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Can a Healthy Habit Ever Become Unhealthy?

Habits are good. They help bring structure to your life.

It stands to reason, then, that healthy habits are doubly good. Not only do they provide stability and routine, they come with health-boosting, life-improving benefits.

Three healthy habits that get the most attention are exercise, a healthy diet and sleep — and for good reason. Each plays a hugely beneficial role in your overall health and well-being. Try out amarose.

But can these three healthy habits ever be taken to such extremes that they become unhealthy?

How much exercise is too much?

The benefits of regular exercise are certainly there, ranging from improved mood and better sleep to a healthy heart, strong bones and weight control. That’s why it’s recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of exercise every single week.

“Still, anyone can overdo it with exercise,” says Dawn Stuckey, athletic trainer at Houston Methodist. “Rest is an important part of training. It allows your body to recover for your next workout. When you don’t get enough rest, it can lead to poor performance and health problems.”

Stuckey adds that the specifics of what might be considered ‘too much exercise’ depends on your particular level of fitness.

If you’re new to working out, exercising too much might look like ramping up the frequency, intensity or duration of your workouts way too quickly without giving your body the time it needs to adjust to the new load.

According to Stuckey, the signs that you might be exercising too much include:

  • Fatigue
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Feeling worn down
  • Reduced performance

“Sore muscles are normal, but your body being exhausted all the time is not,” adds Stuckey. “If you keep pushing and pushing and don’t give your body enough time to recover between workouts, it can lead to reduced performance and even injury.” Check out these protetox customer reviews.

If you already work out regularly, exercising too much becomes more a matter of overtraining.

“Overtraining is a long-term consequence of regularly not giving your body enough time to recover between workouts. It can take several months to manifest,” says Stuckey. (Related: How to Avoid Overtraining for a Marathon)

The signs of overtraining include:

  • Being unable to perform at the same level
  • Needing longer periods of rest
  • Feeling tired
  • Having trouble sleeping
  • Having mood swings or feeling irritable
  • Experiencing anxiety or depression
  • Losing motivation to work out
  • Overuse injuries
  • Getting sick more frequently
  • Unexplained weight loss

“If you notice these signs of overtraining, try cutting back on exercise or even resting completely for one to two weeks. Often, this is all it takes to recover,” Stuckey recommends. “If you’re still tired after this rest, see your health care provider. He or she can help you decide how and when it is safe to start exercising again.”

Can dieting ever be bad or too restrictive?

Eating a healthy, balanced diet not only helps ensure that your body and brain are getting all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals they need to function optimally, it can reduce your risk of a number of health conditions and help with weight loss and maintenance. If you want to be healthy and to have a good sexual condition you need to take some male enhancement pills, are effective and promote overall health include those that contain natural ingredients such as maca root, horny goat weed, ginseng,

“We know that many health and metabolic conditions — like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease — can improve with weight loss. Many people look to dieting not just to lose weight, but to help get themselves off medications or become lower-risk candidates for medical procedures,” says Emma Willingham, clinical dietitian at Houston Methodist. This is the best penis extender.

But, whether you’re dieting for weight loss or weight management, can dieting itself ever be bad?

“Dieting can be good when the person dieting is using the ‘diet’ or dietary change as a tool to learn how to eat better and achieve higher quality nutrition,” says Willingham. “But often people go on diets to lose weight fast and don’t learn new habits along the way.”

Essentially, weight loss shouldn’t be the only goal of a weight-loss program. Learning the behaviors that help achieve and maintain weight loss is just as important as losing the weight.

“If you don’t learn from your diet — say, Whole 30 — what happens on Day 31 when that diet ends? Dieting without learning can lead to a chronic cycle of weight loss and regain, sometimes called yo-yo dieting, which is an example of how dieting can turn bad,” warns Willingham.

Going through this cycle of following a diet, losing the weight, falling back into old behaviors, putting the weight back on and then dieting again is confusing for both your body and your metabolism. When using male enhancement pills you need to know that these ingredients have been shown to improve sexual function and increase testosterone levels, while also providing various health benefits such as improved heart health and reduced inflammation

Another example of when a diet turns bad is when dieting becomes the gateway for severe and long-term dietary restriction, such as with orthorexia.

“Orthorexia is a preoccupation or unhealthy focus on ‘eating clean’ or the perception of eating healthy. Sometimes, people go on diets, see success and want so badly to maintain that success that they become more and more restrictive with their food choices,” explains Willingham.

Since many diet programs eliminate entire food groups, these restrictions set you up to miss out on a lot of opportunities to consume a variety of foods and nutrients. (Related: Which Diet Would a Dietitian Actually Do?)

“Many diet programs also create unnecessary food fear, hurting your relationship with food and your body — not to mention your social life,” says Willingham.

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Why complete the PADI Divemaster course? Much more than just a certification.

The PADI Divemaster course is one of the most rewarding scuba diving certifications you can complete.

This’s not just because it’s one of the most time consuming, or because it is the first professional qualification. The Divemaster course is so fulfilling because it provides you with invaluable skills and unforgettable experiences that enrich many aspects of your life, not just your scuba diving. You can visit our website and choose the best option for you.

Whether or not you plan to pursue a career in the scuba diving industry, the PADI Divemaster course has a lot to offer you. Most of us are aware that the divemaster course provides you with the opportunity to hone your diving skills and gain work experience in a dive shop. But did you know there are many other, less obvious, benefits of completing the course? Visit https://www.firstpost.com/health/protetox-reviews-a-legitimate-weight-loss-pill-or-scam-11186701.html.

Becoming a divemaster is a big commitment of both time and energy but we believe that the rewards far outweigh the costs. No matter what your next step may be. In case you needed a little help committing, here’s why completing your PADI Divemaster course should be your next big adventure.

Become a confident and competent divemaster. Know how to handle yourself in all situations.

Hanging out at the safety stop scuba diving

This one is kind of obvious, but still worth highlighting as it’s a big part of your journey to becoming a divemaster. Throughout the course, you will be exposed to many different scenarios, both real and staged. You will learn and practise the skills to deal with these unforeseen situations and potential emergencies, whilst remaining calm. And by the end of the course, you will know how to handle yourself and help others, both above and below the surface.

Although the PADI Rescue Diver course introduces you to this, the timescale and in-depth workshops involved of the PADI Divemaster course provides you with a much stronger understanding of looking after yourself and others. Plus the opportunity to practise and use those skills in real situations. Being able to handle stressful situations and solve problems quickly is a skill you can take with you in any area of life, not just scuba diving!

Strong reverse current? Burst O-ring? Panicking diver? No problem. You know exactly how to handle it without getting flustered!

Become part of the scuba diving team.

Great scuba diving team at Oceans5

When you complete your divemaster, you’re not a regular customer at the shop anymore. You become part of the team. You are welcomed into the shop as part of the family. If you are already a diver, you will be familiar with the fun and friendly atmosphere of dive centres, and as a Divemaster candidate. You get to be a part of that every day. Sounds awesome to us!

Being part of the team also allows you to gain valuable insight into the running of a dive centre and gain experience working as part of a team. Dive centres often have some pretty big characters and a variety of cultures and nationalities. Learning to work with different people in challenging environments is always a beneficial experience!

Discover a new diving place.

Gili air island
Get to know Gili Air inside out!

You can complete your Divemaster course in as little as 4 weeks. But we recommend at least 2 months to really get the most out of your training. Therefore, you will live in the area where the dive centre is located. This is a very different to just travelling through or spending time as part of a holiday. You will be essentially living and working, developing your routines and discovering the best parts of the area. From finding those secret spots for trying the tastiest home-cooked dishes, to picking up some of the local language or just waving good morning to your neighbours. When you stay somewhere longer you become part of the community. This allows you to experience a different way of life.

Your discovery isn’t just on land. During your Divemaster course, you will be able to fully explore the local dive sites. You’ll find out where that cute pink frogfish likes to hang out, where the juvenile white tip sharks rest during the day and you may even start to know some of the turtles in the Gilis by name! You learn to appreciate the little things and notice subtle changes, as well as refining your guiding skills.

Stay fit.

