Tag Archives | MSDT

Time is ticking on a 7 month dream coming to an end…

By admin on January 17, 2012 in Diving in Bali

Hello once again fine people of the world,

Over the past 5 and a half months my life has taken a turn that has forever changed not only the way I live but also the future path I will take once I move on from the island of the gods. Blue Season Bali’s Best Dive Job in the World contest has more than fulfilled the proposal of changing someone’s life. I’ve transformed from a hard working kitchen manager working his way through school sweating in the kitchen 6-7 days a week, to a PADI dive instructor who now spends his days in the refreshing waters of Indonesia teaching people from all over the world the wonders of scuba diving. The new job opportunities alone is something that has made this experience undeniably life changing but also the perspective you gain on life from living on the other side of the world and being immersed in such different cultures and lifestyles than what you are used to back home, is truly rewarding. Every day is a new adventure and through the wide array of people you meet, you discover things that open your eyes to limitless future travelling destinations.

Many people see the contest as a way to free themselves from the life they have back home but take my word for it, it does so much more than that. As you may or may not know, Blue Season Bali has officially launched the BDJ contest 2012 and it’s BIGGER and BETTER than ever with an even greater prize package than before. If you have great passion for diving and the aquatic world, are full of energy and can bring an even brighter side to the BSB team than you are fit to win the BIG prize. Teaching and learning go hand in hand in the diving world which makes every day a rewarding and exciting experience. Just read past blogs to get a taste of the BDJ life in Bali! So, if you’re tired of the life you’re locked in and need a ticket out, here it is! Enter at http://www.bestdivejob.com/!!! You can’t win if you don’t try!

Finally, as the clock ticks on my time in Bali and I begin to map out my next adventure, I want to throw the question out there and give people a chance to ask questions of curiosity with regards to Bali, Blue Season’s internship programs and of course the Best Dive Job Contest! People from all over the world come to Bali, one of the premiere diving destinations of the world for many different reasons… Want suggestions on dive trips to go on? Have a week to kill and want tips on what to do? Are you looking to do a divemaster program, tec course or the new eco internship BSB is running? Need some tips from the BDJ winner on how to increase your chances for the 2012 contest? Anything at all you may have a question about I would be happy to do my best to answer. Many questions can be answered on the BSB site http://www.baliocean.com/en/ but if you want a more personal response or in depth opinions, feel free to shoot me a facebook message either personally or through the Best Dive Job page or comment on the blog site. Hopefully I can answer everything you need to know and help you make the best of your Bali diving experiences!

PADI Instructor, the good life!

By admin on January 7, 2012 in Diving in Bali

As the days roll on and my training as a PADI Instructor progress, things just keep getting better and better!

I’ve now completed 4 open water courses with a wide variety of students causing me to adjust and experiment with different teaching methods to cope with the slight variation of student’s strengths and weaknesses. I’ve just kick started another open water course today and have the upmost confidence that my student will leave, like all the rest of my students, a confident open water scuba diver with an enhanced appreciation for the underwater world!

I’ve also had the pleasure of conducting a Coral Reef Conservation speciality. This is a speciality course open to anyone, certified diver or not and showcases coral reef information, assessments and facts on the health of our worldwide reefs, how to identify and monitor damaged or stressed reefs and of course what we can do to help. The course was a great opportunity to express my concerns about the future of our reefs and ocean while also enforcing and motivating the class to do their part in any and every way possible. I had new to the BSB team, marine biologist and OWSI Neils sitting in of the presentation which was great. He was able to offer some more in depth coral reef knowledge and we both shared different stories about the ocean and the everyday struggles it is facing to enhance and strengthen the course and it’s values. Neils will also be conducting the new Eco Internship program at Blue Season which you can find out more about at http://www.baliocean.com/en/bali_eco_internship.blueseason. Check it out!!!

Finally, 2 days ago I conducted a deep speciality with two interns out in Nusa Penida. We spent the whole day out on the BSB boat surrounded by the crystal blue ocean and the stunning island landscape of Nusa Penida. The sun was shining and the water was warm with excellent visibility, what more could you ask for… We had an added bonus to the course when Master Instructor Yasu who was supervising the course, told us that conditions were ideal and we could go to the Bat Cave!!! I heard about this place when I first came out to Penida but never had the chance to actually check it out. 5 months later I finally got my chance and let me tell you, after all the anticipation and hype, it did not disappoint! It required a nice open swim through with just enough sunlight piercing through that the ascent into the bat cave was easily identifiable. It went from complete silence underwater to chirping bats flying overhead. There was a large hole in the rock which allowed the sun to penetrate through and give us a great view of the inner cave. This place was majestic and to make the experience even better, as we came back out from the cave, a turtle sped right past us. One of the other interns said the same thing I was thinking as we surfaced and that was that this was possibly the best dive we had out here in Bali.

