PADI IDC Dive Resort Oceans 5 Gili Air Blog Posts
Scuba Diving Adventures Dive Education Excellence For certified divers, the choices are abundant at Oceans 5. Whether you seek to enhance your dive skills by advancing to the next certification level or simply crave the thrill of exploration, Oceans 5 has something for everyone. With …
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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 …
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 …
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.
Here is our advice for picking the best scuba diving shop for you.
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.
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.
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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.
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!
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!
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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!