Archive | TOP TEN!!!

So here we are at the end of one road and the beginning of another.  I can say for both Jonathan and myself that it has been a surprisingly rewarding experience for us over these past 18 weeks.  When we initially conceived of this contest, we set out to offer one person the chance to change his/her life by becoming a PADI instructor.  We devised the contest details, bought the domain, developed the site, shot the video and then, on October 30 2010, we launched The Best Dive Job in the World.

Press releases went out to hundreds of online outlets and the contest details featured in many print and online media resources in the weeks that followed.  The response has been tremendous and has far exceeded our expectations.  To date, we have received more than two hundred thousand hits on the blog, six thousand blog comments, 150 videos, 300 entries and a thousand new friends on Facebook. The support the entrants have received from their friends and families has been inspirational.

In reviewing this success over the past month, we saw how much it means to so many of you.  For that reason, we then decided to launch a second place prize for this year’s contest.  Well, I sat down with Jonathan this morning again and we’ve decided all of the top ten finalists should get a personal thank-you for their support of the program.  The top prize is fantastic, the second prize is pretty sweet and the eight other finalist prizes are…  well, still diving.  

Before I say what it is, I just want to say that I know some of you are going to be disappointed tomorrow.  That is an inevitable outcome in a contest like this.  I wish we could offer ten first prizes.  Who knows, maybe we can next year, but it’s just not a reality for us at the moment.  The other eight finalist prizes are more gestures of thanks than they are “prizes” per se.  It’s not much, but it’s something.

Here’s the deal.  If any of you eight fantastic individuals are ever in Bali, just drop by and we’ll be happy to take you out diving, on us.  How does, say, three days for free sound?  We would love for you to come and see the diving we have here.  Sharing our passion for diving is the whole basis of this competition.

I bet most of you are holding your breath, waiting for me to start selling things to you.  Well, that is not what this contest is about, and it doesn’t really suit my personal tastes, so you don’t have to worry about that.  I’m not going to sit here after all the great support you have given to the competition and try to market to you.  I’m not down with that.  What I will say is that if any of you are interested in pursuing training aside from this contest, I can offer you a private deal on any of our professional-level programs… which, by the way, we never, ever discount to the public.

Well guys, that’s about it for today.  Once again, I can’t say enough how impressed I am with all the positive support you have each garnered for The Best Dive Job in the World 2011.  Our two winners will be announced in about 20 hours, so stay tuned.  I am sorry that eight people will be disappointed at that time, but please understand that we are always happy to help you meet your goals in diving.  We will have a new contest up and running in a few months and you will be the ones with a head start.

To all of you, I once again extend my personal thanks and that on behalf of the directors of Blue Season Bali.  You guys rock.  I don’t know about you, but I’m really looking forward to my next post!

TW
The Best Dive Job in the World

Blue Season Bali
PADI Career Development Center 6570

March 10, 2011. Well the difficult part is not quite over for us here at Blue Season Bali, but we are happy to announce Kathi Gleim as our tenth finalist in The Best Dive Job in the World 2011 competition.

Well done to, Kathi Gleim! You have shown great support on the Blog and your friends may continue to support your bid in the contest by clicking here and commenting on your entry. Remember, guys just because the 2011 competition is coming to a close, doesn’t mean the dream is dead. Stay positive, stay dedicated to your goals and you can make it happen. If all else fails, just wait for our 2012 competition to be announced in a few months’ time!

Kathi had a few things to say during her email interview:

BSB: What is the most amazing experience of your life?
KG: The natural homebirth of my son. Never in my life have all my senses: taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight been so heightened and stimulated. Never have so many emotions and feelings traveled through my hair, my skin, my blood – pain, joy, fear, and love so strong it strangles you.

BSB: If you are already a scuba diver, what is the best place you have ever dived, and why?
KG: Roatan, Honduras. I was tootoolooing along the reef in 30 feet of water looking at dozens of types of coral and hundreds of fish and then BAMM, no more reef, just a drop off to a depth beyond comprehension and beauty that made me gasp. My first wall dive.

BSB: If you were stuck on an island for the rest of your life but could take only three things with you, what would they be?
KG: 1. A system to make fresh water.
2. A companion
3. Duct tape; because you can fix or make almost anything out of duct tape and I could use it on my companion if I start thinking, I should have chosen something else to bring.

