Hi there – my name is John and I just reached the halfway mark of my PADI Divemaster Internship in Nusa Lembongan with Two Fish Divers, at a blink of an eye I have been doing it for three weeks now; two weeks in Amed and one week on Nusa Lembongan. The transition between Amed and Lembongan was definitely quite huge due to the volume of guests in Lembongan and the busy high season schedule. Every morning we would help load up the boat or boats, loading up the tanks and equipment mostly at 6.30 in the morning and by the time we are done then only would we get to enjoy our (well deserved) breakfast. Later we unload the boats right after we arrive back on the island so it’s fair to say that all of us would be going through two gym sessions every day before we have our breakfast and lunch!
Although it has been physically tiring, the thought of being able to dive with Molas (still waiting to spot my first Mola), Manta Rays and the possibility of other pelagics like Threshers, Hammerheads or maybe another Great White Shark, if it comes back to Crystal Bay again, makes it worth so much more.
I had my second experience of helping out Tom – one of the Dive Instructors at Two Fish Divers Lembongan in another Rescue Diver Course on my second day in Lembongan. Did my first in Amed helping out Mellissa for the next DMT Frederick and did another full day of simulating a panic diver/tired diver and unconscious diver for a guest in Lembongan. I think I can nominate myself for some professional panic diver acting lessons soon at the current rate of helping out on Rescue courses such is the fun involved in a Divemaster Internship in Nusa Lembongan!
I had also done some amazing dives during this week in Lembongan. Did a deep diver specialty with Valerii (Dive Instructor )where we saw some pretty cool fishes in the dives. Saw a couple of huge Barracudas along the northern dive sites Nusa Penida and finally dived with my favourite Manta Rays again at Manta Point. Very cool experience where we were just really patiently waiting at the Manta cleaning stations and the Mantas just decided to swim really close to us while we were busy filming them. I also had quite an experience when we did a deep dive at Crystal Bay and while hunting for Molas we also dive across the channel between the left and right side of Crystal Bay. We went as deep as 37m on that dive and it was a fantastic experience swimming out into the blue and at some point not having any reference as the reef fades away and you are only heading out into the blue only to finally see the opposite reef after some time.
John is hoping to see mola during his PADI Divemaster Internship in Nusa Lembongan
During my Divemaster Internship in Nusa Lembongan, I also managed to learn a very important skill for any Divemaster or Dive Instructor which was to check on the current direction and strength before the dives. I would have to thank Valerii for teaching this skill where we would observe how some fish swim as they tend to face the currents to find food and based on their fins and direction we would be able to estimate the current in that dive site. I also learned that on the same dive site there would be completely opposite going current in the shallower area than the deep end. I had a personal experience where I was assigned the task of checking the current and I reported that the current was heading right but once we dove deeper to more than 15m the current went in completely the opposite direction. It was a good learning experience to always check on both the shallow end and the deep end of the dive site and I find this skill very valuable for my diving career.
Finally due to the PADI IDC (Instructor Development Course) being held concurrently during my internship here Lembongan, I was allowed to join on one of their dives where we would simulate as “problem students” and the IDC candidates would be given certain skills to instruct and not only would they need to catch the mistake we are making but also correct us on the proper way of doing the skills. We only performed “mistakes” that were assigned to us by the course director – Uning and it was important for me as well to only perform that particular mistake on nothing else as most of the skills will be similar to the skill circuit which I will need to complete before I can be certified as a Divemaster. It was a really great preview for me as I have also signed up for the IDC next month because I want to become a PADI Instructor!
So although it has only been a week of my PADI Divemaster Internship in Nusa Lembongan, it was definitely an action packed week with lots of learning experiences, great dives and I am definitely looking forward to what’s in store for me for the next three weeks.
Do you want to dive with manta rays and mola? Have you heard about Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida’s incredible dive sites? For more information about diving and staying with us or taking a PADI dive course, PADI Divemaster Internship in Nusa Lembongan or Instructor Development Course in Bali, fill in the form below and we will get right back to you!
Blog written by: John – Divemaster Trainee
