Why continue your dive training in Bali?
Choose Nico Dives Cool for your next training course.
If you already know how to dive, and you’re keen to get better, think about taking a longer trip to Bali. Why not get away from life after the pandemic and level up your diving experience? You can dive every day, work remotely, live simply and there’s a perfect place for it on the famous island of Bali, it’s called Nico Dives Cool.
Located in Sanur Bali, Nico Dives Cool is the highest rated dive shop on Trip Advisor for a reason, this hidden away gem has a collection of the best Dive Master’s and most experienced Dive Instructors on the island.
It doesn’t matter if you’re PADI or SSI, it doesn’t matter where you’re at in your diving journey. All that matters is your passion, your desire for adventure and your willingness to learn. To access the full freedom of this beautiful sport you simply need to log more time underwater and be open to flowing with the whims of the most powerful force on earth, the ocean.
If you’re a diver you’ll know that the ocean is a force that cannot be controlled. Every day will be different and it doesn’t matter how many times you visit the same site, there’s always a chance to learn. You’ll get better, get safer, and you’ll make some incredible friends along the way.
How do I know about diving in Bali?
Well, my name’s Emma. I started diving Bali in 2015 and I took that experience to as many places as I could afford to travel while working remotely. I’ve dived all of the sites in Bali and most of Indonesia, including Raja Ampat, Komodo, The Flores Sea, Ambon, Bandha Aceh, the Maluku’s and so much more. I’ve dived in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cuba. The Philippines and too many other places to count.
But the truth is, I was always on holiday, always hunting the next thrill, the biggest sharks, the most dangerous locations, the best wrecks – and I found them, but I also sat on a Rescue Diver Qualification for five years.
Then when the pandemic hit, I was in Bali, I couldn’t make it back to New Zealand so I decided that the best place to be was underwater. I had already dived every spot on the island, but it was a good escape from the worldwide stress so I decided to knuckle down and become a better diver.
I didn’t want to work as a diver, I just wanted to get better and safer at a sport I love – so I ended up doing a few PADI specialty courses, and in 2020 I became a PADI (Master Scuba Diver). This doesn’t mean I teach diving; it simply means I can dive deep, dive at night, dive alone and dive with enriched air. It also means I can deal with any situation and it gave me an entirely different perspective on diving.
What makes a great diver?
I used to think it was the willingness to be brave, but now I know that it’s the opposite. Being a great diver is about understanding and totally trusting my gear. It’s about accepting the teachings of a careful instructor, taking on the tiny learnings, and making the minuscule adjustments to my form on any given day.
It’s resilience to sea sickness, it’s the ability to read the water, and so much more. Training to be a better diver is important because it gives me perspective. It gives me the chance to look at the ocean in a different way, and to understand that I’ll never master its immense power.
I moved away from thrill seeking to slow diving, air preservation and photography. I finally committed and bought my own gear then I promised myself that I’d stop being reckless, stop chasing thrills and start learning more about the environment. I need to treat the ocean and my Dive Instructors with the respect they deserve.
Why it’s so good to spend time on your dive training?
The best thing about dive training is that the thrill of diving changes. Your freedom of movement expands and before you know it, you’ll be coming up with 100 bars of air left after an hour of bottom time. You’ll feel like you’re flying. You’ll learn to read the currents, and position your body the right way. But most importantly, you’ll learn to relax and talk to the fish.
Don’t get me wrong, I still dive deep if I want to, I still wreck dive, I still plan to visit more of the best dive spots in the world but there is a lifetime of experience to be had along the way – so why rush? There’s always something to learn especially when you happen to live five minutes away from the best dive shop in Bali.
Maybe I sound philosophical, but who cares? A few years ago, I’d never have cared about such things as a special species of Nudibranch, or the flow of my trim but now I do, and yesterday, at Nico Dives Cool, I enjoyed this little stuff as much as I did seeing a rare and out of season Thresher shark. Who would have thought?
What type of diver are you?
My goal with diving is progress not perfection. Staying safe, maintaining my gear and diving for as many years as I have on earth. The ocean is an an incredible ecosystem available to us mere mortals. So, if you’re ready to commit then you should know, the journey of diving is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. It takes time, it takes good days, challenging conditions, incredible dive sites and an open mind, but if you’re ready to take up the challenge there’s nothing that’ll make you happier.
Nico Dives Cool offers a range of different courses, so if you already dive, or you want to learn, go for it! There’s nothing quite like staying long term in Bali, so give yourself a couple of days to find the flow and before long, Sanur will feel like home.
Best of luck, maybe I’ll see you here…
Emma Harrison Clark
PADI MSD 2011AP4898