So far, after my early experiences as an instructor, I’ve confirmed that the beauty of teaching is you never stop learning. The certain satisfaction you get from teaching someone something they previously didn’t know is extremely rewarding and of course every day and every course is a new adventure. In the diving world, you never stop meeting new people and continually learn about new and exciting places. The possibilities are truly endless!!!

Life as a PADI Instructor

By admin on December 29, 2011 in Diving in Bali

The recent days over in Bali have been jam packed with new and rewarding experiences both in and outside the water.

To start with, I spent my first ever Christmas away from home. I figured I may be eating Nasi Goreng instead of turkey this year but we had the most incredible Christmas dinner over at Blue Season Bali complete with all the fix ins; turkey, gravy, potatoes, stuffing and everything else you could hope for. In total there were about 30 of us who all had to unbuckle the belts by the time it was all said and done. To make the occasion a little more special we had a secret Santa present exchange which filled the childhood void of tearing open a present on Christmas morning. All in all, even though I was a long way from home, friends and family, it was truly the best Christmas a guy could hope for. If you ever plan to do an internship with BSB over the Christmas holidays, not only will you be in under the paradise sun and palm trees but you will get that warm Christmas feeling complete with quite the feast!

Now for diving and the PADI instructor experience.

Last night another fellow MSDT instructor and I took part in a night dive speciality training session. Accompanying us was Course Director Thomas Barrett, staff instructor Tom Mckenzie and new to the BSB team eco internship instructor/marine biologist Neils. We dropped in just off the beach in Sanur at around 7pm following a beautiful sunset and within 5 minutes we saw 2 juvenile harlequin fish, 2 eels and a Spanish dancer! Absolutely stunning! We carried along and by the end we saw so many eels I lost count, a couple more harlequin fish, 2 snakes, several crabs and loads more nocturnal critters which come alive at night. Unfortunately I didn’t have a camera along with me or what great footage I would have captured to show you guys! What a great way to end a 4 dive day in beautiful Bali. Yes, there was some rain, but nonetheless

A couple days prior to the night dive I started my first ever open water course. I had a 10 year old boy who luckily, was a natural little fish in the water. Although full of enthusiasm and energy, I was faced with the challenge of working with this kids 10 minute classroom/workbook attention span. Of course we have structure to the open water course following along with difficulty progression and different things that must be done before moving on to the next however, the order is somewhat flexible and allows us as instructors to slightly modify a course plan. With this guy I really had to be on the ball. All the planned intentions I had more, less went out the window. Luckily the training and lessons I learned during the IDC came into practice and I was able to roll with the punches no problem ensuring that while learning, this kid never stopped having fun! He was a joy to teach and reminded me much of myself in the water when I was young. He also taught me a lot about my own teaching abilities of how patience is the key when dealing with new divers and how you must be able to modify lesson plans while still sticking to a time frame. In the end once we surfaced from that final open water dive and I told him he was now open water certified, the look on his face said it all. The feelings of achievement and satisfaction he felt and knowing I helped achieve that with him was a great feeling and one I will never forget. His parents had been diving for years and long awaited the day where their son could dive alongside them and helping make this families dream come true was truly a rewarding experience.

A thousand thanks to Blue Season Bali for not only giving me the opportunity to become and live out my life here in Bali as a PADI instructor but also for the incredible teachings you have provided me with that allow me to go out and interact with people from around the world and experience the rewarding feelings of teaching people how to dive and have the pleasure of introducing them to the wonders of the underwater world!!

Master Scuba Diver Trainer – First Official Course

By admin on December 19, 2011 in Diving in Bali

The long awaited day has come where the dream of becoming a PADI instructor has become a reality. Today marks the day of my first official Open Water course! Until now I have assisted with several courses during my days as a DiveMaster in training and I have done several training simulations during the IDC but now it’s time to put my training to the test. Over the past couple days I have conducted a few Discover Scuba Diving experiences which were greatly rewarding not only for myself, but for the guest who took part in their first underwater experience. It’s kind of weird to put yourself back in the mentality of how you felt the first time you entered the underwater world but it’s a mindset you must put yourself in to properly conduct any course involving new divers. The more DSD’s (discover scuba dives) you do, the more aware you become of the little things you must do and how to manage another diver more effectively while ensuring their safety and enjoyment. This of course is the most important part of the DSD experience. Although you need 5 DSD’s to equal 1 official certification, it’s an essential element to an instructors training and something that all instructors will no doubt have several encounters with. After surfacing from the dives, the satisfaction you get from the rewarding experience you have provided and seeing the change in the individuals after they have explored the wonders of the underwater world is simply unforgettable! You have opened a gateway into a new world and for many people, the diving will not stop there. One way I see it is the more people who appreciate the ocean and are aware of its complexities, the more people will make the effort to protect it and fight for its survival. Nothing is more important at this point in history.

