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Bali Christmas 2002

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

Erik

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2001
4,731
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Well, I've been living in Indonesia since August and I have not written much about the diving here, mainly because I haven't done too much yet. I've been very busy adapting to Jakarta and my new job, teaching swimming, English, and Tae Kwon Do in an international school.
I did some diving in the 1000 Islands north of Jakarta a few times, plus on the west coast. Quite nice I have to say.
I have been in Bali for a few weeks, staying in Kuta, learning to surf (sort of, more like learning how to fall down), meeting people, partying, and getting even more tanned than usual!
I just got back from 4 days on an island called Nusa Lembongan; a small island east of Bali that is very relaxed and "off the map" so to speak. The hotel room on the beach cost 50,000 Rp per night (around 6$ US), and I went out on the scuba trips as a snorkeller for the same amount of money.
I would hide my fin until the last possible moment from the scuba divers so that I could do my pack-stretches, statics, and meditation in peace. If you are a monofin diver or a long bi-fin diver, you know what happens as soon as they see them!! Lots of questions; "how long, how deep, why?", etc, which I am always happy to explain after diving.
The first day was on a 45 degree reef that dropped off very deep. There was a 2 knot current, and I covered a few miles in the hour and a half that I dove into the mass of life that exists here. Usually one sees lots of fish on a reef, which is the case here, but even when I would venture away from he sloped reef so as to get a few 40 metre dives in, I would find myself swimming through a huge volume of bio-mass: fish everywhere, everywhere! A first for me, and this was always the case near Lembongan for all my dives.
I wasn't too happy about the drift dive; these are fine for scubadiving, but not my cup of tea. I have scubadived in 12 knot current in West Coast Canada in a drysuit with twin steels on my back, which was fun, but now I am a freediver, and want peace and tranquility! Maybe I'm just getting old ;)
The next few days of diving were all tranquil. I averaged 3 min up, 2:15 down pretty much all the time.
I found a cave at 18 metres that was just big enough that I could get in and turn around tightly....it went further, but I didn't want the mono to get stuck. I would go inside the cave, turn around, look out, then a huge school of red squirrel fish would make their way back in the cave, joining me in silence. Very nice!
I am back in Kuta now waiting for some friends from Canada to arrive, then we will go back to Nusa Lembongan.
This time I will hopefully get to do some hunting, as a local spearfisherman has offered to rent me a gun!
Cheers to all,
Erik Y.
 
rental guns???!

yep, you're gettin' old! :t

seriously, that sounds tres sweet :cool:

PM me an address and I'll send you a gun. (bugger that rental crap!) ;)


sven
 
If I were anywhere else i would love to let you send me a gun amigo, but the customs "officials" here are through and through 3rd world beauraucrats....it would end up costing me a fortune! :(
There are guns available in Jakarta, and I will buy one this year. My friend was supposed to bring mine from Canada, but he's not a seasoned traveller and is too freaked out about customs harrassing him in Singapore and Bali, so no go on that one.
Personally I would love to argue with these guys as a tourist arriving into Bali airport, when they are starving for tourists.....I wonder how much yelling I could get away with? ;)
Now Singapore, where spearguns have to be registered and can only be carried to and from the divesite, might be a little more problematic! Nice country but a little on the protective side ;)
Cheers,
Erik Y.
 
Hi Erik , glad to hear you are having a good time .
If you happen to be strolling around some dive shops in Bali could you try to collect some e- mail addresses of likely looking employment opportunities ?
BTW , I have heard that there is a local spearo who builds guns , maybe ask around ...:D
 
No kiddin; I can think of worse places to have to do the real work thing, eh? And Erik, keep the orbs open for that straight grained teak... this local spearo will set you up.


sven
 
Ab, I'll get some emails for you, but there are pretty slim pickin's these days. The tourist industry here is suffering from "kneejerk-itis" in a big way, and the last shop I dived with had to let their English Dive Instructor go :(
It will pick up again I'm sure...tourists will forget the bomb soon enough and return to Bali :)
Sven, I actually met a local indi spearo over on Lembongan. He had 1 teak gun that he made himself, and wouldn't rent it or sell it. Gotta feed his family somehow! Beautiful gun, not that I know much about them.
Cheers dudes,
Erik Y
 
hi

Erik average 2:15 down 3 up. Very impressive I dont think I could dive with you because I would be doing two dives before you surface for one and I would be $%$%$.

cheers

ps buy a railgun
 
Maybe true Ivan, but you'd be shooting fish while I tried to find one measilly little bait fish!
In the future you can teach me how to stalk, and I'll help you get some extra bottom time. I assure you that if you were with a buddy, your times would improve dramatically down there....the confidence of knowing that there is a rescuer does wonders for improving depths and bottom time :)
Cheers,
Erik Y.
 
That all sounds awesome Eric. Any plans to return to the great white north for a vacation? All that fun and sun has to wear on a guy after awhile :)..


Also we're planning to try a little ice freediving this winter any tips?
 
hi

Alright Erik I want to come diving with you. I have never actually personally seen anyone dive below 75ft so naturally im really interested to watch someone like yourself stay down for 2:15 and dive 50m. All the things I have learnt about freediving not spearing have been from this site and trial and error. I have never been taught things properly. If I went diving with someone like you for one day I reckon I could learn so much about basic things like breathe ups and streamlining, though my dad has been spearing for a looooong time and has taught me all I know about hunting. Stupid thing is he dosent believe in diving deep to shoot fish he dosent think it is necessary, Im the different Im always TRYING to dive deeper and get new fish.

cheers
 
Sorry JMD, I missed your post!
I miss Canada and the winters, believe it or not, and the diving too, especially Vancouver and the Island. I will be back some time, I'm sure.
Did you guys go icediving yet?
Cheers,
Erik Y.
 
Originally posted by ivan
I have never actually personally seen anyone dive below 75ft

Neither has anybody diving in Canadian waters -- visibility is only about 20ft at best. :)

So when are you coming back to visit us, Erik?
 
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