The Life of a Divemaster Trainee in Gili Trawangan
So, you’re ready to take your diving to a professional level? Doing your divemaster training (DMT) is a big task. It is both big time and financial commitment, but oh so worth it. Maybe you want to work as a divemaster (DM) and eventually become an instructor. Or perhaps you just love diving and want to improve your own diving knowledge and techniques. Whatever your reason, Gili Divers will provide you with an amazing program.
We have a very active DMT program and always have students at various stages. We welcome newcomers continuously. No need to plan around a specific start date. Our DMTs are invited to take as long as they can to complete the course. This allows for more training opportunities.
We recommend 12 weeks to complete the course. If not possible, we have a fast-paced option which can get it done in about five weeks. The logistics of the course can be found on our website.
What Does Divemaster Training Involve?
It is important to note that here at Gili Divers, we do not simply “check the boxes” in any of our programs. We take pride in our students and form great divemasters! At the very beginning of the DMT program, each student is paired with a mentor. Your mentor will guide you and ensure that things move along with your training.
During the DMT program, you will be tested on a few things. This includes swimming, theory, rescue skills and the ability to perform and demonstrate the 24 basic skills.
The majority of your days will be assisting with courses. You will assist on all courses ranging from Intros to Rescue with a variety of instructors. As you progress, you will demonstrate skills under instructor supervision to show what you’re learning.
For added learning, the instructors host various monthly lectures covering all kinds of information. Some of the topics include diving techniques, physics, physiology, equipment, the local environment, dive sites and dive conditions.
By the end of your DMT program, you will begin briefing and guiding people under supervision. After a while you’ll get so used to it, you’ll realize how ready you are!
Daily Life of a DMT
A typical day for a DMT is nice and busy. Starting between 8:00 and 9:00 and finishing around 16:00. The specifics of what you do in a day depends on the course that you are assisting on.
You can expect to sit in on the course lecture, do a pool session, dive briefings and debriefings, and do between one and three dives. The fact that every day is a little different keeps it fun and interesting!
There is, of course, time during the day for breaks, food and socializing! There are always staff and guests around the shop to chat with between dives. We also have a nice restaurant on site that will get you that between-dive snack that you need!
A day of assisting and diving can be tiring! DMTs finish at the shop around 16:00 which usually turns into a shower and chill time. Instructors and DMs who are not on the night shift finish at the shop at 18:00.
Night shift runs from 18:00 to 21:00 and DMTs are responsible for about one shift a week. It is hard work… The group orders food, has a few cheeky Bintangs, plays some Monopoly Deal and helps customers sign up for diving the next day.
You will usually find that a lot of the staff hangs around on nights shifts, even when they don’t need to. If all our friends are at the shop, they why be anywhere else anyway!
The “Party” Island
We are in Gili T. We know how it works, especially for young people who’ve never been here before. It is very easy to over-indulge yourself in the Gili T party scene. Some get so “lost in the sauce” that they lose weeks of training due to being unfit to dive come the morning. We live on a fun island. But keep in mind, you’ll only get as much as you give to the DMT program.
There are a few weekly events that are quite popular with our staff. Tuesdays are taco night at Tiki Grove. Thursdays and Sundays are the pool parties at our affiliated hostels. You will usually find most of the crew playing some rage cage there. Don’t worry, we’ll teach you how to play. And Friday, oh glorious Friday… Rock n’ Roll Bingo at Lava! Can’t explain it, you’ll have to come see for yourself.
On top of that, there is always something happening in Gili T. Whether it’s live music in Sama Sama, drinks here or there, or an epic Irish Wednesday. It can be hard to control yourself. But once that alarm hits you at 7 am, you’ll probably realize you won’t want to party every night.
Why Choose Gili T
Indonesia itself is often regarded to hold some of the best diving in the world. With over 17,000 islands there is amazingly diverse marine life. It’s amazing on land too, with landscapes and people that will steal your heart.
The waters around Gili T are great for learning. It is warm (26-29 degrees Celsius) year-round and offers great visibility. Yet, it is not boring. It has depth, mild/changing currents and plenty of dive sites to change between. It is a great place to learn and concrete your skills.
The best part of our DMT program is that it is YOUR course. You can take days off to explore the amazing places around you. A typical day off in Gili T usually involves lounging by one of the many pools with a cheeky cocktail. However, there is a “hill” to climb, beaches to explore, sunsets to drool over, cafes to test and other islands to explore! A day off in Gili T will never be boring.
Once you have proven to yourself and your mentor that you are competent and comfortable, you will be a certified divemaster! The only things left are perhaps the most difficult.
First, you will do a full-blown stress test in the pool with instructors. This is the final test of all your skills. Second, your snorkel test! Gili Divers hosts legendary snorkel tests. We won’t go into the details, you’ll have to see it to believe it!
Tempted yet? If you’re interested in learning more about our DMT program then reach out! We keep up to date social media profiles and are always more than happy to answer any questions!