Although not the main reason people complete their Divemaster, your physical fitness will certainly improve. Apart from diving every day, you will also be carrying tanks, setting up gear, lifting yourself up onto the boat and helping newbie divers both above and below the water. All of that combined is just as effective, if not more, as a regular fitness regime. Getting (or staying) fit is just one of the additional benefits of the PADI Divemaster course.

Dive every day.

scuba diving and a turtle
Get up close and personal with the locals

One of the main benefits of completing your Divemaster course is that you have the chance to go scuba diving every day. Something we are all aiming for in life! Every day you have the chance to explore below the surface and encounter your favourite marine life. Did we mention that we see turtles of 99% of our dives here on the Gilis? Who wouldn’t want to swim with turtles every day? Count us in.

Meet people from all over the world.

Meet people from all over the world group shot after beach clean up

Scuba diving attracts people from all corners of the globe. As a Divemaster candidate you get to meet people from many different walks of life, with a variety of cultures and backgrounds. The interesting conversations and variety of stories told is enjoyable enough. But don’t forget to consider the future benefits of this amazing networking. Perhaps that guy you chatted to about nudibranchs is friends with someone who is hiring for a role you’d be perfect for? Or even introduces you to your future partner? You never know who you might meet in the diving industry, or how you might be able to help each other out in the future. Perfect excuse to expand you friends list on Facebook!

Make life-long friends.

Scuba diving girls

Most dive centres will have more than just one Divemaster candidate at a time, meaning that it’s likely you’ll be embarking on this journey with others who share your passion for all things scuba. When you’re spending around 2 months with these people, as well as the dive centre staff, it’s likely you’ll make at least one friend for life, if not more! Sharing the highs and lows of the Divemaster training and living away from your home and family often generates strong bonds between people. Throw in the fact you all love the ocean and you’ve got a recipe for lasting friendships!

Add invaluable skills to your CV.

setting up scuba diving equipment

It is obvious that the Divemaster Course is a vital part of your CV is you want to work in scuba diving. But have you considered how the valuable skills and experience you gain are extremely relevant for most careers, not just diving?

During the Divemaster course you develop a high level of professionalism and customer service. You practise leadership through guiding and scuba reviews (refresher/tune ups), public speaking and presenting through briefings. You learn risk management and safety considerations, first aid, boat management, working efficiently as part of a team, practical problem solving. These are all transferable skills that will help you excel in whichever direction you take your career in. Don’t forget to note these down in your next job application!

Be an ocean ambassador & support marine conservation.

Beach clean up on Gili Air

Both during your Divemaster and afterwards, you are an ambassador of the ocean. You help to educate others and raise awareness of the threats to the marine world. During your divemaster course, it is likely you will have the chance to get involved in marine conservation activities or events. At Oceans5 Dive, we encourage our Divemaster candidates to run our weekly beach cleanups and get involved in our monthly reef clean-up dives, as well as participate in events run by our partners The Gili Shark Conservation.

The PADI Divemaster course is much more than just a diving certification. It provides you with key skills alongside unforgettable and unique life experiences. There is no doubt that this should be your next adventure!

Happy divemaster diving

At Oceans 5 Dive on Gili Air, we welcome Divemaster candidates to start anytime. As mentioned, we recommend you spend at least 8 weeks with us for the course, but if you are tight on time we can tailor the course to suit your requirements. Please don’t hesitate to send us a message if you have any questions about the PADI Divemaster Course.

We believe that the Divemaster Course is more than just ticking off the PADI requirements. We strive to deliver you the best possible training to suit your personal and professional goals. As a 5* PADI Career Development Centre, we offer our Divemaster candidates the opportunity to learn additional skills, from fish and coral identification to a neutrally buoyant skills circuit. With an onsite PADI course director, 2 staff instructors, our Divemaster candidates receive high-quality training that goes above and beyond what is needed to pass.

Instructors briefing the divemasters

You also get the opportunity to live on the idyllic Indonesian Island of Gili Air. With no motorised vehicles, beautiful white beaches, jewel-like waters and wonderfully welcoming locals, there really is no better place to spend a few months!

So, are you ready for your next adventure?

If you have an infectious love for the ocean that you just must share, and are ready to develop both yourself and your diving, then you are the perfect candidate for the PADI Divemaster course. We can’t wait to meet you!

Beautiful ocean around Gili Air on our dive boat

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Becoming a PADI Diving Instructor at Oceans5 Dive: An interview with IDC Graduates Mermaid Meg & Scuba Sal

Becoming a scuba diving instructor is a big investment. And we’re not talking about the money. The Instructor Development Course (IDC) is an investment of your time and energy, as well as a commitment to a new career and potentially new lifestyle. It’s a big decision, but one no one regrets!

Diving instructor graduates

Anyone that scuba dives knows that it is an addictive sport. There are always more marine creatures to find, new sites to explore, and different locations to dive. There is also the community you become part of when you dive. Especially here at Oceans5, where all our divers are welcomed into the family. It’s no wonder why people chose to make diving their way of living. The opportunity to travel the world; live in exotic locations, meet new people and dive every day, is something that most divers dream of. As a PADI diving instructor, you can live this dream, and share your love for the ocean with others.  Sounds great, doesn’t it? So first you need to complete your IDC.

Megan and Salvador with their Instructor certificates

In October Megan and Salvador, better known as Mermaid Meg and Scuba Sal, completed their IDC at Oceans5. We can keep telling you all the great things about our IDC, but nothing beats first-hand experience. As half of the cutest couple in scuba diving, we thought we would let Mermaid Meg give you her perspective on what it’s like to complete your IDC and become a diving instructor at Oceans5.

Megan staring our to sea on our dive boat

So, why did you decide to leave home and make scuba diving your way of living?

“We decided to ‘take a break’ in 2016. Sal had been working 18+ hour days as a chef for nearly 15 years, and I had just completed graduate school. So, we both felt a trip was well deserved and we headed off to explore South East Asia. It was incredible. That was when we discovered and fell in love with scuba diving. As Sal says, ‘it was classic post full moon party learning to dive in Koh Tao’ moment.  But seriously, it was life-changing, I mean look where we are now!”

Megan and Sal looking at a fish ID book after a dive
What did we spot on our dive today?

How long have you both been diving?

“We started diving in March of 2016. Timewise, we haven’t been diving that long, but we have gained a lot of great experience and have had the chance to dive in some awesome places!”

Meg and Sal underwater selfie diving
Best buddies!

Where did you guys complete your divemaster?

“We completed our divemaster together in Hoi An, diving around the Cham Islands. Following our divemaster internship, we worked in Hoi An for 6 months guiding fun divers and assisting the diving instructor with Open Water students.”

Megan diving in Gili Air

Why did you decide to become diving instructors?

“To share our love for the ocean with others and further our own diving education. We had the most wonderful Open Water and Advanced Open Water diving instructor, who taught with such passion that it made you want to be a diver. The love and appreciation we have gained for the ocean over the last year and a half is astounding. We owe it to ‘her’ as ocean ambassadors to show and educate others on her beauty and fragility.”

Megan and Sal teaching in the swimming pool

Why did you choose Oceans5 for your IDC?

“There was an incredible diving instructor that we worked with in Vietnam. He was the youngest on the crew but was easily the most knowledgeable, skilled, and professional. When we ever had any diving or theory related questions we could always rely on him for guidance. Plus, his briefings were sensational! Of course, we were curious where he got such thorough training and he said Oceans5. He spoke so highly of the staff, location, and environment at Oceans5 that there really was nowhere else that could compare.”

Group shot of the IDC candidates in the swimming pool

What advice would you give someone that is thinking of becoming a diving instructor?

“The BEST advice we would give to someone is to get experience. Dive, dive, and dive some more. Work as a divemaster if possible. We were so much more prepared having worked as divemasters for 6 months. Diving with different nationalities and skill levels made us much better divers, learning to adapt quickly, guide effectively and prevent problems. All vital skills for an instructor.”

Practising Rescue Breathes in the pool
Rescue scenario number 7 is an important part of the IDC

What was the hardest part of the IDC?

“The most challenging part of the course for Sal was the physics and understanding “PADI language”, which can sometimes be a little confusing! But Joeri, our course director was super helpful in getting our heads around it all.