BSB: What would you say is your most positive personal attribute?
KG: People tell me all the time that I still look at the world through the eyes of a 4 year old, I say DID YOU SEE THAT?” and they say “uhhuh”. I think my most positive personal attribute is wonderment because so many things still amaze and awe me.

BSB: If you could improve one thing about yourself, what would it be?
KG: Because I set my expectations high, I tend to push others to reach my image of achievement. I have to work to recognize that my standard is not THE standard, and that if I really want to help others, my focus needs to be helping others achieve THEIR expectations.

BSB: Any question you would like to ask us?
KG: During the period of the internship, Is there any restrictions or limitations on the friends or family members visiting?
TW: Nope. As long as you can still focus on your training, we’re happy.

Congratulations, Kathi, as we move into the final phase of the contest. You and all of your supporters can follow the updates over the following few days here at www.bestdivejob.com/blog/

I can’t reiterate enough how amazed I have been by all of the positive support our contestants have displayed for each other. After working with hundreds of divers and instructors, it is great to be able to share the lifestyle. You can each make yourself into what you desire, just remember that. We are now working hard to come up with a crazy whacked-out scheme for the 2012 program. I am personally proud to have been a part of this experience and I can’t wait to announce our expanded program later this year.

Again, kudos to each and every entrant for their positive participation. I did not have to moderate a single negative comment. You are a wonderful group of people and it has been my pleasure to get to know you all.

Tom West
Jonathan Cross
Blue Season Bali

The Best Dive Job in the World

March 7, 2011. Congratulations to Bali B for becoming our seventh finalist in The Best Dive Job in the World 2011 competition.

Well, that’s our update for today. Remember, we still have three finalists to go, so the competition is far from over. You can stay tuned to further developments right here at www.bestdivejob.com/blog/

We thank you all once again for the huge volume of positive support we have received for this contest!

Tom West
Jonathan Cross
Blue Season Bali

The Best Dive Job in the World

March 6, 2011. Congratulations to Mritunjai Sisaudia for becoming our sixth finalist in The Best Dive Job in the World 2011 competition. Will he be joining us for seven months of fantastic diving in Bali?

Mritunjai Sisaudia Best Dive Job in the World Application

Mritunjai becomes today’s finalist after receiving quite a lot of support for his entry here on the blog. His supporters may click here and comment to support his entry. There are nine more days and four more finalists to be announced before we determine who will win this seven-month PADI divemaster internship and PADI instructor training here in beautiful Bali!

Mritunjai had the following to say during a brief email interview:

BSB: What is the most amazing experience of your life?
MS: Feb 2005. It was a train journey from Bangalore to Jammu (little over 2600 kms). Three days in an open window, wooden bench coach in near freezing temperatures with only a cotton t-shirt on my back. On the brink of a nervous breakdown I had walked out of my life. In hindsight, not very proud of it, but those three days changed my life and me as a person

BSB: If you are already a scuba diver, what is the best place you have ever dived, and why?
MS: Suzy’s wreck. SS Rita was a metal cargo ship, built in the 1930’s UK and sank near the Grande Island, Goa. named so after a girl who loved to free dive there. The visibility is 6-7 meters because of the silt brought in by the Mandovi river which joins in nearby. An amazing place to catch a glimpse of the rich marine life which lives there sheltered by the island and the ship.

BSB: If you were stuck on an island for the rest of your life but could take only three things with you, what would they be?
MS: A good strong knife, a durable pair of fins and a diving mask.

BSB: What would you say is your most positive personal attribute?
MS: An open-hearted vigorous approach to life and people.

BSB: If you could improve one thing about yourself, what would it be?
MS: My understanding of people, but that is a lifetime of work, I am told

Well, that’s our update for today. Remember, we still have four finalists to go, so the competition is far from over. You can stay tuned to further developments right here at www.bestdivejob.com/blog/

We thank you all once again for the huge volume of positive support we have received for this contest!

Tom West
Jonathan Cross
Blue Season Bali

The Best Dive Job in the World

March 5, 2011. We here at Blue Season Bali and The Best Dive Job in the World are thrilled to announce Shepan Shulga as today’s finalist in our 2011 contest. Remember, we are only half-way through announcing the finalists for The Best Dive Job in the World, where someone will come and join us for seven months of fantastic diving in Bali!

