To insure, or not to insure…..that is the question.

It is a conundrum most divers face when booking that lovely, exotic dive holiday or live aboard. You may have saved up all year, or more! But you are only going away for a week or two, so is it really worth forking out so much  cash for 12 months’ worth of Insurance? Those that have had an incident whilst on a dive trip would say a huge ‘Hell yeah!’ But of course, we don’t go away thinking the worse might happen, or we would never leave the house!

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Blue Corner Dive's In House Course Director

For many, meeting their Course Director for the first time can be a slightly daunting experience. They are the Oracles of diving knowledge and hold the keys to your future career in the dive industry. They can have an intense presence and you can feel anxious to make a good impression…..Sounds stressful, right?! And that’s before you hit the class room!!

Not if you chose Cody McDonald as your Course Director.  Although Cody has now been a Professional member of PADI for 16 Years, an Instructor for 15 years and a Course Director for 5 years. He still feels as joyful and enthusiastic about the industry as the day he became a Divemaster. And importantly, no superior to a Divemaster. This is his energy and work ethic.  

Each PADI Instructor Examination Blue Corner Dive candidates attend, they are complimented on how much fun they have and how relaxed they all are. Whilst still achieving some of the highest scores possible. The PADI examiners tell us they look forward to meeting our new Instructors. So how does Cody do it? We ask him to find out…

Us: So how do you keep everyone smiling and relaxed through their IDC?!

Cody: Hahahahaha! It’s about fun. If you’re having it then those around you generally are. And I LOVE teaching Instructors, it’s my dream job and I feel like I was always meant to be doing this. They are my peeps! I have just the same interests and hobbies as they do. We have so much in common already. Also the key is to not stress people out! I don’t tend to share the full schedule with the group, we roll day to day so candidates only need to focus on the skill at hand. There is no reason an Instructor Development Course or Instructor Exams should be stressful. We chose to become dive Instructors for FUN!! So we start as we mean to go on.

Us: So what did you do in your ‘previous life?’

Cody: I was a Registered Nurse in Canada. Specialising in Pediatric Intensive Care and Palliative care and I used to really enjoy teaching College Students who were studying nursing. 

Us: So what changed your life and drove you to open 6 dive shops and become a Course Director?

Cody: Well, the plan was never to get so big! We just wanted to open a place that we would love to hang out and dive at. And I’m so happy other people did too! I always LOVED teaching and connecting with happy people perusing their dreams so I had to chase my own dreams and become a CD.

Us: So what makes your Instructor Development Course different to others?

Cody: I never use the same recipe twice. It’s important to tailor each course to fit the group. Each candidate is completely unique. From different cultures, educational backgrounds and learn in completely unique ways, to mention just a few things. So how can I expect to teach everyone in the same way?!  To deal with this I follow the curriculum and spend time with the candidates to understand how they can learn most efficiently in order to teach them far above and beyond the PADI requirements.

So weather its dancing underwater through your skills circuit, making you belly laugh during your classroom presentations, or simply getting to know someone over a beer in a beanbag. Cody is the Course Director who will give you awesome memories for life and the guy you can always call your friend.     

 

 

Our Dive Centres

Some people say you can't have it all and you need to make sacrifice when it comes to choosing where to dive.. Well not with Blue Corner Dive. The owners Cody and Andrew came from years of working, and playing, in the industry. Their ideology when they built Blue Corner was to create an environment with first class diving education, where they would want to not only dive but a place where they could while away the day on a beautiful beach with good vibes. And that's exactly what they did.

 

Years later, Blue Corner has grown into a full family! And now includes a big busy, fun dive centre right on a golden beach with an awesome bar and infinity pool, on Nusa Lembongan. The only PADI Career Development Centre on the island, this shop is bursting with personality and has the best reputation for Divemaster Candidates aswell as Instructor Development Courses. I could not forget to mention the world famous Friday night BBQ, bonfire and beach party!

