Overview

Become a PADI Pro at our headquarters in Bali Diving Academy and intern as a research diver in Nusa Lembongan. Accepting applications all year round for a minimum stay of 2 months.

The Penida Project is the Indo Ocean Project’s headquarters. This is a dive master program with a minimum stay of 2 months. Complete your dive course up to PADI Dive Master and work alongside a team of experienced marine researchers and dive instructors. Contribute to local and global conservation efforts while exploring the rich waters surrounding the Nusa Penida MPA (Marine Protected Area).

Experience close encounters with manta rays, sharks, turtles, and sunfish and enjoy the world class diving the islands of Nusa Penida, Lembongan, and Ceningan has to offer. Take an active roll as a field researcher collecting vital data for international conservation databases including Support Our Sharks, eOceans, and sharks-base. Also take part in our resident projects such as Dr. Mark Bond’s (Florida International University) Baited Remote Underwater Video research.

Complete your PADI Dive Master course along with specialties including Research Diver, AWARE Shark Conservation Diver, and BRUV Specialty Diver.

About Indo Ocean Project

Indo Ocean Project was founded by marine biologist, dive instructors, and ocean enthusiasts from around the globe to create a nation wide standardized data collection and research diver training program in Indonesia, the heart of the coral triangle. IOP has been working together with Bali Diving Academy, Dr. Mark Bond from Florida International University, and the local communities to carry out scientific research to address shark, ray, and marine conservation issues in this area of the Indo-Pacific.

Our field expeditions in Indonesia hosts international and local research projects focused on marine mega fauna and coral reef conservation in marine reserves across the country.

The aim of the Indo Ocean Project is to generate high quality scientific data to inform local mangers and stakeholders about the status of shark and ray populations in the Marine Protect Area (MPA) , and to increase marine conservation awareness among the local communities and general public. 

You don’t need to be a diver or scientist to take part! Our project relies on the experience and expertise of our volunteers from around the world to take action and take part.

About Bali Diving Academy

Bali Diving Academy is a multi award wining 5 star PADI IDC centre with 4 dive shops in Bali’s top diving destinations including Nusa Lembongan, Sanur, Tulamben, and Pamuteran. They are a professional center operating since 1991 with a 100% safety record. It is a multi lingual team with the ability to teach in English, French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Bahasa Indonesian.

As a Dive Master Trainee (DMT) with Bali Diving Academy, you will work closely with multiple instructors and experinced dive guides to help prepare you to become a dive professional. After the completion of this course you will be ready to complete your Instructor Development Course (IDC) or continue on as a research diver.

Why Us? 

Indonesia has been ranked as the number one shark fishing nation for the last 3 decades. Geographically, Indonesia should have some of the highest biodiversity of shark, ray, and predatory species in the world, but the high demand for shark fins and manta ray gill rakers has caused severe overfishing across the country and nearly exhausted the population. This is the front lines of marine mega fauna conservation efforts.

Due to the difficulties of studying elasmobranch abundance in the wild, different techniques had to be invented in order to address different ecological questions. One of these techniques is the Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV). This shark study method has been used in numerous studies around the world and has been shown very successful.

Interns with Indo Ocean Project are crucial to successful BRUV deployments, retrievals, and analysis. It takes a team to get everything done in the limited time available to us. As a member of the research team you must be ready to work efficiently together in a fast paced environment to unsure a success. 

About The Internship

Why become a Dive Master?

The PADI Divemaster course is your first level of professional training. Working closely with your mentoring Dive Instructor and Bali Diving Academy’s team, you’ll fine tune your dive skills, like perfecting the effortless hover, and refine your rescue skills so you anticipate and easily solve common problems. You’ll gain dive knowledge, management and supervision abilities so you become a role model to divers everywhere.

As a PADI Divemaster, you’ll lead others as you supervise scuba diving activities and assist with diver training. PADI Divemasters are respected dive professionals who are aligned with the largest and most respected dive organization in the world – PADI.

Before you can be a good research diver, you first must be a good diver. The PADI Dive Master and Research Diver Internship will give you the skills needed to work either in marine conservation/research or the diving industry. You will meet like-minded individuals and be able to network with experienced and aspiring marine biologists and organizations from around the world.

