!

Contactez nous pour plus d’information sur idc@oceans5dive.com, ou visitez notre site: www.oceans5dive.com

PADI IDC at Oceans 5 Gili Air

Julien’s PADI IDC at Oceans 5 Gili Air

Beginning of July Julien walked into the diving shop. He has a dream: he likes to become a PADI Dive Instructor. He was lucky because of that  Oceans 5 Gili Air conducts every month a PADI IDC. So he started straight away his PADI IDC preparation with PADI Course Directors Joeri, Giny and Sander. We will help Julien to achieve his dream!

The next PADI Instructor Course starts the 11th of August with Joeri and Giny

Julien’s PADI Instructor Course

J’au passé mon IDC en juillet 2016 sur la petite ile paradisiaque de Gili air, en Indonésie entouré d’un super groupe de plongeur venu d’un peu partout. Ayant passé mon Divemaster quelques années plus tôt, j’ai profité de l’opportunité que me donnait mon centre de plongée Océan 5 pour arriver une semaine avant et effectuer une pré-prépa et également faire quelques fun dive à l’oeil.

J’ai ainsi pu commencer la formation IDC plus sereinement même si bien sur celle ci m’a demandée beaucoup d’implication et de travail. Nos instructeurs Joery et Giny ont su s’adapter au rythme de chacun d’entre nous tant au niveau de la langue que pour la pédagogie. Et grâce aux bonnes structures d’Océan 5, ainsi que de la super ambiance entre tous, la formation à été un vrai bonheur. Je vous souhaite à tous de pouvoir préparer votre PADI IDC dans ces conditions, c’est le top. Un grand merci à OCEAN 5.

if you are interested in doing your PADI Scuba Diving Training with Oceans 5 Gili Air, write Joeri or Giny an email at info@oceans5dive.com

Gili Island Etiquette

No bikinis on the streets

Why do you want to travel to the Gili Islands in Indonesia? Just like a lot of people you are probably want to discover tropical places and different cultures, open your mind, your heart and have fun. When travelling, it is important to blend in and respect the local populations we are visiting so that we don’t offend anyone and fully live the experience of travelling abroad.

So if you are coming to visit the tropical paradise of the Gili Islands, please note a few local dos and donts to help you have a happy stay:

Behaviour:

– In the local culture, it is very rude to point with the feet, so if you need to show something, use your hands

– When giving or receiving something, when eating or touching use your right hand. The left hand is used for other businesses…

– Remove your shoes when entering a building and wait to be invited to sit if you are a guest.

– Smiling and having fun happen naturally when on holiday. Some situations can sometimes be a little frustrating or tiring. Try and deal with these keeping a smile on, the issue will be resulted much easier. Shouting and screaming are very counterproductive and rarely brings a solution. Just keep smiling!

Dress Codes:

As most of the population on the Gili Islands and being located in Asia and mostly muslim, the dress codes here are very different than in the western world. People are modest and cover their body and sometimes their head. Of course as tourists, we are not expected to dress the same way, but we are expected to be respectful! There are signs around the islands, which keep on being ignored. So please be aware!!

– When walking around the island and in villages, tourists need to wear clothes, shorts and t-shirts are good, bikinis are not. When in doubt, put it on!

– On the beach or on a dive boat, bikini and swimwear are accepted, please do note that being topless or wearing very small and revealing bikinis or G-strings are not. So please cover your bits!

We hope that this blog with help you enjoy your holiday and the tropical paradise to the fullest. Please do get in touch on info@oceans5dive.com for any further information on etiquette or scuba diving at all levels. Happy Holiday!!

PADI Divemaster Simone:her story!

On beachy sand, close to Gili Air’s pier, Lombok, Indonesia, stands a remarkable building. With the palmtrees, tropical coffee bar and swimming pool in the back, seemed this the perfect place for me to spend a couple of months. I welcome you to the dive shop, and my second home, Oceans 5 Dive Resort.