 

If that's not your style but you still want to train with the best, then no worries. We also have a smaller more relaxed, personal Dive Centre at the opposite end of Nusa Lembongan in Mushroom Beach. There you will be in smaller groups and boats, providing a high end experience to our guests and learning from some of our longest standing Instructors. The ‘new kid on the block’ is our centre on the magical island neighbour, Nusa Penida. Far from so many other tourists, this island is truly still rural Indonesia at its finest! Based right on the beach directly I front of one of the areas most famous dive sites, we are always ready to jump in for that perfect dive. Here you will get an authentic, Balinese village life-style in some seriously beautiful surroundings.

 

The one thing all the centres have in common are the dive sites. Magnificent Manta rays can be found in the south 90% of the times we visit, which is almost daily! The North Coast boast some of the best coral coverage in the Coral Triangle and gives great drift dives.  Crystal Bay and our namesake, Blue Corner, offer Mola Molas and deep adventurous diving. There are then a selection of more advanced dive sites you will get to enjoy and we regularly explore the lesser dived areas of the island.

 

When you are looking for something altogether different you can head up to the North West tip of Bali, where the rugged volcanoes meet those of Java. And cruise along the warm coral walls of Menjangan National park. With our dedicated and highly experienced dive team you will feel unique and have the opportunity to enjoy their wisdom and try to see the mating mandarin fish at sunset!

 

So if you want to be surrounded by a great bunch of like minded people,in environment you can dream of, with world class diving. Test the best and choose the diversity of Blue Corner Dive.

The mad skills of Made and Made

For those of you who have had the pleasure of diving here at Nusa Lembongan, you will know the astonishing wonders that lie just beneath the surface. It’s amazing to think that you only need to descend a few metres to experience other worldly creatures and zero gravity. And like entering any unusual or exotic domain, one should seek out the very best training or guidance you can. After all, without it you may miss the very best things to see… 

We are incredibly lucky here at Blue Corner Dive, we offer you an exceptional team of professional divers that boasts not 1 but 2 of Indonesia’s absolute finest. As voted by PADI divers!

 Meet Made Partayasa and Made Gareng, local legends. Together they have over 30 years of experience diving here in Nusa Lembongan and exploring Indonesia underwater. However, it is not just this that makes them exceptional in their field.

Known by colleagues and friends simply as P and G, there is nothing you cannot ask these wise oracles of the ocean and find a fulfilling and engaging response. Talented teachers, they always have time and energy for their students having racked up more than 1000 PADI diver certifications, from Discover Scuba to Divemaster!! 

Made P won the prestigious award of PADI Educator of the Month, Worldwide! For the number of students who wrote to PADI specifically to commend his level of excellence in dive training. You can usually find Made P demonstrating endless patience and flawless skills in the pool teaching his adoring students. As the saying goes, he is often imitated but never duplicated.  He will gladly talk at length and spend time showing you how to thoroughly service your regulator or test tanks. He is simply a fountain of knowledge for the Divemaster Candidates, sharing experience money can’t buy.  His journey from Surfer to Staff Instructor has been a challenging one and Made’s ability to understand individuals struggles with diving and teach from his own experience is what makes him an exceptional Instructor.

Made G’s diving career stems from a never ending passion for the ocean and the creatures in it. He was that kid who’s parents couldn’t get him out of the ocean, till sunset. His comfort underwater is like no other, finding it as easy to dive without a mask or fins as he does with them! And then there’s that smile…….the one that brings joy to your day and you just can’t forget. Made G’s incredible talent for finding Mola Mola is famous, around here he goes by the nickname ‘Mola Master, Made’. If there is one to be seen on a dive, he will find it for you!

Committed to the business and proud boat owners the Made’s Hindu Balinese culture adds a wealth of know ledge to their epic ocean understanding. Following a 35 day lunar calendar, and years of experience, the boys embody an almost mystical sixth sense of the ocean conditions. Getting you into the very best dive site at the very best time. They will really make your ocean dreams come true, giving you that unique underwater adventure.