Schooling divers in perpetual summers

Row your boat: Most dive shops own fishing boats which take their customers to dive sites within less than 30 minutes.On a balmy day by the beaches of Gili Trawangan, a group of four anxious first-time scuba divers hopped into a traditional Indonesian fishing boat loaded with scuba gear.

The shimmering sun in the spotless sky, the lazy undulating waves and summery wind promised a nice and easy underwater excursion.

After taking a seat by the side of the boat, the divers started to suit up as they paid attention to the instructions of the dive master.  

“Remember the hand signals and what you’ve learned in the pool,” the dive master, Ben, said.

First, the divers strapped on the weight belts — important for underwater buoyancy — before slinging the scuba masks around their necks and slipping on their diving fins. Then, with the help of the dive instructors, the would-be divers hoisted the heavy oxygen tanks on their backs, making sure that every strap was tight yet gave room to breathe.  

Doubts crept in for the amateur divers as they joked whether they would call it quits.  

“We’ve gone this far,” Cameron, a retiree on his first dive, said.

The push for adventure turned out to be too strong and in less than 30 minutes after leaving terra firma, the divers found themselves suspended 12 meters in the deep blue. Flourishing beneath them was a bed of coral of all shapes and sizes.

Fish, some with fanciful fins and gills, roamed around the reefs and while the divers descended down a sandy slope, the master diver signaled that there was a turtle.

Sure enough, hovering above a reef up front was a turtle, with a weather-beaten, large shell, craning its neck towards the strange-looking group of divers.  

“You were lucky to see three turtles on your dive today,” Ben said on the trip back to Gili Trawangan.

Located in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, the waters of Gili Trawangan and its smaller neighbors, Gili Meno and Gili Air, have gained an international reputation as a magnificent diving spot and an appropriate training ground for new divers.

Harriet, the manager of Manta Dive, said that although “diving around the Gilis was great for all levels” because of the rich collection of coral and marine life, it was perfect for new divers because of the conditions.

She said the water around Gili Trawangan was “a good beginning” for new divers because the shallower dives still allowed them to check out the marine life.

“All the turtles feed at varying depths. There are also sharks, cuttlefish, morays and all those kinds of things. Plus, there are great things to photograph for people who like photography,” she told The Jakarta Post.

She added that many of the 18 dive sites spread across the three Gilis, including Shark Point, Manta Point and the Bounty Wreck, were suitable for beginners.

Other dive shops lined along the beach front of Gili Trawangan, such as Big Bubble and Blue Marlin, take their customers to these sites as well. All shops also offer PADI (Professional Association of Divers Association) certificates for amateur divers who complete at least four days of training.

“But you can only go down 12 meters if you go on a beginners dive,” she said.

Some shops equipped with pools conduct pool sessions before taking customers to the open water. In these pool sessions, dive instructors instruct would-be divers on breathing with an oxygen tank — which can be a first-time experience for some people. Would-be divers also learn various hand signals used to communicate and ways to control buoyancy.

According to Harriet, the pool sessions were necessary to give people an idea of what they would face once in the open sea. People were free to cancel their open water dive if the pool alone made them uncomfortable.

She added that the dive instructors would buddy up with first-time divers to ensure that the dive went smoothly. In addition, the dive instructors made sure that the new divers did not accidentally endanger the coral or marine life, such as by brushing their fins against the coral.

In a move to protect the environment, dive shops in the Gilis also charge a uniform dive tax of Rp 50,000 (US$5.85), which goes straight to the Gili Eco Trust, an NGO concerned with environmental protection.

 The contributions are channeled to projects such as the BioRock structures, or artificial reefs, which help replenish damaged reefs.

 Harriet added that diving helped spread a love of nature.

“Most people come up from their first dive and say that it was amazing to see turtles and other marine life free in the wild,” she said. “As soon as people get excited about that, they naturally want to protect it.”

She added that people personally benefited from the dives as well.

“A lot of people say it is very therapeutic. It’s very relaxing once you have become comfortable in the water. You can literally float around and enjoy seeing the fish,” she said. “It’s a bit like yoga.”

Cameron, who was on holiday with his daughter at Gili Trawangan, enjoyed his dive so much he decided to extend his one-day course to the next day. “I am old but I like to try something new. My daughter seems to enjoy it,” he said.

He added that he decided to visit and go for a dive in Gili Trawangan because the island was a world away from his native Australia.

“The food is exotic, the language is different. It’s just something completely new,” he told the Post.

Harriet said that the mix of people, a good number coming from European countries, going out on a dive was another great part of diving at the Gilis.

However, at the end of the day, diving was about having fun.

“Come prepared as if you are going to the beach. If you are anxious, just relax and try to take it slow and easy,” she said.