Before I visited Bali, I’d heard mixed reviews. On the one hand, it has an incredible variety of attractions and exciting activities, and you’re never short of things to do. On the other, it appears to be for Australians what Magaluf is for Brits…a mecca for excessive drinking, all-night partying and disrespectful behaviour. The secret to enjoying … [Read more...]
Crazy Occurrences in the Small Town of Labuan Bajo
Recently I completed my divemaster training at Blue Marlin Komodo. For the most part it was a fantastic experience, and I have no regrets, but I couldn't help noticing that, for a small town, the hotspot of Komodo's dive centres - Labuan Bajo - gets more than its fair share of drama. I first heard about Labuan Bajo in a post by a friend of mine - … [Read more...]
PADI Divemaster Training: Week 6 – Stress Test
All together, my PADI divemaster training took just over six weeks. This is usually the recommended minimum amount of time, but if you haven't got any pressing tasks to get on with in life, you should really consider spending longer on it. Extra time at most dive centres does not mean extra cost, so why not gain more experience and get in as much … [Read more...]
PADI Divemaster Course: Week 5 – The Liveaboard
By far one of the biggest selling points of the PADI divemaster course at Blue Marlin Komodo is the inclusion of a liveaboard trip. Liveaboards are notoriously expensive and highly sought after. Because they can moor up out in the channel, you can reach the more distant dive sites before the crowds and slot in a night dive before bed. The … [Read more...]
Trekking With Komodo Dragons
There's plenty to keep travellers intrigued on the Indonesian island of Flores. It's home to some of the world's best diving, as well as the stunning Kelimutu volcano, plenty of waterfalls and caves, interesting rice terrace formations, and the skeletons of a recently discovered ancient human species referred to affectionately as … [Read more...]
PADI Divemaster Training: Week 4 – Halfway Point
The halfway point is probably the most challenging part of the PADI Divemaster course. You feel like you've achieved a lot, but when you check your paperwork it seems there's still so much to do. Part of the reason for this is that things start to slow down in the middle. You're gaining a lot more experience but not necessarily meeting any … [Read more...]
PADI Divemaster Training: Week 3 – Assisting on Courses
By week 3 of the PADI Divemaster course, you're well on your way to understanding your role. You've begun to tick off various in-water skills and you should have a decent amount of experience with a lot of the local dive sites. As you progress, the idea is that you become more involved with those tasks you would be performing on a regular basis … [Read more...]
PADI Divemaster Training: Week 2 – Completing Theory
It's no secret that divemaster training is intense. There's a lot of information to take on board and your instructors know how to keep you busy! The advantage of this is that you spend your time literally immersed in all things diving. You practically live on a boat or at the dive centre and a lot of the information goes in … [Read more...]
What is Trash Hero Komodo?
Labuan Bajo is a small town on the island of Flores in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. It's popular with tourists for two main reasons. First, no trip to the region is complete without a visit to see the dinosaur-like Komodo dragons, which live on the nearby islands of Komodo and Rinca. Secondly, the area is well known for its species-abundant … [Read more...]
PADI Divemaster Training: Week 1 – In at the Deep End
Week 1 of the PADI Divemaster course was a little bit overwhelming. It was not dissimilar to that feeling you get when you start a new job and wonder if you'll ever be able to take everything on board. I realised immediately that the next 8 to 10 weeks would be more intense and time consuming than expected. By the end of the week I was exhausted. … [Read more...]