What will you learn?

The PADI Divemaster course teaches you to be a leader and take charge of dive activities. Through knowledge development sessions with your mentoring instructor, Watermanship skills exercises and workshops, and hands on practical assessment, you develop the skills to organize and direct a variety of scuba activities. In partnership with your research diver internship you will be able to conduct and lead various marine research.

Topics and practical workshops include:

  • The role and characteristics of the PADI Divemaster
  • Supervising dive activities and assisting with student divers
  • Intensive Fish Identification and survey methods
  • Baited Remote Underwater Video research and methodology
  • Diver safety and risk management
  • Divemaster conducted programs and specialized skills
  • Business of diving and your career
  • Awareness of the dive environment
  • Dive setup and management
  • Mapping an open water site
  • Conducting recreational and research dive briefings
  • Organizing a search and recovery project and a deep dive
  • Conducting a scuba review and skin diver course
  • Assisting with Discover Scuba Diving and leading Discover Local Diving programs

**You may be able to get college credit for the Divemaster course – ask your instructor and professor for more details**

What scuba gear will you use?As a dive professional, you’ll want to have all your basic scuba equipment, including a dive computer, a dive knife, and a surface signalling device. During practical skills exercises, like underwater mapping and search and recovery, you’ll use a compass, floats, marker buoys, life bags, and slates. This is your time to start building your personal set of gear. All equipment purchased through Indo Ocean Project receives a 10% discount. Ask us for more information.

About Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida

The Penida Project is located on the island of Nusa Lembongan in the Penida Marine Park. Lembongan is a diver, surfer, and yogi paradise only a 30-minute boat ride from southeast Bali and ideally located only 1 hour away from the Denpasar International Airport. It is part of the Klungkung Regency district which includes the three islands of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan, and Nusa Penida.

Nusa Lembongan is around 8 square kilometres with around 5,000 inhabitants. In 2010 Nusa Penida was name an MPA (Marine Protected Area) by the 41 local villages and a strong community effort, one year later it was recognized by the Indonesian government. As a part of the district of Bali, it is rich in Hindu culture with many temples to visit and ceremonies to attend throughout the year. The people are among the friendliest in the world and are very welcoming to all visitors and proud to show off their beautiful island. It is off the beaten Bali track, but it is an adventure seekers dream with world-class diving, cliff jumping, hiking, surfing, and yoga. Bali is only a 30-minute boat ride away and filled with shopping, beaches, night life, and a number adventure activities.

Diving in the Penida Marine Park

Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan have quickly become a dive destination because of its year round sightings of manta rays and the seasonal appearance of the famous Mola Mola (Sunfish). Divers travel from around the world to dive the famous dive sites of Blue Corner, Crystal Bay, and Manta Point. Your best chance to see the Mola Mola are from the months of July – October, while manta rays are spotted year round at their favorite cleaning and feeding stations along Nusa Penida’s cliffs. The water temperatures can range from 16 degrees to 30 degrees with cold upwelling’s arriving in June bringing nutrient rich waters from the depths of the Lombok straight. The majority of our dives are drift dives, where we jump off the boat and drift with the current until our dive is complete and the boat crew picks us up wherever we surface. The fast current draws in the large sharks and rays as it is easier for them to breathe. The ocean surrounding the three islands are a MPA (Marine Protected Area) with many research projects and conservation initiative helping to protect the land and sea park.

Typical Day 

The project runs 7 days a week and all interns are entitled to 1 day off per week or 4 days off per month. These days can be accumulated if you require a few days off in a row.

Your first few weeks are dedicated to dive, methodology, and fish ID training and workshops. Once you are trained and have successfully complete your BRUV research diver and Fish ID test you will take part in the daily research tasks.

The average day begins at 07:30 when the team meets at Bali Diving Academy to prepare for their day and ends around 17:30, with rotating night shifts until 19:30 around once a week.