Congratulations, Stepan Shulga for an outstanding effort in the competition so far. You may all support Stepan by clicking here and commenting on his entry. Will Stepan be the lucky winner of seven months’ worth of PADI divemaster internship and PADI instructor training here in beautiful Bali? We will all know in only 10 days!

Here’s what Stepan had to say during his interview:

BSB: What is the most amazing experience of your life?
SS: Life: I still waiting for such experience:) May be in on year it will be smile of my first student after final exams. Who knows?
Football: It was 20 May 2009. I worked as a announcer of my football team FC Shakhtar in UEFA CUP Final in Istanbul, Turkey. We made it! We won in final and it was amazing to speak in microphone to all of supporters.
Diving: First dive on SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea, South Sinai, Egypt.

BSB: If you are already a scuba diver, what is the best place you have ever dived, and why?
SS: Two of them…
First dive on SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea, South Sinai, Egypt in 2009. It was something absolutely unforgettable! Inside this wreck a lot of undivided huge military trucks, rifles, motorcycles, and so on. When your understand historical value, when you trying to imagine life of this ship before tragedy, when you exploring it… It’s very strong and nice emotions.
First time i saw SHARK near me in January 2011. Big, strong, dangerous and SO beautiful. Queen of another world. Shadow in depth. It was here in open sea Brothers Islands. Big stuff in open sea – your chance to understand how powerful our nature is!

BSB: If you were stuck on an island for the rest of your life but could take only three things with you, what would they be?
SS: 1. My camera with me to make records and photos of sunsets, nature and animals. Surely with nuclear battery It’s a dream – isn’t it? Someone will find it – and tell the world about my adventure.
2. Good knife. It means – if you have good knife you will get fire, food and roof over our head.
3. My Ipod, I can’t imagine myself without music. (don’t forget about nuclear battery
Seriously – i want to take with me all my family and friends. Together we are so powerful that can do everything!

BSB: What would you say is your most positive personal attribute?
SS: My communicative skills. I’m friendly and can say to everybody: make love not war.
All of my defeats i’m trying to turn into victory!
I hate liars, and always trying to be honest with people around me.

BSB: If you could improve one thing about yourself, what would it be?
SS: To be honest, i want to improve my language skills (English) and diving skills surely!

BSB: Any question you would like to ask us?
SS: My question not about contest: What can you say about russian instructor in Bali Blue Season? Do you heed him to improve quantity of languages in your dive center?
BSB: As with any tourism-based business, language is a strong asset for instructors in the diving industry. Blue Season Bali currently employs native support for English, Japanese, Indonesian, Dutch, French, German and Spanish. Quality instructors who offer additional languages certainly have an advantage in this industry.

That’s our update for today and thank you all so much for the support you have shown over the past few months. We still have five finalists to go, so stay tuned for further developments right here at www.bestdivejob.com/blog/

Once again, we wish the best of luck to you all!

Tom West
Jonathan Cross
Blue Season Bali

The Best Dive Job in the World

March 4, 2011. The Best Dive Job in the World is pleased to announce Helen Shepperson as our fourth finalist in the 2011 scuba diving internship giveaway. With four finalists now announced, we still have six to go!

Congratulations to you, Helen Shepperson for making the finals of this year’s competition. Your fans can click here to leave a comment on your entry and show their support for you to change your life and become a PADI instructor in Bali. Once again, well done!

We had a quick email interview with Helen:

BSB: What is the most amazing experience of your life?
HS: Overall, it has to be my travels last year. Perhaps cliché, but the confidence and independence gained have completely changed my entire outlook on life. Specific moments would have to be volunteering with the Australian Department of Conservation, encountering whale sharks, and of course, the glaringly obvious – learning to dive.

BSB: If you are already a scuba diver, what is the best place you have ever dived, and why?
HS: I’ve only dived in Borneo, but the Lobster Wall site is special to me as it was my first ‘fun dive’. Feeling at ease, I truly I let go and was totally, utterly consumed and inspired by the surroundings. Drifting past all manner of colourful fish and coral – just stunning.
BSB: A lot of the diving in Bali is similar to what you saw in Borneo – just stunning!