For me, I would often be hard on myself and begin thinking that I had ‘failed’. But you have to remember that is the point of the IDC. It is tough as it prepares you for the final Instructor Examination. You have to fail during the IDC in order to succeed. So, my advice would be this: don’t be discouraged when you get 1’s, it will teach you to not make that mistake in the future. Actually, the IDC was much harder than the final IE. It pushes you to prepare you to deal with all situations. Once you get to the IE, you have practised the teaching scenarios so many times that it becomes part of your nature.”

Sal looking out on the dive boat
Contemplating a great life ahead as a diving instructor!

What was the best part of the IDC?

“You gain so much confidence in yourself throughout the process. You learn to dive for others rather than dive for yourself and to have excellent control underwater, staying calm in any situation. The best part of the IDC for us, was doing it together. Yes, I know that sounds cheesy but it’s true! It was doubly stressful for us, but it was also doubly rewarding. We struggled together, and we succeeded together. And of course, becoming part of the Oceans5 family is pretty awesome too!”

IDC candidates coming back from a training dive
5s across the whole team!

Would you recommend the IDC at Oceans5?

“Definitely! The facilities are perfect for operating an IDC. You really could not ask for a more ideal set up with the equipment room, 2 air-conditioned classrooms, and 2 large pools. It was, hands down, the best place to do an IDC. The environment is professional, friendly, fun and the dive sites are well equipped for training sessions. Sal and I both really enjoyed our experience at Oceans 5 and would recommend to anyone wanting to become a PADI instructor.“

IDC candidates on the boat after the IE
Friends for life

So, what’s next for Mermaid Meg and Scuba Sal?

“We just want to continue to enjoy diving, and to share our enjoyment with others. Ideally, we want to find instructor positions here in Asia. After gaining some experience as instructors, we plan to travel in Central and South America, with a little time back home in California. We have some beautiful grandbabies that are growing up too fast.”

Meg and Sal kissing after the IE graduation
Too damn cute!

Thank you Mermaid Meg for sharing your experience with us! We wish you both all the best in your future careers.

If you’re ready to take your diving to the next level and become a diving instructor, Oceans5 has an IDC starting every month in 2018.  

Our 6-course directors cover multiple languages and have over sixty years’ worth of diving and instructing experience between them. We don’t just teach you how to pass the instructor examination. Our team strives to ensure that you become a capable and confident instructor, ready to take on any challenges you might encounter in your new career.

Sal completing Sidemount speciality

The support we offer is not just limited to the duration of the IDC. Prior to the course, we provide free workshops to make sure you are fully prepared to hit the ground running. We also offer a whole host of PADI speciality instructor courses and Disabled Diver International instructor training. Plus, team teaching with our diving instructors to help build your confidence and give you real-life experience with students.

As a multi-award winning 5* PADI CDC centre, with unrivalled facilities and first-class training, situated on an idyllic island in Indonesia, this really is the perfect place to complete your training.

Don’t just become a scuba diving instructor, become part of the Oceans5 family!

Candidates celebrating after the IE
Hupla!
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So, what is there to do on Gili Air?

We all know that Gili Air is famous for scuba diving. Exploring the crystal clear waters, swimming through schools of colourful fish and hanging out with turtles, is certainly one of the best ways to spend your time. But what about those surface intervals? Or perhaps your loved ones or travel buddies are not interested in wiggling into a wetsuit and breathing compressed air. Fortunately, Gili Air has lots of other great activities to indulge in during your stay.

Explore

Circumnavigate the Island

Fields of palm trees on Gili Air
Palm trees as far as the eye can see on Gili Air

Either on foot or by bike, you can easily circle the island in under 2 hours. With no motorised vehicles to destroy the peace, you can discover empty beaches, flower-lined paths and fields of palm trees as far as the eye can see. Find your favourite patch of sand or take a break at one of the many local cafes for a fresh juice or cold beer. A word of advice, go either in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat!

Island Hopping

Gili Meno beach
Visiting the beaches on Gili Meno

Gili Air is, of course, our favourite island but if you have a spare day it would be a shame to not take a trip to one of the other two nearby islands. Gili Trawangan offers an unrivalled party atmosphere and an array of shopping opportunities, while Gili Meno provides quiet seclusion on pristine beaches with a back to basics atmosphere.  Public boats hop between the islands in the morning and afternoon and fast boat service every hour makes it easy to take a day trip. The Harbour offices sell tickets and provide the most up to date timetable. Alternatively, you can charter a boat if you are a small group. If you’re interested in islands like these, you might want to visit Cayman Islands for your next trip. Visit https://www.visitcaymanislands.com/en-us/global-citizen-concierge and ask them about their packages.

Trip to Lombok

Mountains and waterfalls of North Lombok
Dramatic scenery of North Lombok

If you’ve managed to tick off all the activities on Gili Air and still have the energy to explore, it is easy to arrange a day trip to Lombok. Just a short boat ride takes you over to Lombok where you can discover hidden waterfalls, tackle the summit of Mt Rinjani (Indonesia’s 2nd largest volcano), beach hop the southern coast around Kuta or experience local Sasak village life. All these trips can be arranged from Gili Air.

During the Day on Gili Air

Sunrise

Sunrise over the foothills of Mt Rinjani
Sunrise over the foothills of Mt Rinjani

Early risers on Gili Air are rewarded with the spectacular sight of the sun rising over the foot of Mt Rinjani on Lombok. Definitely worth getting up for at least once during your stay! Experience the peace of the island at this time in the morning and watch the locals slowly start their day, a pretty magical time.

Relaxing on the Beach (or something less sandy!)

Beach chairs on Gili Air
Perfect place to relax

One of the best things about staying on a tropical island is the beautiful beaches. So, what better way to spend your time than laying out your towel, soaking up some sun and enjoying the sound of the waves lapping the shore. Don’t like the sand? No worries, Oceans5 Dive Resort has two beautiful pools for you to relax around.

Participate in a Beach Clean Up

Cleaning the beach on Gili Air
Every Friday we organise a beach clean up

It’s always rewarding to be able to do something positive for the communities that you visit. At our dive resort, we organise beach cleanups every Friday afternoon at 5pm and everyone is welcome! Join us to help keep our island and the oceans clean and enjoy a free drink with us afterwards.

In the Evenings on Gili Air

Go Horse Riding

Horse riding on the beach
Horse riding on the beach

Riding horseback in the shallow turquoise waters alongside a white sand beach as the sun sets behind the volcano on Bali… sounds like the scene out of a movie, doesn’t it? Well on Gili Air you can be part of this magical scene. Horse-riding is available from one of the stables on the island, drop into the Oceans5 and we can point you in the right direction.

Cooking Classes

Close up of ingredients at cooking class
Cooking class at Sunny’s Warung

We think that one of the best things about travelling is tasting different cuisines. Indonesian food is full of rich and exciting flavours and Gili Air is not short of places to try the local dishes.  However, if you have a few hours spare you can take it a step further and learn how to create your favourites. Just next to Oceans5 Dive awaits Gili Cooking School which offers a variety of classes to suit different tastes and budgets, run by Indonesian chefs. Alternatively, in the north of the island, Warung Sunny provides a back to basics home-style cooking class. Our favourite part of the class is the feast at the end!

Outdoor Cinema

There is nothing quite like reclining on a big, comfy bean bag with your toes in the sand while watching a film on the big screen. Gili Air has a couple bars where you can watch a different film each night, right on the beach with a variety of drink and food options brought right to your seat!

Listen to some Live Music or Enjoy a Party!

Live band playing on Gili Air
Nothing beats live music

Although our neighbour, Gili Trawangan is known as the party island, Gili Air also has some lively spots to head for once the sun has set. There are several bars that host a range of local musicians with something for all tastes, from soothing acoustic sets to full-scale live bands. And if that’s not enough for you there are a few late-night hangouts, such as Legends on a Wednesday, where you can kick off your flip-flops and dance until the sunrises!

Catch Sunset

Sunset on Gili Air
Gili Air sunsets are the best

You can’t visit Gili Air without catching one of the legendary sunsets. Watching the sky glow pink and orange as the sun dips behind the horizon with a cold Bintang in hand is the perfect way to end the day. On the west side of the island, there are many bars to catch the sunset, but our favourite is Mowies. Good drinks, tasty food and cosy bean bags, what more could you want!

