How to: Take PADI Open water dive certificate in Bali

Easy!
as easy as booking a trustworthy dive centre and dive school
that could give you the international PADI standard certification.

We've been recommended by a close friend of ours, Erlina, to go for
BALI STINGRAY DIVERS
for our PADI open water certification.

So we did make a booking to the owner and dive instructor of Bali Stingray Divers, Mr. Putu.
A humble, super fun and full of responsibility man.

Kopi susu belon diaduk.

If you don't know, I have a phobia of being in open sea.
Something scary on this little head of shark, giant cuttle fish, or even some random scary thought of anything bad. Am just scared of I don't know what, or maybe just one particular things; sea.

But this lovely Mr. Putu could help me in going down the water and dive along with him without being scared. Although I must say, I am nervous. BIG time nervous on the first day going down the sea.

If you have the same fear with me, I think I should share this with you.
Our fear is worth to conquered. Down below the scary bluish black sea is full of amazing colourful creatures that simply could take your breath away --> in a bloody good way though.

And fear not, if you go for a dive class, you will go through a little baby steps to know more about diving and  slowly learn how to save yourself and other in case of emergency. But seriously, if you check your timing under the water, keep you buddy close with you, and going down with a dive master. You don't have to worry too much. Just enjoy the view.
~*~

With Bali Stingray Divers, I went through half day session of theory and many paper review before finally go for the PADI certification exam on the second day, just right before the pool session training.

The most annoying part for me is counting the nitrogen level in our body. Blah!
The only counting I love is counting money and how many shoes I have. :D
Apart from that, umm..not so much a fan.



The package we took is included everything. The training, the certification, the transport, the food, the equipment and even the pick up from and to hotel. It's really a top notch service we had.

The Pool session is the hardest day to kill for me. We learnt so many under water technique, including taking off the regulator from your mouth, the mask, and even the BCD (the life jacket in instant). Also we have to learn under water sign language, and Arief keep doing the heart shape *sarangheyo* type under water to me when I was so concentrating to breath and get my body control under the water. So he got my middle finger in return. :P

After 2 days of stressful moment in my life, *more stressful than my wedding*,
we finally off to the open water for my very first dive in my life.

~*~

Our very first open water dive started with buddy check, just to make sure our oxygen is working properly and the BCD( the jacket) is fit properly and we are good to go.
BTW, that Oxygen tank is seriously FUCKING heavy. I barely could lift my 15kg luggage up and down the stairs, but I have to carry this to steps into the water. Bloody hell.

Walking down to the Aisle Sea..

The moment we got into the water, we've gotta float and put on our fin.
This is also quiet a hard work. Shit, I never know that diving require quite a physical muscle.

After all set and done, we deflate our BCD and off we down to the underwater world...

Tulamben
Wreck Dive on American Cargo US Liberty from the World War II.
Spotted: Baracuda, Clown fish, Anemon, Garden Eel, Moray Eel, Nude branch , Sweet lips fish, stingray, Orang utan crab and frog fish.

It is super breath taking..

I could stay here..all day long..

Look at this little creature..

Garden Eel

Look at this cute and shy Nudebranch..

And see how small it is in the ocean..btw, Nice to meet you Nudee.

Ghost pipe fish

Another nude branch

We also practise how to take alternative oxygen from our friend just in case we have problem with ours.

Practising in the pool and in the sea is totally 2 different things, as in pool, you know if something goes wrong..u can always flip your fin up to the surface to breath some oxygen. But if it's in the sea, it's a totally different scenario, we are in 17 metres deep, even we have left oxygen in our lung, we can't just flip it up due to the different pressure, it will cost a lung expansion injury. SO, take diving seriously in a fun way.

Because after all, we don't have fish fin to breath.

~*~

Second day dive, we went to Padang Bai

Spotted: Shark, Giant cuttle fish, Scorpio fish, long tom, Giant Sea turtle, hugeass lobster, and Soldier fish.

I don't have photos on the second day, because the visibility of the water is only 8 metres. 

Totally different from the smooth and pretty dive in Tulamben.

This one is quite tough because of the strong currents, and also this time we jump straight away from boat.

We were looking for a sea turtle and shark during this dive, and it was amazing..we saw a super BIG sea turtle just enjoying on a red plate-alike coral. It was so, OMG! very beautiful. We also saw 2 medium small shark resting by the bottom of the sea. Not fancy shark much, but suddenly we saw quite a sharky shadow pass by near us, which is a medium big size of shark. That's where the adrenaline start to kick a little bit.

~ totally a typical Noob diver~

I must say, every dive..is totally a different experience to another.

Shit, I think I am addicted to it.

~*~

I will close this entry with my temporary diving cert * YAY~*

And a proud me to be a certified diver!

Not because I made it, but also it's because I could conquer my fear.

Happy diving everybody.