BSB: If you were stuck on an island for the rest of your life but could take only three things with you, what would they be?
HS: A snorkel, a guitar, and a good friend. The snorkel to explore my surroundings; the guitar, for some good old-fashioned campfire singsongs and a soundtrack to the adventures; and finally, the mate to do the harmonies, cause some mischief, and share all the memories of paradise.

BSB: What would you say is your most positive personal attribute?
HS: I’m immensely ambitious. I really want to make something of myself, and never be or do anything described as ‘average’. My eyes have been opened to how much I can achieve if I just try that little bit harder, so I give everything I have, because the rewards are phenomenal!

BSB: If you could improve one thing about yourself, what would it be?
HS: I’ve got plenty of imperfections – I’m clumsy, read the last page first, bite my nails, remember the punchline but forget the joke – but I try not to be too self-critical, and accept that these quirks are part of me, as I wouldn’t be quite the same person without them.

BSB: Any question you would like to ask us?
HS: What’s been YOUR most amazing diving experience?! Go on, inspire me!
BSB: Not a fair question! There is so much diversity to the diving here in Bali that it’s difficult to pick one dive… Jonathan and I are now arguing over it…. and I win because I am the one typing!
TW: My favorite dive has to be the USAT Liberty Wreck at Tulamben. Diving on a WWII US Army Transport vessel from the shore in 3-30m of water with 30-40m visibility is absolutely amazing when the schools of jacks are circling and bumphead parrotfish are cruising by. It’s also a great place to stay entertained during decompression on longer technical dives. I love it!

To close off the post for today, I would like to once again thank all of your for your support of this year’s contest. We are less than half way through announcing our finalists and remember, it’s only 11 days until we announce the winnerS. Our second-place prize should be unveiled sometime on the 11th or 12th of March. Stay tuned for developments here at www.bestdivejob.com/blog/

Best of Luck to All!

Tom West
Jonathan Cross
Blue Season Bali

The Best Dive Job in the World

March 3, 2011. Well, some ten thousand people have visited the site in the last 24 hours to see who will be announced as the third of ten finalists into The Best Dive Job in the World 2011 as we give away a seven month long PADI instructor internship. Again guys, the order of announcement is for the most part random, so here’s today’s finalist.

Priscilla Ong was a fairly late entry, but has stormed into the competition showing wide support on facebook and in the blog. You can show your support for Priscilla by clicking here and leaving a comment on her entry. Well done to you, Priscilla, for becoming a finalist in The Best Dive Job in the World 2011.

You should be starting to get a feel for the structure of these announcements by now. 😉 Here are Priscilla’s interview answers:

BSB: What is the most amazing experience of your life?
PO: Just 4 months ago, I was lucky enough to spot a whale shark while diving in Pulau Dayang, yes that made me the hero of the day! (: It has been the most breathtaking experience in my entire life. Especially so since no one expected to see a whale shark in Malaysia during that period of time (the last time they bump into one there was 3 years ago). I, in particular, thought I would need to spend lots of money to venture out to Indonesia, Philippines or Thailand to see what every scuba diver dreams of.

BSB: If you are already a scuba diver, what is the best place you have ever dived, and why?
PO: I’m an advanced diver. So far I’ve only been to Pulau Tioman and Pulau Dayang, both in Malaysia. I saw a black tip shark in Tioman, and a whale shark (as mentioned above) in Dayang. Both are great dive sites but I’m sure Bali will be even better than BEST, and I’m also talking about the beautiful beach and the awesome nightlife. So please send me there!!

BSB: If you were stuck on an island for the rest of your life but could take only three things with you, what would they be?
PO: My trusty tent that I bring everywhere I go, that has braved all kinds of storm with me.
My ukelele! The most magical sound ever produced on Earth is the combination of sea waves and guitar riffs. I will force myself to be better at strumming though.
I would definitely bring my best friend along, because she’s as adventurous as I am, and we love being lost in a foreign land. I have always firmly believed that when you’re lost, that’s when you discover new and interesting places.