Treat Yourself

Shopping

Clothing for sale on Gili Air
All the colours and styles

If you get tired of relaxing on the beach you can always head to the shops for some retail therapy. On Gili Air, there is a wide variety of shops from stylish stores, with unique gifts and fashionable frocks, to market stalls with fishing gear, tackle, best beginner fly fishing combo, handmade bracelets, colourful sarongs and homemade coconut oil. t oil. We have 3 fabulous boutique stores onsite at Oceans5, offering an impressive array of locally produced clothes, jewellery and homewares to suit all tastes. Perfect for browsing in before or after dives!

Yoga

Yoga on the beach in Gili Air
Yoga at sunset, what could be more relaxing?

We find our peace underneath the ocean but if you’re looking to find some harmony on dry land then Gili Air has a few yoga centres offering a timetable of daily group classes and weekly workshops.

At Air Spa, onsite at Oceans5, you can enjoy a personalised yoga class tailored to your needs and pace, scheduled at a time that works for you. Air Spa offers breath-centred yoga sessions ranging from a beginner body alignment to aqua yoga which is gentle on the joints, to flowing vinyasa sequences. You can get joint supplements from UrbanNaturale.com to help relieve your joint pain.

Pamper Yourself at the Spa

Air Spa at Oceans5 Dive Resort
Air Spa at Oceans5 Dive Resort

You’re on holiday, treat yourself! Indulge in a facial or pamper yourself with a pedicure. If you are trying to relax check out these easy relaxing methods on artofruits. Air Spa at Oceans5 offers a range of natural spa treatments inspired by the elements – water, earth, wind and fire, designed to enrich your island experience and increase your well-being. All products are organic and locally sourced to create unique and nourishing spa treatments to refresh your body and mind. Asa guest at Oceans5 Resort, enjoy 10% off all treatments at Air Spa.

Explore the Turquoise Waters around Gili Air

Subwing

Subwing through the water
Glide through the water with Subwing

When was the last time you did something for the first time? Consisting of two wings mounted together, the Subwing is gently pulled along by a boat whilst you hang on to the wings, tilting them in the direction you want to go.  It is intuitive and easy to learn in just one morning – not just for athletic thrill seekers but those of any age that love being in the water. Subwinging is a unique and exhilarating way to discover the underwater world around Gili Air.

SUP – Stand Up Paddling boarding

Paddle boarding around Gili Air
Paddle boarding around Gili Air

An exciting way to enjoy the gorgeous vistas around Gili Air is on a stand-up paddle board, particularly beautiful at sunrise. SUP boards are available to rent from many places around the island.

 

Never Try. Never Know.

If you haven’t tried scuba diving, we really recommend you give it a go. The Gili Islands have been named as one of the top places in the world to learn to scuba diving. And we are not surprised with waters this calm, clear, warm and full of life!

Scuba divers in the swimming pool
All okay in the pool!

Our highly experienced instructors at Oceans5 Dive will make sure you feel safe, comfortable and confident. We offer courses in multiple languages and you can complete the Discover Scuba Diving course in as little as half a day!

Snorkelling

A little hesitant to fully submerge yourself? Too young to dive? Medical conditions preventing you? Or perhaps scuba diving really isn’t for you, then snorkelling is a great alternative to experience the waters around Gili Air. Our favourite spot is on the east coast where it’s common to spot a turtle or two where the reef slopes off. We recommend snorkelling at high tides otherwise it’s quite tricky to get out to a depth where you can swim. This area of the world is known to resemble scuba diving spots in Indonesia, sites like www.oneweirdglobe.com/best-day-trips-from-ubud-indonesia/ have a great number of photo galleries where you can see that first hand. Those slightly interested in scuba diving one day should gather up their courage and do it!

Snorkeling with turtles
Snorkeling with turtles

Want to enjoy the marine life without getting wet? You can take a tour on one of the glass bottom boats which is often combined with island hopping or snorkelling. If you are looking for the best snorkelling tour, then check out the Live Your Aloha website.

Wow, even we are surprised at how much there is to do here. Perhaps you should extend your stay so you can fit it all in?

Gili Air isn’t just a beautiful beach island, there really is something for everyone here. And even if you are scuba diving, you still have time after the dives to enjoy the other activities the island has to offer.

Scuba diving
Fall in love with scuba diving
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Spines, Stings, and Bites: How to avoid and treat common marine life injuries.

The ocean is full of fascinating and wondrous creatures, hence our love for scuba diving. Along with their beauty, however, some of these aquatic organisms can cause harm to us as we explore their underwater home.

From jellyfish stings to sea urchin spines, it is likely that most of us will have an unpleasant encounter with aquatic life at some point. Knowing how to avoid these injuries, what creatures to be wary of and the right treatment to employ can help you to fully enjoy exploring our oceans.  

Why do marine life injuries happen?

Marine life injuries are quite rare, considering how many creatures there are in the ocean that can cause harm to us. There are two main reasons that they occur.  1. We’ve provoked the animal, either by getting too close or harassing them. In these cases, the animal feels threatened and defends itself. 2. We were not paying enough attention to our surroundings and may have accidentally brushed against, touched or stepped on a hazardous animal.  These are the latest java burn reviews.

“it is extremely rare to be attacked by an unprovoked marine animal…”

The important thing to understand is that it is extremely rare to be attacked by an unprovoked marine animal and that we are often the ones at fault for sustaining a marine life injury. The good news is that most of these are easily avoidable or treated. Read more about the best appetite suppressant.

If you are unfortunate enough to sustain a marine life injury, there are a few simple steps you can take to reduce the effects. In minor cases, delivering effective first aid provides pain relief and may be all that is needed. In serious cases, it can provide vital care, significantly improving the victim’s chance of survival whilst waiting for professional help to arrive. Here is our advice on how to avoid and treat common aquatic injuries and ensure that you can continue to safely enjoy the ocean.  

 How can you avoid marine life injuries?

Prevention is always better than cure. With a little care and common sense, it is easy to avoid marine life injuries. Protecting ourselves from harm also helps to preserve the marine environment. Here are our top tips to safely enjoy the oceans.

Be aware of your surroundings.

Look around when you are diving, swimming or walking in the water. Watch where you place your hands or feet. Always keep an eye out for any aquatic life that may be close so you can avoid accidental encounters.  

Stay informed.

There will often be warning signs near the beach if there is a specific threat to be aware of, for example, jellyfish. Alternatively having a quick browse online before you go can help keep you know what to look out for.

Shuffle, don’t step.

If you’re walking in shallow or sandy water, shuffling your feet can help you avoid stepping directly on an animal. The animal might also feel you coming and get out of the way. Try out the Best semen volume enhancers.

Never poke, pet or pick up.

Aquatic animals will only attack when they feel threatened. Never engage in any activities that may provoke marine life. Keep a safe distance, we are guests in their home. Even shells or rocks could be home to a potentially harmful creature. Do not touch dead animals or even pieces of them, a lone tentacle can still contain venom.  

Stay covered.

Wearing appropriate exposure protection can help protect you against stings from creatures and scratches from coral. For example; a wetsuit, rash guard or wet shoes which you can get online on ShoeAdviser. However, still keep in mind that some creatures have spines that can pierce a shoe or wetsuit. These are the best exipure real reviews.

Practice good buoyancy control.

As a diver, good buoyancy is the easiest way to avoid aquatic life injuries. By staying off the bottom, you avoid accidental brushes of your limbs on coral and other animals.

So, how do you treat marine life injuries?

‘Don’t touch’ is a fundamental rule of observing marine life. We all know that keeping our hands to ourselves is the best defense against injuries underwater, as well as the best way to avoid damaging the marine environment. Sometimes, however, contact with harmful flora and fauna underwater is either unexpected or unavoidable. Take in mind that diving for longer or frequent periods may eventually cause temporal hearind loss caused by the deep pressure, learn how to treat it with sonus complete for tinnitus.