As I await the guests who will be taking the Open Water Course, Susanne one of the other instructors and myself, map out how we plan to conduct the course. It is a family of 3, the mother, father and 11 year old daughter so we must follow the youth standards and procedures and keep in mind the possible short attention span of a child, especially one who is trying scuba skills for the first time. We have the assistance of Master Instructor Yasu who will be supervising and giving feedback on how we conduct the course as well as possible suggestions and modifications for future courses. This is the advantage of taking the MSDT program. You get the experience of teaching courses but do it with the supervision and guidance of experienced individuals. Of course the key to any job is finding your own methods and what works best for you, but getting various tricks of the trade and learning through other peoples experience is extremely beneficial which is why I think all new instructors should take the MSDT. This foundation you will receive during the MSDT period will undoubtedly make you a much better instructor as you move forward in your career, whatever that may be.

For now I am at the start of my MSDT program so follow in the coming weeks as my training progresses. I will surely post another blog once this course is complete, but confidence is high, energy is high and I can only imagine how great the feeling will be when I hand this family their Open Water certification. I think it is awesome that a family has decided to take part in an activity like diving all together and I will certainly focus on making this a fun, family bonding experience. The key to the open water course of course is learning how to dive but, there has to be a large emphasis of FUN!

Stay tuned…

Kenzo Kiren… PADI Instructor!!!

By admin on December 5, 2011 in Diving in Bali

Yaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Can’t quite describe the emotions racing through my body and soul right now but I can tell you it feels amazing. It’s hard to believe just 4 months ago I was sweating in a kitchen anticipating the challenges and experiences I would be facing in Bali but here I am only 4 monthsinto my 7 month grand prize and I can say it has already been a dream come true. Every single day I’ve spent in Bali has been a blessing. I’ve met such a wide array of people from all over the world establishing several lifelong friendships, enhanced my perspective on life and most importantly achieved the goal of becoming a PADI Instructor!!!! And I’m not finished yet…

If I said it was easy I would be lying. To become a PADI instructor takes a lot of hard work, perseverance, determination and of course most importantly a passion for teaching and a love for the underwater world. I’ve never been so nervous about an exam in my life. The exams along with the added pressure of keeping BSB’s perfect passing rate for 2011 in tact made it that much more nerve-wracking. I tried not to think about it but imagine the only person failing the IE was the Best Dive Job Winner… Thank god I dodged that bullet… In the end, I actually had a near perfect score in the exams. Besides a couple incorrect answers in the theory section I pretty much recieved perfect scores! Our group as a whole was no doubt very well prepared thanks to the great IDC program over at BSB. So, a thousand thanks to the people of Blue Season Bali not only for selecting me as the Best Dive Job Winner but also for all the guidance, opportunity and knowledge they have provided me with. I came to Bali as a baby in the diving world with nothing but my open water certification but in 4 short months they transformed me into not only a PADI instructor but a damn confident one. Special thanks and congrats to the 6 others that passed through the pearly gates of the PADI world and came out instructors alongside me. We had lots of fun and all truly deserve what we achieved. Next step is the MSDT and I’m sure the progress will just keep on coming. Can’t wait! One final thanks to all my friends and family back home who’ve supported me from the day I entered the contest. I truly would not be living the dream if it wasn’t for all of you so thank you so much… It’s safe to say I didn’t disappoint and now you all have no excuses to take up diving and get certified by instructor Kenzo!!! I expect to see you soon.

Cheers everybody!

Final days of IDC & Mock IE…Check!

By admin on December 1, 2011 in Diving in Bali

Hello again ladies and gentleman, people of all ages!

I believe the last time I filled you in on the IDC we were right in the thick of things, preparing and presenting various in class knowledge developments as well as inwater skill circuits. Before wrapping up the IDC, we were given one ‘day of rest’ an optional day off which as a group we decided to for once enjoy a stress free day out on the boat in Nusa Penida. We were blessed with a shining sun, perfect dive conditions and a sighting of about 6 large mantas. But now back to the serious stuff… Today we wrapped up the official final day of the IDC portion with day 2 of the mock exam. The mock exam basically consisted of a imitated Instructor Exam like the one we will be facing tomorrow morning and the following 2 days. It was one final assessment/opportunity to practice and master the possible skills and subjects we may get during the actual exams as well as one last chance to review the theory that at this point hopefully we should have down pat. The past couple weeks have consisted of many moments of course directors towering over us or behind us ticking things off on their slates as we present in both confined and open water situations. But in the end, it was for the better and now we know when they are towering behind us, they are marking off all the things we are doing right! Instead of clapping after a presentation, we splash the “instructor” which is a really great feeling and fun for all. Come take the IDC at BSB and you too can have the satisfaction of being splashed with praises.(it really is a great feeling) Fun and games aside, at this point, times were tense as we took on the mentality that this was the real thing. Although a matter of one question can be the difference of a pass or fail, all in all I think we have a pretty confident bunch. We’ve had lots of fun and plenty of progress and it’s finally time for the little birdies to leave the nest and try our luck in the big, big world.

