The 2023 AquaMarine Diving – Bali

Posted on January 16, 2023January 16, 2023 by Annabel Thomas

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AMD-B is (more than!) Ready for 2023!

I like the idea of “New year: New start!” however I am happy to confirm the AquaMarine Team will continue to follow our Business-as-Usual progress since borders reopened six month ago.

I say “business” but really, AquaMarine’s approach is far beyond money – we aim to excel, to exceed the expectations of our guests, and to promote (and show) Bali’s diving to the best of our combined abilities.

Here in the office, we have some redecorating to do, and we need to replace two minibuses we sold at the beginning of the pandemic. However AMD-B is most definitely ‘back in its stride’. Our 23 years of experience provides an immoveable foundation!

Later this year, probably from 1st April, our prices will go up.
If you would like advance warning, please email us on Info@AquaMarineDiving.com. Alternatively, you can Subscribe to our Monthly Update (next one will be 14 February) to see details.

In the meantime: If you book and pay a deposit before 31 March, for any trip/diving up to 31 December 2023, we will give you our current prices.

We have an interesting selection of Specials Offers lined up for 2023. Some are centred around specific dates, eg: Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, Earth Day, even as far as Christmas/New Year.

Also for our female guests (8 years and above) we have: International Women’s Day, and PADI Women’s Dive Day in July, There’s also ‘International Day of Families’. And ‘PADI AWARE Week’ which is 16-24 September this year – oh, and AMD-B’s 24th Birthday on 18 September 🙂

The easiest ways to get details of these is (as above) subscribe to our Monthly Updates, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and to just email us your dates!

2022 Divemaster Internship End of Programme

Posted on November 14, 2022January 10, 2023 by Annabel Thomas

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2022 Divemaster Internship End of Programme

A Final ‘End of Month’ Report from Dhona, AMD-B’s 2022 Zero-to-Hero PADI DM Intern:

“Officially on my last month as a Divemaster intern in AMD-B. The thing on my mind now is just to make sure I maximize every opportunity that I have. These 7 months are just amazing experience for me, like a dream come true. From my first breath underwater, I knew that I want to do scuba diving everyday. And it was not an impulsive decision for sure. I had fun. In this internship, I work everyday but I also have fun and learn a lot of things everyday. I met hundreds people, heard stories from them, shared a lot of things, did 200 dives, laughed everyday, and smiled to thousands people.

The title of this program is Divemaster internship, but I learn way more than being a Divemaster. I tried to be active and take care of other people, not only myself. I learn how to be a good dive guide, which means good for the guests and good for the environment. This internship opened my eyes that even I, just one person, can do so much for the environment by consistent little steps.

After this, I’m planning to take a few days break to explore Bali and then work as a dive guide in dive company around Bali, because I feel confident guiding a dive around Bali at the moment. But, I’m not closing any possibilities to be a dive guide outside Bali. My long term plan is just to be able to promote and raise awareness towards our environment especially the ocean, whatever the way is. I can be a dive guide that’s always reminding my guests to take part to protect the environment, or be an environmentalist, or make a research and open people’s eyes about the importance to protect the environment.”

AquaMarine Diving – Bali Turns 23yo & Why YOU should learn to dive!

Posted on October 11, 2022December 11, 2022 by Annabel Thomas

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AquaMarine Diving - Bali Turns 23yo and Why YOU should learn to dive!

Growing up in the UK, learning to scuba dive never made it onto my To-Do list – too cold and not much to see, at least nothing that would interest me.

Then I did my career girl thing in London which was about as far removed from scuba diving as you could imagine 🙂

I spent several years backpacking, and also lived overseas (the USA 3 times, Australia for a year, Japan twice) but I never thought of learning to dive.

It wasn’t until March 1998 when I was living in Jakarta and someone I thought I knew pretty well told me that on her recent holiday in New Zealand, she’d dived the Rainbow Warrior shipwreck (the Greenpeace boat bombed by French intelligence operatives in Auckland harbour in 1985) that I had a “I want to do that!” moment!

So the next month I went up to Manado, North Sulawesi and got certified – it genuinely changed my life!

That May I spent two weeks diving in Bali, mainly around Menjangan Island in the NW, and Tulamben Bay, with a Day Trip to Nusa Penida to visit Manta Point.

I returned to Jakarta and resigned; moved to Bali in December, taking my PADI Divemaster in January, and becoming an Instructor in April. I received the licence for AquaMarine Diving – Bali on 18 September 1999, and I’ve never looked back!

No, it hasn’t been plain-sailing – but what in life ever is! – however I have an amazing team in AMD-B: Helpful, friendly, supportive. And some of the world’s greatest, and most diverse, diving right on my doorstep! I am ‘Living The Dream’.

Why am I writing this? Well partly because AMD-B turning 23yo has made me feel a bit introspective, a bit nostalgic 🙂

But mainly because I want to put this message in writing: Even if learning to scuba dive isn’t life-changing for you, it will benefit you in ways you’d never imagine –

– It improves your self-confidence and self-reliance.

– Scuba diving is The Most Relaxing pastime ever (very far from being an ‘Extreme Sport’!).

– As the saying goes: It’s a different kind of pressure underwater … no mobile phones, no social media, the incessant chatter is just the fish, the only sounds are your breathing. And we all need some respite from the 24/7 of the 21st century.

So, please, learn to dive – and then give the gift of scuba diving to your friends and loved-ones!