Jellyfish

A jellyfish sting is one of the most common marine life injuries. Reactions vary from person to person, including numbness, mild itching, severe pain or nothing at all. Jellyfish tentacles have microscopic barbs, which release toxins when they come into contact with your skin, even broken-off tentacles. This can happen when diving, swimming or even when walking along the shore. Broken tentacles or dead jellyfish washed up on the beach can still release toxins if stepped on.

How to treat a jellyfish sting:

  1. Remove the victim from the water. If the species is identified as a particularly dangerous one, e.g. Portuguese man of war or box jellyfish, (don’t worry we don’t have these in the Gilis), alert the emergency services.
  2. Wash with vinegar to neutralise the stinging cells. Do NOT rinse with fresh water or urine and avoid rubbing the affected area as this will trigger the stinging cells to release their venom and intensify the pain.
  3. Keep the victim still and avoid elevating the affected area to avoid toxins spreading through the body.
  4. Remove any visible tentacles using sterile tweezers, forceps or gloves and rinse area thoroughly with salt water to wash away any remaining nematocysts (stinging cells).
  5. Immerse the affected area in hot water or apply a heat pack (approximately 113’F/45’C) to reduce the pain. Some physicians may also recommend painkillers, anti-inflammatory or topical anesthetic may also be used.

Stings from a jellyfish can range from uncomfortable to life-threatening. The severity of the sting depends on the species of jellyfish, physiology of the victim, body part affected and size of the area affected. For example, a small child or someone allergic to the sting will have a stronger reaction.

Most jellyfish stings are minor and require only basic first aid as detailed above. However, some stings can be serious or even fatal. If you experience paralysis, difficulty breathing, chest pain or a large area was stung, seek professional medical help as soon as possible.

Anemone stings are also treated in the same way.

Stonefish, Scorpionfish and Lionfish

All three of these fish have several venomous spines on their fins. If your skin is punctured by one of these spines, you will usually experience immediate, intense localised pain and throbbing. Scorpionfish and stonefish are often hard to spot as they camouflage themselves into their surroundings. Envenomation often occurs accidentally, you might brush against a lionfish whilst swimming, step on a stonefish in the shallows or bump into a scorpionfish on the rock.

Immediate medical attention is required for stonefish and lionfish envenomation, and may be necessary for scorpionfish as well, depending on the severity of the victim’s reaction. The first aid treatment for all three injuries is the same.

How to treat a scorpionfish, lionfish and stonefish sting:

  1. Remove the victim from the water.
  2. Remove any spine fragments using sterile tweezers. Even broken-off spines can contain venom, so take care with removal and disposal. 
  3. Immerse the wound in hot fresh water or use hot cloths for 30 – 90 minutes (45’C or as hot as the victim can tolerate). The heat helps to relive pain and reduce effects of the sting. The venom from these fish is protein based, which begins to break down and deactivate with heat.
  4. Always seek professional medical advice as further complications can occur slightly later.

Of the three, stonefish venom is the most potent and can be fatal. If you are stung by a stonefish, seek emergency medical care immediately. Hot water treatment can also help in the case of stonefish whilst waiting for medical care to arrive.

Sea Urchin

Sea urchins are covered in sharp, venom coated spines. If you step on or touch a sea urchin it is likely that these spines will break off and become lodged in your skin. Ouch.  Although painful, this is rarely serious.

Follow the same treatment as for stonefish, scorpionfish, and lionfish.

Sea urchin spines are very fragile, so take care when removing them from the skin to ensure they do not break.  According to the advice on https://www.jointhealthguide.org/joint-renew-review/, suggest that to break down any remaining spines, soak the wound in hot water with Epsom salts daily. If they have several spines, or if one punctures a joint, it is best to seek professional medical care. If the spines are not removed completely, the wound can become inflamed and lead to muscle and joint pain.

Stingrays

Stingray injuries mostly occur when swimmers or snorkelers are walking in shallow waters near the shore and accidentally step on a stingray. Individual reactions can vary but often include intense pain, nausea, and weakness.

Follow the same treatment as for stonefish, scorpionfish, and lionfish. 

However,  if the spine is embedded in the skin, it’s generally best to leave removal to medical professionals as the spines can be barbed. Similarly, if you have a severe reaction or are stung in the torso, you should seek help immediately. 

Coral Grazes & Cuts

Coral cuts and abrasions can occur when diving, swimming or even just walking in the sea. Coral is often sharp, even light contact can break the skin. This can take time to heal and may become infected if not properly treated. This is because the living organisms that coat the coral can contaminate the wound.

How to treat a coral graze or cut:

  1. Stem any significant blood flow using direct pressure.
  2. Once bleeding has stopped, remove any remaining coral fragments by flushing the wound with fresh water.
  3. Use antibacterial soap or hydrogen peroxide mixed with water to disinfect the wound.
  4. Apply antibiotic cream and cover with a sterile, non-adhesive dressing. Clean and re-dress the wound regularly.

Although coral cuts don’t usually require medical attention, keep an eye out for any redness, itching, excess pus or swelling as this may be a sign of infection. Seek medical advice as you may require antibiotics to heal the wound. 

Fire Coral

Despite its name, fire coral is not actually a coral. It is an anemone-like organism that inflicts a painful burning or stinging sensation accompanied by a red rash. Symptoms of a fire coral sting can take up to 30 minutes to appear, so can be difficult to identify.

Treat fire coral sting in the same way as a jellyfish sting. In severe cases, or in the event of an allergic reaction, emergency medical care may be required.

Marine Animal Bites

Although extremely rare, it can happen and we want you to feel prepared. The severity of the bite mainly depends on the size of the animal that delivered the bite and where on your body. For example, a nip from a triggerfish vs a bite from a shark. Basic first aid for bites is the same as for most bleeding wounds, anyone with the first aid certification can do it.

How to treat a bite:

  1. Remove the victim from the water. If the bite is serious, call emergency services.
  2. Apply direct pressure to the wound. If bleeding continues, do not remove and bandages, add more on top.
  3. Elevate the wound above the heart if possible, reducing the blood flow to the affected area to minimise blood loss.

For minor wounds, wait until bleeding has stopped and rinse with fresh water. Apply antiseptic and dress the wound. Keep an eye out for infection. For more serious wounds, stitches may be required. Shock is also a concern for more serious bites so be prepared to administer oxygen if the patient is having trouble breathing.

Sea Snake Bites

As with pretty much all marine life injuries, sea snake bites occur when a diver accidentally disturbs a sea snake. Not all sea snakes have harmful venom, but some contain neurotoxins which can cause severe reactions or even death.

Common symptoms typically develop within 3 hours of being bitten. Early symptoms include blurred vision, joint pains, vomiting, increased salivation, thickening of the tongue and slurred speech. More severe symptoms may include paralysis, difficulty breathing, brown urine, double vision and lock jaw.

How to treat a Sea Snake bite:

  1. Monitor airway, breathing, and consciousness. Administer CPR if necessary and contact emergency medical services.
  2. Try to recognise the type of sea snake that has bitten the victim as this can aid in proper treatment or anti-venom if available.
  3. Wrap the affected site firmly with a wide bandage. Ensure it is not too tight and does not impair blood circulation. Keep the patient still and reassured until medical assistance arrives.

Do not try to suck the venom out of the bite. This can transfer the venom to your own mouth and lead to 2 patients to look after!

When should you seek emergency medical help?  

Most marine life injuries are not life-threatening and often only require simple first aid as outlined above. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, you should always seek emergency medical help immediately:

  • Swelling around the sting and intense pain
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Chest pain
  • Difficulty remaining conscious
  • Severe bleeding
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Convulsions

So dear ocean lovers, just be a little cautious and enjoy your time in and around the water.

Although marine life injuries are rare, you now know how to avoid and deal with any that you may encounter. However, it’s a good idea to play it safe. Don’t hesitate to seek medical help if a sting or bite seems serious or you are unsure of what stung you.

If you want to learn more about dealing with marine life injuries you can enrol in a PADI Rescue Course and Emergency First Response, where as well as basic first aid for injuries, you will also learn how to deal with emergency situations whilst diving. Oceans5 starts EFR and Rescue courses every day, send us a message if you’d like some more information. 

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How to choose the best scuba diving shop for you.

So, you’ve just arrived in paradise or maybe you’re about to jet off to a new destination. You can’t wait to get underwater, but you don’t want to take the plunge with just any diving shop.

