Saturday 30 January 2016

Congratulations to Dani, Sarah and Dolly! January DMTs

Congratulations to our January DMTs, Sarah, Dolly, and Dani! They have successfully completed their dive master course with Scuba Junkie.  We had an epic equipment exchange and stress test on the 28th!  Throughout the month, these guys dealt with a lot of challenges, such as learning everything in a second language, improving their dive skills, and learning how to speak like a professional diver!  We also shared many laughs along the way (well I did at least).




 One of my favorite things is something that the December’s DMTs passed onto to the January DMTs.  As we all know, the buddy check involves BWRAF.  The December DMTs created a new and improved buddy check consisting of BWRAF – H.  The H stands for HUG.  After completing the buddy check, everybody gets into a circle, wraps their arms around each other, starts jumping, and yells, “DIVING, DIVING, DIVING!”  It’s pretty epic.  Their enthusiasm inspires me and hopefully everyone else to keep on diving.

Dolly has returned to Australia to continue his studies. We will miss him greatly!  Dani and Sarah are staying for a two week internship, and we are happy to have them.  If you see them around the dive shop, make sure to buy them a beer for all of their hard work!

If you have any questions about our DMT program, please let us know either on Facebook or through email at info@scuba-junkie.com


Introducing our first DMTs of 2016!

Happy 2016! Scuba Junkie would like to introduce to you its new DMTs for the month of January.



DANI:
I have been an ocean baby my whole life, from being born in Hawaii to growing up on both coasts of the USA.  I am a dancer, a climber, a mountain biker, and a traveler.  And a diver, of course!  I love being outside, trying new things and meeting new people.  I got into diving as a reason to travel the world.  I hope to one day become an instructor and work all over the globe, showing people how beautiful the world is just below surface.

SARAH:
So, a little about me.  I am originally from London, U.K., and have been traveling and working as an English teacher for over a year.  I have been interested in marine biology since I was a wee nipper, and I made a promise to myself when I left the UK that I would finally learn to dive.  I got my Open Water certification last Christmas Eve, in 2015, in Bocas Del Toro, Panama.  Since then, diving has become a huge part of my life, and I can’t imagine living far from the sea now.  My daily commute to work is by boat.  What’s not to love?
So why did I decided to do my DM?  Well, everything about the lifestyle appeals to me. I feel part of a community of passionate and proactive nutters, who share my sense of adventure and curiosity about the ocean.  I also love what the DMT course at Scuba Junkie has brought out in me and those around me: a focus on empowering one another, improving my diving skills, and my awareness of the environment and marine life, and generally taking pride in what I do.  It is undeniably a full-on course, but it has felt great to be totally immersed in something so dynamic and new.
My experience at Scuba Junkie has been so positive; mainly because the staff here are so helpful and lovely, and they have gone out of their way to help me with any queries.  Ultimately, every time I dive here, I learn something new.  I find it so useful watching the variety of teaching styles of different instructors and dive masters, and I learn so much by observing and chatting to other divers who are visiting too.

DOLLY:
I am Dolly from China studying in Melbourne right now.  Half a year ago, I got my AOW certification in Koh Tao, Thailand, and I was addicted in scuba diving after that.  During this summer vacation, I found a really cool place to begin my DMT – Scuba Junkie.  It helps every diver to realize his dream.  For me, I just want to travel around the world and find part-time jobs in different places.  The DMT program trains me to be a professional diver including offering practical skills as well as theoretical knowledge.  I am meeting lots of friends here even though most of them cannot speak Chinese. Scuba diving is such a magical sport because it allows people from different languages and backgrounds to bond together.  I am so happy that I am welcomed by everyone here.  If you want to enjoy a lifestyle where every day is a holiday then come and join us.

We are already in Week 3 of the program.  At the moment, the DMTs are currently finishing the second half of their exam.  Earlier this week, they worked together to complete the mapping project.  They focused on their strengths – navigating, fin kicking, and artistic ability – to create a map of the ever favorite dive site, Awas.




Later this week, we plan to dive to 40 meters to meet the Deep Dive requirement.  During this dive, we will check to see if the scuba babies are affected by nitrogen narcosis by playing a couple of hand eye coordination games while at 40 meters.  At 30 meters, we will look at color differences, and at 15 meters, they will navigate a reciprocal heading – 20 fin kicks out and 20 fin kicks back.  Moreover, we plan to finish up the Search and Recovery activity.  During this practical application, the DMTs have to search for small and large objects and learn how to operate lift bags as well as learning how to tie three knots – bowline, two half hitches, and sheet bend.  For the small objects, I throw several coins into the Scuba Junkie confined area of Awas.  The DMTs then have 25 minutes to find as many coins as possible.  For every coin that they do not find, they will have to give me one in return.  I find this sufficient motivation for them to do well.  Jason, another DMT instructor and Scuba Junkie legend, would always stand at the stairs and yell words of encouragement.  He would literally yell, “Words of Encouragement.”  Both methods work well :-)


If you have any questions about our DMT program, please feel free to email Scuba Junkie @ info@scuba-junkie.com.  We would love to hear from you.

Thursday 28 January 2016

Congratulations to our December DMTs!!

DECEMBER BLOG
Last month in December, we had three amazing DMTs: Kai (in the blue t-shirt), Chris (on the left), and Cat (on the right).






KAI:
My name is Kai.  I am a regular local guy from Borneo.  I am the account clerk at Scuba Junkie.  One day, I told Ash and Dave [Semporna managers] that I would like to do diving as my career.  After talking with Ric [Scuba Junkie’s owner], Scuba Junkie offered to enroll me in the divemaster internship program, which allows me to take all the courses (open water, advanced, EFR, and rescue) up to the divemaster level.  I am very happy diving and meeting people.  I have learned a lot from the instructors here!  Now, I realize that I need nitrogen to live ☺

CHRIS:
Chris is one of the new DMTs at Scuba Junkie in December. He hails from Brisbane, Australia, and has been diving since he was first certified as an Open Water Diver in the Maldives in 2001. Chris is a career researcher, and is completing his DMT internship in order to have a more active and leading role in his university’s dive club. He came to Mabul to see peacock mantis shrimp and flamboyant cuttlefish – both of which he saw on his first day. Hobbies include talking, all the time and about anything at all, to anyone who will listen / is within earshot.

CAT:
Catherine is the second recruit in Decembers DMT course, from Sydney, Australia. First certified in 1997, searching far and wide to do her DMT course and finally finding her ‘happy place’– Scuba Junkie Mabul.  With a background in Sales & Marketing, she is looking to change the scenery from the usual office grind as well as to become a better diver.  Travel, photography, diving and salsa dancing are just some of her interests – and looking for any opportunity in which to combine one or more of these interests is her passion in life.

Below is a picture of the December DMTs after completing their equipment exchange/stress test.  Everybody succeeded with flying colors, and Scuba Junkie is happy to introduce them to the world as PROFESSIONAL DIVERS!



If you're interested in taking the step into professional diving please send an email to info@scuba-junkie.com