BSB: What would you say is your most positive personal attribute?
PO: My personality is very easy going, so I’m easy to get along with. And I think my ability to laugh at myself puts people at ease in awkward situations, so I make friends really quickly. The best part about this job is that it marries my love for diving and meeting new people together, so I really hope to be given this golden opportunity to learn and teach at the same time.

BSB: If you could improve one thing about yourself, what would it be?
PO: I am really meticulous in everything I do. A perfectionist some may call me, I tend to be extra careful and I would always notice the small little details. Even when it comes to diving, I usually spot the micro creatures first. I need to learn to sometimes step back and look at the broader picture.

BSB: Any question you would like to ask us?
PO: So I’m interested to know how Blue Season can assist me in my quest to introduce conservation issues to my fellow divers?
BSB: That’s easy. Blue Season Bali is a PADI Go ECO operator and we have been recognized for efforts in conservation, fund-raising and awareness numerous times by Project AWARE. We conduct regular beach and underwater cleanups with our internship program participants. Last year, we were recognized by PADI Asia-Pacific as a finalist for the 2010 Project AWARE Environmental Conservation Award. If you’re green, we’re your kind of dive shop.

I would like to conclude today’s update by once again thanking all of our fantastic participants in this program. It has been a dynamic few months for us here at Blue Season Bali, but we understand that the change has not yet begun for two of you. Look for tomorrow’s update in about 24 hours.

Best of Luck to All!

Tom West
Jonathan Cross
Blue Season Bali

The Best Dive Job in the World

March 2, 2011. Today’s announcement is the second of ten finalists into The Best Dive Job in the World 2011 PADI diving internship competition. The top 10 finalists are being announced in no particular order and we’re still deciding on a couple of the spots, so there is still time to get out there and promote your entry if you have not already been named.

Today is probably a pretty good day for Kenzo Kiren as he becomes an official finalist in this year’s competition. You can show your support for Kenzo by clicking here and leaving a comment on his entry. Congratulations, Kenzo, after receiving hundreds of entries into The Best Dive Job in the World 2011 competition, you are among the final ten. Well done.

Like many of you, we sent Kenzo a quick interview. Here are his answers:

BSB: What is the most amazing experience of your life?
KK: The most amazing experience in my life would have to be my trip to South Africa. Going from Johannesburg to Durban in a overland vehicle with 20 other people for two and a half weeks of night and day safaris and drinking in straw huts at the end of every eventful day of stumbling upon a mother and her cubs feeding on a buffalo and some of the most amazing and rare wildlife in Africa. The cultural experience was embracing and falling asleep to roars of lions and calls of hyenas was also quite the unique experience. This was also the site where my first diving experience took place. Since that day I’ve fallen in love with it. I got quite the inspiring 20 min slideshow of this trip.

BSB: If you are already a scuba diver, what is the best place you have ever dived, and why?
KK: The most amazing place I ever dove would have to be in Belize. The dive site was called Cypress Caye and I will forever remember it because I got to hold a nurse shark. Ever since I was a kid it has been my dream to see sharks in the open ocean as opposed to in an aquarium and not only did I get to see one, I got to touch it. It was an absolute amazing experience. We also saw an eagle ray and went through a cave. Truly an inspiring and exhilarating moment in my life.
BSB: Coral triangle, mate. Coral triangle. We have a few diving surprises up our collective sleeves here in Bali.

BSB: If you were stuck on an island for the rest of your life but could take only three things with you, what would they be?
KK: Tough question, I’ve actually pondered this one before.. Item #1 would have to be an IPod with unlimited battery life of course. Music would not only keep me company and sane but certain songs have the ability to put you in the best of moods and would also inspire me to do great things. #2 would be a snorkel and mask. Being on an island I would be surrounded by water and curiosity would take over to explore the ocean around me, also spear fishing would be necessary for survival and that item would definitely help that cause. Finally, since I’m thinking of survival here I would bring a knife of some sort. I watched a lot of Survivorman and realized you don’t need much to survive on your own so having a knife would make building things like my 1 star house or preparing the succulent pig I hunt an easier task. Or maybe even a volleyball named Wilson. It seemed to do Tom Hanks a lot of good in Castaway!