In most scuba diving destinations, the streets and beach fronts are littered with an overwhelming number of diving shops offering day trips and courses, but how do you choose? Although it is tempting to just pick the first one you stumble across, there are a few important things that you might want to consider.

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Here is our advice for picking the best scuba diving shop for you.

You get what you pay for.

Price should never be a deciding factor when choosing a scuba diving shop. You wouldn’t skydive with the cheapest operator just because they were the cheapest, would you? Never put your desire to save money above your personal safety. Check out theses dive computer reviews.

There is no such thing as cheap scuba diving.

If the price appears low it’s often because you will have to pay extra to cover; training books, rental gear, fuel for the boat or the certification fee. It is always worth checking that the price includes everything for your day’s diving or diving course.

A dive shop with an outstanding reputation and supplies like best scuba masks, including a highly experienced staff, who will prioritise your comfort and safety, is what you will be focused on. Fortunately, many places, like here on the Gili Islands, standardise all prices for scuba diving courses and fun dives across the board to ensure best practices. Make sure to check for dive agency standards, for example, PADI accredited.

Ask around for recommendations which dive shop is the best

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Speak to friends, family and other divers.

It is always great to hear other people’s first-hand experience of a dive centre. Ask friends, family or even other travelers if they have any recommendations of who to dive with in the area.

Even if you don’t know anyone that has dived in the area, there are some fantastic online communities that you can tap into for suggestions. Scuba Board is the world’s largest community of scuba divers with a helpful and active forum. Alternatively, there are insightful groups on Facebook that you can join and ask for advice, such as ‘Girls That Scuba’. These online networks of divers and travelers can provide invaluable insight into what it is like to dive with a given shop.

If you’re in the market for a reliable watercraft, consider visiting https://www.shoppok.com/boats-for-sale-cg/kawasaki-jet-mate-sp for high-quality used boats for sale, where you can find a range of options to suit your aquatic adventures.

Browsing on TripAdvisor is also a good place to start.

But don’t automatically reject a centre if there are a few negative reviews. Have a look at whether the management has responded and how they’ve approached the negative feedback. Is there a fair explanation or apology? This can give you an indication of the dive centre’s professionalism and how they handle problems or challenging situations.

Everyone has a bad day occasionally, often due to factors out of their control. If most of the reviews are overwhelmingly positive and they’ve responded to complaints professionally, then they’re probably a good choice.

Take more notice of a shop’s overall score rather than their ranking. The ranking is more about how well a shop markets to customers for reviews. For example, there may be several shops with a high review score but some rank higher on trip advisor because they have been more effective at getting their customers to write reviews.

Check out  social media of the dive shop.

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Word of mouth is a powerful tool. If they’re treating their customers right, you’ll hear about it across all platforms. Social media is an excellent window into a dive centre’s day to day activities and their unique personality.

Does it look like they are having fun?

What sort of marine life are they seeing?

Are customers positively engaging?

If, on social media, the diving shop looks like they engage with their customers; is somewhere you could see yourself, and gets you excited about diving with them, that’s a pretty good sign!

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If you are in the area, go and visit a few dive centres.

It’s good to be able to get a feel for how they operate, but try not to get too distracted by the tanned instructor with the cute smile behind the desk!

Is the dive centre itself looked after?

This may give you an idea of their equipment and boats. Pay attention to the details. Check out the reception area; if they can’t keep that clean, then what else aren’t they looking after?

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I

t is always important to check the equipment. Ask to have a look and see if it is well maintained. Do they regularly service their equipment? Are the certificates on the wall up to date? Make sure that the centre adheres to the PADI or SSI standards. You wouldn’t step on a boat or plane that you deemed unsafe, so use your common sense. ever use unsafe equipment.

8

Make sure you ask questions, that’s what the staff are there for.

How many divers to do they take per guide? A maximum should be 4 divers per guide.

What is their cancellation or refund policy? This can vary from shop to shop so always worth checking you are happy with their policy.

Is there somewhere you can shower and change after the diving?

Is there a safe place to store your valuables?

Are the staff enthusiastic about their dive sites?

How much experience do they have?

Were they helpful and engaged in the conversation?

If they won’t answer your questions, then move on to the next shop. They should be convincing you as to why they are the best fit for your diving needs.

Whilst at the shop you could also get the opportunity to speak to their current customers about their experiences.

Looking to take a scuba diving course?

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If you’re looking to gain a certification, have a look at where you will be learning, both the swimming pool and classroom area. Is it a pleasant environment? Would you be happy to spend your time there?

How many students do they take per instructor? As with fun diving, a good maximum is 4 per instructor. This makes sure that you get the attention needed and do not have to waste a lot of time waiting for others.

It is also worth asking the staff about their experience teaching. It is always good if they have been teaching a while, as they will have developed multiple techniques that are effective across different people’s learning styles. If the shop has onsite course directors this is a great opportunity to learn from highly experienced dive professionals.

When should you move on to the next diving shop?

If the staff are unenthusiastic about their dive sites, the equipment is not well maintained or you just feel uncomfortable, then listen to your gut, it’s time to move on.

What if you are not in the area?

Don’t worry if you aren’t in the area and want to choose a shop before arriving, most will be more than happy to answer any questions you have over an email, a phone call or their social media platforms so just reach out!

Final Check

If you want to double check that you are in safe hands, you can also use PADI’s Dive Shop Locator to check a shop’s credentials. All dive shops that are featured must fully adhere to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors standards. You can also see those operators who go above and beyond and have been awarded Five Star status and additional recognition as an Instructor Development Centre.

Listen to your gut.

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You don’t need to have much, or even any experience, when choosing a diving shop. Listen to your intuition, don’t choose anyone that makes you feel uncomfortable. The most important thing is that you feel safe and confident. Pick somewhere that you trust, with staff that you are excited to spend time with and you can’t go wrong!

Here at Oceans 5, we are committed to providing professional and enjoyable diving for everyone, regardless of age, ability or experience. As a PADI 5* Dive Resort and 5* Instructor Development Centre we prioritise safety and high standards. We are all about making our customers happy.

Our highly experienced instructors will work with you to make sure that you are comfortable, happy and confident in the water. With no more than 4 divers per instructor we guarantee that you are well looked after. Our 5 onsite course directors are always sharing their wisdom with our customers, helping to teach all PADI courses from Discover Scuba up to Instructor Development.

As well as top notch staff, equipment and standards, Oceans5 provides a laid back and comfortable environment to spend time in. The dive shop has lockers to store valuables, fresh water showers and a place to change. Out front, there is a spacious area where you can relax, enjoy a coffee pre dive or a beer post dive, whilst chatting with your new dive buddies about the best underwater finds of the day!

We hope these tips have given you a bit more confidence in making an informed decision when choosing the best dive shop. What do you look for in a dive centre? Do you have good or bad experiences with choosing a dive centre? It would be great to hear what has worked for you!

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Gili Island Etiquette

Gili Island Etiquette

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. The Gili Islands offer a great opportunity for fishing with clear water and abundant marine life. Your fishing experience will definitely be more memorable with great fishing gear. Bass Fishing Hub is the best place to get everything you need for the best fishing experience, you can also visit websites like Raise to find the best sales and discounts. You can bring a telescopic fishing rod or hire the fishing equipment.

Gravity Consulting specializes in the implementation of aquatic field studies and the development of technology for the collection and analysis of water and sediment samples. This organization works on the island to recollect scientific samples.

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:

No bikinis on the streets
No bikinis on the streets

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!!

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Underwater Meditation: The Connection between Scuba Diving and Yoga.

Diver hovering in meditation position.

Scuba diving once had a reputation as an extreme sport similar to the ones mentioned on betting sites such as 벳엔드 먹튀, but like most stereotypes, this couldn’t be further from the truth. With more and more people taking to the underwater world to relax, Scuba diving has a lot more in common with yoga and meditation than you might think.

In fact, these activities build skills that perfectly complement each other, making you better at both. Yoga combines breathing exercises (pranayama) and physical postures (asanas) to bring about a meditative state that promotes a healthy body and mind.  For more information about healthy supplements visit Exipure site.