In the end, the mock went very well. Everybody passed, confidence was high and we were now mock instructors..(if only that meant something) It is 930pm right now and I’m sitting in the BSB classroom going over some last minute stuff alongside my buddy and fellow instructor candidate, Jacques. Steve just left after a long day at the office and at this point it’s up to fate. Tomorrow morning we will meet at BSB around 9am then head off to possibly the most stressful, nerve-wracking couple days of our lives. The exams run for three long days. Day 1 consists of 5 theory exams covering physics, physiology, general skills and environment, Recreational Dive Planner and equipment. Each section is only 12 questions but this means if you get more than 3 wrong on 2 sections, YOU FAIL. If you get more than 3 wrong in only one section you get 1 chance make up which I’m sure would be the most frightening test of your life. If all goes well, after the theory section, we write a standards exam going through the many PADI general procedures and standards. Day 2 is when we present a knowledge development in class presentation as well as a confined water presentation and a 5 skill circuit. Once again there is a passing criteria, but for now we won’t go into details. Finally if all is still fine and dandy, we move to day 3 which entails an integrated open water skill presentation as well as rescue exercise 7. This is when we come across an unresponsive, non-breathing diver on the surface and must remove both theirs and our equipment while providing rescue breaths every 5 seconds… Not an easy task with surface currents and examiners watching your every move… Good thing we’ve practiced this about 50 times up to this point. So, all that said, I think the Blue Season Bali IDC team will have no problems blowing through the 3 days and coming through the other side as instructors. We’ve worked hard mentally and trained very hard physically up to this point and with the dedicated work our course directors have given us, we have all the tools necessary to pass the exams. For now, think positive thoughts, deep breaths and hope lady luck doesn’t give us any trick questions on the exams…Or else…..

Wish me luck!

It’s Official, the IDC has begun!

By admin on November 21, 2011 in Diving in Bali

The IDC is officially under way and all 7 of us instructor candidates are in full focus, soaking up every slide show & pool/ocean lessons and feeling very confident as the days roll on. The first official day of IDC was yesterday so we went through many of the main focuses and philosophies and stressed the team mentality approach of not just worrying about yourself the individual passing the IE (instructor exams), but all of us collectively passing. I thought this was a great way of looking at things because not only does it promote the teamwork mentality but it also encourages us to learn through each other while also allowing us to teach one another. One person’s strengths may be another’s weakness, this way we all can ensure that in the end, there are no weaknesses. We did another exam assessment on our theory and after reviewing my scores, I was fascinated with how much I improved over the past week. Without a doubt the IDC prep helped tremendously and now moving forward I know what more I have to do to fine tune my theory and pass those IE theory exams.

This IDC our group has had the pleasure of getting lectures by the best Blue Season Bali has to offer. Due to a Tec40 course going on during IDC prep, we got to spend a week with Gold Course Director Tom West. Let me tell you, this guy is brilliant! He knows something about everything and when it comes to his diving knowledge, there isn’t a question he can’t answer. The knowledge that guys brain contains really is frightening. Next we have Jonathan Cross Platinum Course Director and owner of BSB. I must say, we are a truly lucky group to be able to learn through the experience and knowledge Jon has to offer both in the classroom and in the water. Today he took us out to Sanur and let us practice being instructors controlling a group of students. This was a very beneficial experience and a great step towards our end goal. With the in water direction and feedback I think we all benefited greatly through this exercise. Finally, we will soon be joined by Thomas Barret (Baz), who has been running the majority of the IDC’s this year and has a 100% passing success rate. Let’s hope this group can keep that streak in tact! Like I mentioned before, we also have Staff Instructors Robert Scales & Tom Mckenzie helping out. When it comes to the help at hand, we got a pretty extensive group of individuals with a lot to offer! They’re always willing to spend extra time either in the pool or classroom helping any of us get on our game as well as show us some good tips and techniques that once helped them with their IDC’s. Anyone considering taking the IDC and or MSDT in the future, this is the place to do it. I can’t say enough good things with my experience thus far and I know it will only get better…You won’t regret it. ( the special IDC lunches are a reason alone to come take the course…let’s just say they’re mouth watering!) This team makes it a fun filled experience that no doubt ends with fantastic rewards that paves the way for a great future in the proffessional diving world…whatever you may choose to do.