Peanuts and coffee with Bayu

Meet Bayu, Divemaster at Two Fish Amed, and future PADI instructor! The last two weeks Bayu has been busy studying for his instructor course. Bayu started at Two Fish knowing only a few words English and today he is in training to become a dive instructor, ‘I need a challenge’ he laughs. We asked him about his dive experience, the Instructor Development Course and what his future plans are.

Two Fish Family

Restuning, Bayu and Ming (left to right) after an open water training session. The three of them always smile!

For Bayu it was clear he wanted to work at Two Fish Divers, the Two Fish Family as he lovingly calls it. When a job in the Two Fish Lembeh restaurant was available Bayu was happy to take it and extend his experience outside of diving, waiting until the position for dive guide was open. During this time he learned things far outside his comfort zone: how to properly clean a kitchen, mixing drinks and how to steer a boat. Also, his English improved lots, ‘before, for English, I only know yes and no. And that’s it’ he laughs. Today he’s one of our chattiest dive guides, doing briefings, making jokes and explaining guests all about the creatures they just found. In school, he didn’t like to learn English and he often ran out of school when the English lessons started, not knowing that one day he would be working in the tourism industry and he would have to talk English the whole day! During his work as a dive guide, he learned English when talking to guests, asking for the meaning of the words he didn’t know. He enjoyed learning from guests, ‘it’s very good for me’ he says, ‘it’s lucky where I am right now, what I’m doing.’

Work as a dive guide

Bayu has been working as a dive guide since 2012, how many dives he has done during this time he doesn’t know exactly, ‘I stop counting my logbook 2017, because of too much paper’. He started diving in Lembeh and loves the little critters; he has quite the eye for the small stuff. When he moved to Bali he loved the new adventure. Experience in one place doesn’t count he explains, you need to learn more, get a challenge to become a truly experienced diver. In Bali he is happy, he learned different aspects of diving such as drift diving and how to fight currents. If he wants to stay in Bali is not sure yet, one moment he says he wants to stay here forever, the next he mentions he loves traveling and would like to explore more places, Indonesia and beyond. Luckily, for now, he is happy, he can travel enough with Two Fish as it has multiple locations in Indonesia.

Bayu tying the buoy line for an open water training

Starting the Instructor Development Course

The Instructor Development Course was the next step for Bayu in his diving education. While being a dive guide and during his divemaster course he got to see a lot of instructors at work, and when possible he would come and listen to their briefings, or the theory sessions, to learn more. ‘I’m learning from them, I listen, and ah wow, it’s nice and very interesting for me’ he says.

Peanuts and Coffee

Ming and Bayu are a great team, under water and above!

Two weeks of IDC can be pretty intense, ‘When your brain is busy with the stuff of IDC but it helps with peanuts‘. Peanuts, coffee and the ice cream is what got Bayu and Ming, his instructor candidate buddy, through the IDC. It’s dangerous though he laughs because once you start eating peanuts you can’t stop! Bayu and Ming are a good team, using their strengths to help each other. The language was something Bayu needed some extra assistance with, Ming was happy to translate the ‘PADI language’ and explain the question. When asked if the IDC was hard he answers ‘Everyone will think it’s hard if they’re not learning, right?’

The language skills were the most difficult, but having an Indonesian course director certainly helped; she understands how difficult it is. Restuning remembered him every day that he needed to study to improve. He liked that she didn’t push him, this kept him motivated to study every evening, Restuning is a very joyful person and with a joke every now and then she keeps everyone motivated. She is always smiling; ‘it’s best if she stays like that.’

Ming and Bayu getting instructions on CPR during the EFR instructor course

What’s next

Bayu is going back to Amed at the end of the IDC. With the starting of high season in Amed there are many people to be guided and lots of frogfish to be found. He assured Restuning he’d study at least one exam question every evening after work, to stay on top of the theory. With some extra study sessions, Bayu will be ready for the Instructor Examinations which will take place 25-26 September in Amed. Soon he will be an instructor, ‘I will. It’s not hopefully, I will!’

His buddy Ming did do the Instructor Exams this month, and passed with flying colors! When Ming goes to do his specialty instructor training in Amed Bayu would love to meet up with again. They are planning to have a small after-party in Amed, celebrating their teamwork and friendship.