I am Simone, 23 years old and a proud Dutchy! Last couple of months I’ve had the pleasure of doing my Divemaster Candidateship (DMC) in Oceans 5 Dive Resort. I’d already been fun diving with them in November and instantly felt comfortable and happy. So it wasn’t a tough decision to choose a place to do my DMC.

When I arrived in January I was quite blank, I was an advanced open water diver and had 18 dives, but they took good care of me. We started with working on my dive numbers and dive techniques by just making a lot of dives, next to that we also did my EFR and Rescue course and even the Nitrox speciality. In this time we got a lot of workshops and started working on general diving skills. Luckily for me there were a lot of other DMC’s doing the same thing. This helped in so many ways, from just having a good time all together to helping each other out with certain assignments.

During my whole PADI divemaster the instructors at Oceans 5 Dive Resort were all very helpful and competent, with each instructor having his or hers own talents and expertise. Of course different people cause different opinions but also more knowledge. Two know more than one right?! It’s a good thing that Oceans 5 Dive Resort let you work with all those different people so that in the end you have seen a lot of different ways to work and act.
In general I can fully say that the people working in Oceans 5 Dive Resort take a lot of time for you, that they work in a really professional and PADI correct way and that it’s just a nice team and place to be. I really enjoyed my time here and the most important thing is that I can say that I’ve grown a lot in this experience. In the end I’m excited to be at the start of my dive adventure and ready to learn more and more, building on everything I’ve learned so far. Thank you Oceans 5, it has been awesome!
Please contact us on info@oceans5dive.com for further information on diving from beginner to professional level, like a PADI Divemaster.

Mijn indruk van Oceans 5 en de PADI IDC Gili

Toe ik aankwam op het eiland had geen idee wat ik kon verwachten van PADI IDC Gili. Oceans 5 is een prachtig resort met een professionele duikschool. Ik werd hartelijk ontvangen wanneer ik mij aanmelde voor de IDC. De lessen zijn super en leerlijk.

Onze course director, Joeri Van Hal is zeer hulpzame en directe persoon, die zijn tijd in zijn studenten steekt om er het beste uit te halen. Wat hem een zeer bekwaam leerkracht maakt.

In het begin had ik mijn twijfels of instructor zijn wel iets voor mij was. Maar nu halverwege voel ik mij goed en ook meer zelfvertrouwen dat ik de IE zal aankunnen. Mededankzij mijn medestudenten; Dayana and Juan. En onze staff instructor Tin. En uiteraard door Joeri.

Ik hoop op een goed einde voor ons allemaal, maar hoe het er nu uit ziet, moeten we ons daar niet te veel over zorgen maken. Joeri stoomt ons goed klaar voor de IE.

We can do this! Bedankt Oceans 5 , Joeri en PADI IDC Gili!

Dimitri Maes

Hammerhead sharks are a rare sight at Gili Islands. But a few days ago we saw one! Here’s the full story:

On Sunday morning we were on the 8:30 dive boat with Oceans 5. It was not a busy morning, there were only seven divers with boat captain Cakdi on the boat. When we arrived to Sunset, south of Gili Trawangan, the sea was calm, no waves, wind or current.

Arne and Jarle, my Norwegian dive buddies and me got into the water and quickly decended to around 29 meters. From there we started to work our way up to the bummies where we usually see the baby Whitetip sharks. As we were closing to 24 meters I saw a two meter long Whitetip lying on the seabed, getting cleaned by a few Cleaner fish. When we were about three meters away from it, it started to swim. First going around a bummy and then coming back, swimming an eight shape around us. We stopped to witness this amazing sight, Jarle was taking video with his Gopro. We watched this for a good five minutes, enjoying the majestic moves of the shark swimming around us.

When it finally turned away, I watched how it started to swim towards the blue. And then another object in midwater caught my eye. Something big was moving a little bit above me and to the left. There was no doubt about it! A Hammerhead shark came from the shallow part of the reef, maybe two meters above us, three or four meters in front of us. It moved slowly from left to right, right in front of us and continued towards the deep. Jarle saw it, Arne saw it and I saw it. The shape of the head left no space for speculations. The first Hammerhead sighting at Gilis for over two years!

(c) Kimmo Pekari 2015