The boat leaves Nusa Lembongan at 08:30 and 10:30 for 2 tank dives daily and occasional afternoon 1 tank dives in the afternoon. You will assist a staff member throughout the day with their daily tasks changing daily on demand. You will alternate between staff so you can see different diving and teaching styles to start creating your own. Your time will be slipt between the following tasks:
1) Dive Master’s and Dive Guides – learning how to guide dives around the Penida Marine Park.
2) Instructors – assisting courses from Discover Scuba Diving to Rescue Diver in the pool, classroom, and open water.
3) Research Team – Take an active role in the research team as a research diver and field scientist collecting abundance data on dives and placing and retrieving the BRUV’s.
4) Office Time – Help the dive team in the office with equipment maintance and repair, sales and bookings, data entry and analysis, independent study, and dive master workshops.

Packages

Projects like this rely on the generosity of our partners and volunteers to develop and grow. In order for us to create an awesome adventure for you we do require a tuition to cover your expenses while on program. Because of the donations from our local partners we are able to keep the cost low while covering all your needs so you can focus on your training and your work during this adventure.

Below you will see the package options available depending on your current diving experience. All prices are in Indonesian Rupiah

ALL PACKAGES INCLUDE ACCOMMODATION, IN COUNTRY TRANSPORTATION, LUNCH DURING WORKING DAYS, AND 2 PROGRAM SHIRTS

—————–

PACKAGE #1 – DIVE MASTER

PROGRAM FEES: 28,220,000 IDR

Description: For advanced diver’s who have completed most of their diver training before program start date.

Prerequisites: For candidates who have completed their Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver, CPR/First Air & O2 Provider courses prior to their program start date. Have a minimum of 40 logged dives and have been cleared for diving by a doctor.

Courses Included: PADI Dive Master, AWARE Shark Conservation Diver Specialty, BRUV Diver Specialty

Minimum Time Commitment: 2 months

—————–

PACKAGE #2 – RESCUER

PROGRAM FEES: 33,660,000 IDR

Description: For experienced divers who need to complete their rescue skills during their program.

Prerequisites: For candidates who have completed heir Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver courses prior to their program start date. Have a minimum of 20 logged dives and have been cleared for diving by a doctor.

Courses Included: PADI Rescue Diver, EFR CPR/First Air & Oxygen Provider, PADI Dive Master, AWARE Shark Conservation Diver, BRUV Diver Specialty

Minimum Time Commitment: 2.5 months

—————–

PACKAGE #3 – ADVANCED

PROGRAM FEES: 40,180,000

Description: For divers with beginner knowledge and experience who have completed their first diving course with a few extra dives.

Prerequisites: For candidates who have completed their Open Water Diver training prior to their program start date and have been cleared for diving by a doctor.

Course Included: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Rescue Diver, EFR CPR/First Air & Oxygen Provider, PADI Dive Master, AWARE Shark Conservation Diver, BRUV Diver Specialty.

Minimum Time Commitment: 3 months

—————–

PACKAGE #4 – BEGINNER (ZERO TO HERO)

PROGRAM FEES: 48,540,000

Description: For applicants who have no previous diving experience and need to complete all the required prerequisites to complete your PADI Dive Master certification.

Prerequisites: Comfortable in the open water, can complete a timed 400m free swim and tread water for 15 minutes, have been cleared for diving by a doctor.

Course Included: PADI Open Water Diver, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Rescue Diver, EFR CPR/First Air & Oxygen Provider, PADI Dive Master, AWARE Shark Conservation Diver, BRUV Diver Specialty.

Minimum Time Commitment: 4 months

—————–

NOT INCLUDED IN PROGRAM FEES

  • Return flights to home country
  • In country spending money
  • Breakfast and Dinner
  • Travel and Dive Insurance
  • PADI Profesional Processing Fees (2,500,000 IDR)
  • PADI DM Crew Pack and Training Manuals (2,800,000)
  • PADI Dive Master e-Learning (2,800,000)

Next Step: 

Applications are accepted year round for any start dates. However with limited spaces available you may have to be flexible. High season is from June – October and spots fill up quickly during these dates. You can apply online at https://indooceanproject.org/expeditions/penida-project/apply-now-penida/ or contact info@indooceanproject.org for more information.