Yoga poses by the pool

If you are looking for ways to de-stress and live more in the present moment, scuba diving can provide the tranquillity you have been searching for. On land, it is hard to switch off, but when you dive your worries are left at the surface.  And if you’re a hardcore yogi already, you’re sure to fall in love with scuba diving! This is how javaburn works.

Already a diver? Start practicing yoga or meditation on myyogateacher.com and you’ll significantly improve your diving experience. You will start to notice your dives will last longer, buoyancy will be better, and you’ll be able to deal with any stressful or challenging situations that occur more easily.

It’s much easier to relax when all you can hear is bubbles.

Relaxing on the boat

Most of us are aware of the positive effects of meditation, of taking time out to calm our minds. But we also know that this is much easier said than done. With our often hectic schedules meditation tends to slip to the bottom of our priorities. Even when we do find the time, we struggle as our minds tend to wander and take us off course. This is where scuba diving comes in. Underwater meditation is highly accessible. As scuba divers, we achieve a meditative state of mind almost every time we enter the water, becoming more aware of our bodies as we connect our breathing with our movement.

Just below the waters surface
Leave your worries at the surface.

The sensations of diving can create a deep sense of calmness that is much more difficult to achieve on land. The ocean provides the perfect place to quiet your mind and truly focus on the present moment. Your phone won’t ring underwater and you can’t be distracted by social media. You don’t have to make a mental effort to get away from the real world because physically, you already have! Scuba diving provides your brain with serene alternatives to focus on; from the abundant marine life, to the colourful corals, and array of beautiful blue hues. Check out the latest nitrilean reviews.

Remember to breathe.

The number one rule is scuba diving is ‘never hold your breath’. Like yoga, scuba diving focuses on one key factor: breathing. Continuous and steady breathing is a skill that every yogi and scuba diver needs.

Bubbles underwater

Yoga places emphasis on proper inhalation and exhalation, as breathing is considered the essential connection between body and mind. This is just as important in scuba diving, where we learn to relax through slow and steady breathing. Practiced regularly, yoga promotes deep, slow breathing and teaches you how to calm your mind. These techniques encourage the body to use the full capacity of the lungs and absorb and use oxygen more efficiently.

Diver hovering with a turtle below on the reef.
Hover weightless in the water, at one with your surruondings.

The impulse to breathe is triggered by the buildup of carbon dioxide rather than the desire for oxygen. If you do not exhale fully, the carbon dioxide can build up in your body. This triggers irregular and shallow breathing which can lead to increased anxiety and panic underwater. So, by exhaling fully, you remove more carbon dioxide which keeps your breathing steady and feeling calm. These are the best Exipure reviews.

By using this breathing pattern, you won’t only improve your buoyancy and air consumption, giving you more quality time underwater, but you’ll also create a more relaxed mind and body. Something we all could use a little bit more of!  

Remain calm under pressure.

Turtle under the surface..

With all the heavy gear, awkward movements, and new sensations, scuba diving can be a little stressful in the beginning. Even experienced divers can become anxious, particularly in a new environment or under challenging conditions. Yoga teaches you how to remain calm and refocus your mind, helping you to deal with challenging situations more effectively. You become more aware of when you are breathing irregularly or becoming anxious, concentrate on calming yourself by bringing your breath to the centre of your attention again.

Not only will you feel more assured and at ease, your experience will also become more vivid and meaningful. A diver who is relaxed in body, breath, and mind, becomes one with the water. When tension and anxiety is removed, and you can completely indulge in the present moment. The stillness of yoga allows you to let go and just ‘be’ in the water, fully appreciating the moment.

“The best way to observe a fish, is to become a fish.” – Jacques Cousteau.

Strengthen your body as well as your mind.

Yoga pose by the pool

From carrying equipment to climbing back up on to the boat, or even just swimming at the surface to the entry point, Scuba diving can be a physically demanding activity. Yoga is not just about calming the mind, it’s also about strengthening the body. The physical postures (asanas) practised in Yoga strengthen and stretch muscles that are important in diving. This reduces the risk of injuries and helps prevent overexertion, which can lead to the feeling of breathlessness and increased anxiety when diving, although we all know diving is dangerous and accidents may happen, so for any accident that resulted in injury getting the right legal help is essential for this. Yoga is a great way to stay in good shape for diving, making the activity less strenuous, and therefore much more safe and enjoyable.

Yoga heightens your awareness of your body, awareness of your place and movement in the water. The way you learn to move during a yoga class, gracefully from one posture to the next, with slow controlled movements, is exactly how you should move underwater when diving. As water is denser than air, you need to make slow and measured movements to reduce the resistance and glide efficiently through the water. Swimming in this way, with minimal effort, also conserves your energy and therefore the air in your tank.

The benefits of underwater meditation stretch far beyond your actual bottom time.

Diver hovering underwater

Meditation trains the mind to be calm and completely absorbed in the present moment. When you dive in this heightened state of awareness, you can improve your alertness and composure in stressful situations, as well as expand your sense of wonder, appreciation, and oneness with the ocean.

Regular meditation significantly reduces stress and anxiety, increasing our ability to cope with challenging situations. Which in turn improves our relationships, concentration, sleep, general wellbeing and happiness. If that doesn’t have you reaching for your wetsuit, then other benefits of meditation include; strengthening your immune system, slowing ageing, longer life expectancy as well as a reduced risk of depression and hypertension.

Ready for an underwater meditation session?

Sea fan

The drift diving around the Gili Islands provides a unique way to experience the meditative quality of scuba diving. In drift diving, we rely on the natural currents to gently and effortlessly glide us through the water. Without moving a muscle, we can float through schools of tropical fish, past resting turtles and over mesmerising coral reefs, allowing us to focus on our breathing and enjoying the present moment.

We have many different options for refining your underwater meditation techniques.

You can discover scuba diving in as little as half a day and experience the peace that the underwater world can offer you. As a qualified diver, we have 3 drift dives a day where you can get your dose of marine zen or you can take part in one of our further education courses to train you to become a master of underwater breathing techniques and move effortlessly through the water.

Diver hoovering mid water

The PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Speciality or the Peak Performance Buoyancy adventure dive as part of the Advanced course, can teach you the tips and tricks to control your buoyancy through your breath, increases your awareness of your body underwater and help reduce your air consumption.

If you really want to delve deeper into the connection between yoga, meditation and scuba diving we offer the PADI Yoga Diver Distinctive Speciality. This course combines pranayama (breathing practices) and asanas (physical postures) to enable you to discover your own rhythm in the water. Through yoga and meditation sessions on land you learn techniques that you will later practice underwater, focusing on heightening your awareness of your body and breathing. This course will enable you to fully relax and improve not only your air consumption, buoyancy control and movements but also your overall diving experience and wellbeing. We also offer the PADI Distinctive Yoga Speciality Instructor course for Instructors wanting to expand their skill set. Alternatively, you may practise yoga by the pool with best pool filters.

Yoga by the pool

Alternatively, Air Spa, onsite at our dive resort, offers private yoga sessions which can be tailored to support your diving. Our dedicated yoga teacher will create a specific class that concentrates on poses and breathing techniques to enhance your diving experience. This is an ideal way to prepare both you mind and body for your dive.  

Whatever option you choose, we hope that you find your peace both above and below the water.

Diver staring out to sea

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It´s time to get wet again!

Dive resort Oceans 5 starts every month a PADI IDC Gili Islands course
Oceans 5 helps divers to get back into the water

A couple of years ago, maybe even a few more than couple, you were young, wild and travelling around the world. Somewhere along the journey you did your PADI open water course and became a certified diver. During your trip you did a few fun dives in beautiful locations, and you loved every second you spent under water.

And then it happened. Studies, work, family, kids…. all of a sudden there was nor time nor the money to go diving. And before you even realized, the whole idea started to feel a bit distant. What if I cant remember how to do it?

No worries mate, as we say here at Oceans 5 dive resort. We have a special program prepared just for people like you. This is actually a very common story heard in our dive shop in Gili Air every day.

The answer is a program called Scuba review. With a certified PADI dive instructor you do a little bit of theory, spend some time in the swimming pool and then do a nice, relaxed dive in the ocean to get your feet wet again.