BSB: What would you say is your most positive personal attribute?
KK: Most positive personal attribute would be my ability to brighten peoples’ lives. If you put me in a room with let’s say a grumpy 80 year old man, a middle aged couple who spoke very little english and a rambunctious young child, I could find a way for all of us to get along and have fun. I’m very well rounded, love to have fun, full of energy, very easy to talk to and I’m known for saying the funniest things people have ever heard. Although I’m fairly young, I can be very mature and have a great understanding and appreciation for so many things in life.

BSB: If you could improve one thing about yourself, what would it be?
KK: If I could improve on one thing about myself it would have to be to stop trying to do too many things at once. I’m a very motivated individual good with multi-tasking but sometimes I do more than I should at once and things get prolonged because of it. For example, right now I have a great invention idea I haven’t looked too much into, and also have some of what I call protest shirts for shark finning and dolphin slaughter awareness I’d like to put into action, as well as a couple other things. It’s good to have different options and constant ideas and back up plans for success or money but with too many things in motion, some may not get enough attention to become possible.

BSB: Any question you would like to ask us?
KK: My question for you is what do you guys do for fun in Bali besides diving? Of course waking up and diving everyday is a fun enough life but I was just curious what other things you enjoy doing up there either individually or with the Blue Season Bali crew?
BSB: Tough one. There are tons of things to do here on the Island of the Gods. If you’re into surfing, kite surfing, sailing, trekking, climbing, bungee jumping or pretty much any outdoor activity, we have it. More relaxed days can be spent hanging on the beaches, going to the elephant park or to the monkey forest.

So, check back here at www.bestdivejob.com as we will be announcing eight more finalists over the upcoming days. Just like I told you back in October, someone’s life is about to change… Bali style.

Best of Luck to All!

Tom West
Jonathan Cross
Blue Season Bali

The Best Dive Job in the World

Today marks the first announcement of Blue Season Bali’s top ten finalists into The Best Dive Job in the World 2011 scuba diving internship competition.  The finalists will be announced over these first ten days in March- in no particular order.  Truth be told, we’re not yet decided as to who all 10 finalists will be, so there is still time to make a final promotional push on your entry as these announcements are made.

Today’s announcement confirms Nadia Aly as a finalist in this year’s competition.  You can show Nadia your support by clicking here and leaving a comment on her entry. Congratulations, Nadia, for making it into the Top Ten of The Best Dive Job in the World 2011. You have done a great job and we wish you the best of success as the competition moves toward its inevitable close.

Like many of you, we had a quick email interview with Nadia:

BSB: What is the most amazing experience of your life?
NA: The most amazing experience of my life was the Kona night dive in Hawaii. The Manta Rays blew my mind and this was the most amazing moment in my life. Watching as they feed and circle, calling to them and them responding to noise. It was beautiful, it was inspiring.

BSB: If you are already a scuba diver, what is the best place you have ever dived, and why?
NA: For me I love animals and seeing them underwater really makes the dive for me. So again I am going to say Kona, Hawaii. The animals are all over the place… dolphins, manta rays, sharks, turtles! What more could I want?
BSB: Well, if diversity is what you are after, then the diving in Bali is just up your alley. We have dolphins, manta rays, sharks, turtles… plus Oceanic Sunfish, eagle rays, great barracuda, pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish, octopuses, cuttlefish, and the list goes on.

BSB: If you were stuck on an island for the rest of your life but could take only three things with you, what would they be?
NA: If I was stuck on an island I would bring – a knife, some glass(for starting fires) & my ipod with solar charger Can’t be without the music!

BSB: What would you say is your most positive personal attribute?
NA: That would be my personality. I am very outgoing, understanding, a good listener, reasonable and smart. People call me a firecracker… because I am full of energy. It’s always funny when people label me as a firecracker – they all use the same word and don’t know each other. I guess that says something about me … now doesn’t it! Bubbly bubbly!

BSB: If you could improve one thing about yourself, what would it be?
NA: If I could improve one thing about myself… seriously would be to acquire more knowledge about scuba diving. I have all these communities and websites and I would like to be able to advise better. I am committed to the cause of sharing the Scuba LOOOOVE.

Stay tuned right here on www.bestdivejob.com as we announce the top ten finalists for The Best Dive Job in the World 2011. Will your scuba life be changed forever?

Best of Luck to All!

Tom West
Jonathan Cross
Blue Season Bali

The Best Dive Job in the World