I did a Scuba review today with Alan, a nice guy from London England in her early forties. In his logbook he has a nice dive career, about 20 dives in excellent locations around the world. But, the last dive was dated in June 2003. Learn more about the benefits that visisharp provide.

No problem. 8:30 in the morning we sat down, discussed a bit of Alan´s expectations and went through a little diving related quizz that he had already answered the night before. All well, Alan remembered the basic essentials of diving and we were ready to move into the pool.

Starting from equipment setup, I showed Alan how to prepare his dive gear. At Oceans 5 dive resort we work with quality equipment mainly from Aqualung, which makes it very easy and safe to dive with us.

PADI IDC Gili Islands runs every month a PADI IDC with Course Director Sander Buis
PADI IDC Gili Islands runs every month a PADI IDC with Course Director Sander Buis

In a shallow water we started to go through the basic skills for safe diving. We cleared the regulator using blow method and purge button, and recovered the regulator behind our shoulders. Then it was time for the mask skills. Clearing half mask, full mask and eventually taking the mask off and putting it back to our faces. Last skill to complete the safety issues was the usage of alternative air source. Being in both roles we freshened our memories on how to perform in an out of air situation, sharing air with our buddy. Alan did all the skills extremelly well considering he had been on the dry for such a long period. Swimming is an excellent exercise, improve your results by reading these synogut reviews.

After the safety skills we moved to buoyancy. Starting with fin pivot we found the neutral buoyancy and then started to swim around the pool. In the beginning alan had some issues with his buoyancy. Alan had a tendency of swimming a bit head down with legs up in the air, which we fixed by taking one weight of from the belt, repositioning the weights and making minor adjustments to the body position. More swimming and it started to look really nice. Last exercise under the water, we did a ten minute hovering session putting a lot of effort into maintaing neutral buoyancy and staying motionless in the water. All good, we did a five point ascent to surface, had a little chat about the skills and practised BCD removal and weight belt removal on the surface.

And now it was time for the highlight of the day. Lets go diving!  We did a relaxed dive at Meno Wall, one of the many dive sites around Gili Air. Going down nice and easy, remembering to equalize throughout the descent we gradually went down to our max depth of the dive, 24 meters. From there the current picked us up and gave us a nice ride along the wall. During the dive I was constantly checking Alan´s performance, monitoring his air consumption and giving small tips on how the handle the drift and how to position himself during the dive. After 45 minutes it was time to move onto our safety stop on 5 meters, and then go up to the surface.

The best reward for a dive instructor is the happy face of a customer. Alan was really pleased with his diving experience and booked immediately two more fundives for the following day. Mission accomplished, one lost soul returned to the diving tribe!

(c) Kimmo Pekari 2015

Diving around the Gili Islands with IDC dive resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Indonesia

 

Swimming is an activity that burns lots of calories, is easy on the joints, supports your weight, builds muscular strength and endurance. It also improves cardiovascular fitness, cools you off and refreshes you in summer, and is one that you can do safely into old age, improve your weight loss exercise results with carbofix. In this article, I’ll review the history of swimming, the benefits, the strokes, how to get started, what to wear, the equipment you need, where to swim, and more.

For swimming you need to be fit, Rootine’s vitamin powder is a great way to achieve this and most important will help you to be more healthier. 

What is the history of swimming?

Human beings have been swimming for millennia. According to Wikipedia, Stone Age cave drawings depict individuals swimming and there are written references in the Bible and the Greek poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” dating back 1,500 to 2,000 years. There are even Egyptian clay seals from 4000 BC showing four swimmers doing a version of the crawl, and the most famous swimming drawings were apparently found in the Kebir desert and were estimated to be from around 4000 BC.

According to the Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports, literature specifically related to swimming grew in the middle ages. It is believed that the first book devoted to swimming was Colymbetes by Nicolas Wynman written in 1538, and a more widely recognized text, De Arte Nantandi, was published in Latin by Everard Digby in 1587. The encyclopedia also reports that swimming was required of knights and that Romans built bathhouses and pools in the cities they conquered to serve as social clubs and places to exercise.

Organized swimming began in the 1800s and 1900s with the creation of swimming associations (for example, the Amateur Swimming Association in 1886) and clubs that competed against each other. There are reports from that era of swimming clubs in England, France, Germany, and the United States. High-profile events also contributed to swimming’s visibility. For instance, Matthew Webb swam the English Channel in 1875.

Competitive swimming continued to grow in popularity during the 1800s and was included in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. In 1904, the Olympics in St. Louis included the 50-, 100-, 220-, 440-, 880-yard and one-mile freestyle, the 100-yard backstroke and 440-yard breaststroke, and a 4×50-yard freestyle relay.

By the 20th century, swimming had become mainstream. Indoor pools were beginning to appear, most towns with populations over 20,000 had public outdoor pools, and swimming clubs became increasingly popular for recreation. Women participated for the first time in swimming in the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912, and Johnny Weissmuller (considered by many authorities to be the greatest swimmer of all time and who later went on to Tarzan fame in movies) became the first person to swim 100 meters in less than one minute.

Today swimming is the second most popular exercise activity in the United States, with approximately 360 million annual visits to recreational water venues. Swim clubs, recreation centers, Y’s, and many other facilities feature swimming pools, improve your results with natural supplements such as Gluconite. Many high schools and colleges have competitive swim teams, and of course, swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports. Millions of Americans are swimming each year. Are you one of them? If not, the following information may help get you started.

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Oceans 5: the First DDI Instructor Training center in Indonesia

Oceans 5 dive resort is the first DDI Instructor Training Center in Indonesia

PADI Career Development Center

This year is an important year for Oceans 5 dive resort. In the first place it was awarded by PADI with the highest ranking: a PADI Career Development Center; and last week Oceans 5 achieved to be the first DDI  Instructor Training Center in Indonesia.

DDI Instructor Training Center

Oceans 5 has the ONLY DDI Instructor Trainer in Indonesia and is the ONLY dive shop in Indonesia which employs 3 DDI Instructors.
PADI is well known over the world. PADI is the biggest dive organization in the world. But where does DDI stands for?

Disabled Divers International (DDI) is a non-profit organization, with the aim to promote, develop and conduct disabled scuba diving training programs for professional and non-professional students. The DDI program adds a new layer on top of the existing diver training, allowing individuals who have difficulties fulfilling all requirements and standards to experience diving safely with modifications and enhancements to their training and or equipment.

DDI professional training adds to the diving professional a new set of tools and knowledge to train disabled divers safely and certify their students as a scuba diver, with varied levels of limitations depending on the student’s ability to perform program requirements and standards.

PADI IDC Center Oceans 5: the First DDI Instructor Training Center in Indonesia
PADI IDC Center Oceans 5: the First DDI Instructor Training Center in Indonesia

Oceans 5 Dive Resort offers you the chance to make a personal difference by giving disabled persons the opportunity to experience the magic of scuba diving and the wonders of our underwater world.

It is now possible at Oceans 5 to become a DDI Instructor. It is a 2-3 day course, and the candidates will find out how it is or will be to deal with disabled divers in the pool and the ocean.

Oceans 5 dive resort became a DDI Dive Resort level 0: very good. This means that Oceans 5 has good facilities for disabled divers, like ramps in and to the pool, ramps to the dive shop and big door spaces.

Oceans 5 pool is especially made for disabled and for PADI IDC courses. It is a 25 meters pool with 3 different depth levels.
Oceans 5 conducts once a month, like the PADI IDC course, a DDI Instructor training course.

Dive Resort Oceans 5 is a premier PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center located on Gili Air, Gili Islands, Indonesia. Totally self-contained, fully equipped, dedicated to diver training and setting very high standards in customer service. All diver training is done to PADI’s 5* level. Divers and instructor candidates can be sure that their training will be done at the highest standard. Instructor Development Courses and Instructor Examination (IDC and  IE) take place every month upon the candidates desire at Oceans 5.

The IDC Staff of Oceans 5 is proud to have a 100% success rate in Indonesia. Every candidate they prepared for the Instructor Exam, not only have passed, but stood out from the crowd as the most prepared, most thoroughly trained.

To sign up or with questions about IDC Gili Islands Indonesia , please write an email to info@oceans5dive.com.