Scuba Diving for gap year and career break divers

Programme Overview

The programme is designed for gap year students, students looking for thesis and dissertation topics, those on career breaks and anyone who is interested in more than your average holiday!

The Gili Islands are the second largest Biorock® site in the world and are currently home to 37 Biorock® structures. The reef restoration project is coordinated by the Gili Eco Trust which works closely with the DKP (Indonesian Marine Conservation and fisheries) and is part of the Coral Triangle Project.

Since 2004, when the first Biorock® reef was installed in Gili Trawangan, many students have come to study the Biorock® reef restoration projects as a part of their Thesis or Master Degree. The aim for GYD volunteers is to extend these projects so that the Gili Islands become a global centre for coral research and re-growth. 

With your help there's a very real fighting chance to help reverse a lot of the damage done to the shallow water corals due to irresponsible fishing practices, pollution and El Nino weather effects.

05th Feb 2010 >> Programme featured on Sport Diver website in news section

Itinerary

Weeks 1 and 2
These are spent completing dive training from Open Water up to Rescue Diver. In between courses you have the chance to enjoy a couple fun dives in order to enhance your diving experience and enjoy the marine life in this stunning part of the world. If you're already qualified to Open Water, Advanced Open Water or Rescue Diver you can expect to do some recreational diving during these two weeks.

Weeks 3 to 4 [start of 2-week programme]
During these 2 weeks you complete the Biorock® speciality course (see conservation details) and gain further knowledge and experience in survey techniques and coral gardening. By the end of week 4 you will have worked together to create and submerge your own Biorock®.

Weeks 5 and 6
You do 2 practical conservation dives per day (six days per week). You gain experience surveying and gardening both natural and artificial reefs whilst mini workshops provide hands-on training and theory sessions regarding bestpractice of Biorock® coral reef and fisheries restoration. Topics covered include the design, construction, installation, monitoring, maintenance, and repair of Biorocks®.

Weeks 7 to 10 [10 week DM programme only]
The final 4 weeks are spent completing the Divemaster training and taking part in practical application dives for the conservation efforts. Students can expect to dive at least two, maybe three times a day doing Divemaster training in the morning and marine research in the afternoon.

Notes

2 WEEK PROGRAMME MINIMUM DIVING LEVEL:
ADVANCED OPEN WATER

Structure

Students spend the majority of their stay on the conservation efforts from the time their Rescue dive training is completed. Diving is conducted 2 times per day, 6 days per week with one day off. 

Biorock® Speciality Course

The Introduction to Biorock® Process Specialty Course teaches divers about coral ecology and the importance of coral reefs within the marine environment. It is designed to raise student’s awareness towards the general state of coral reefs world wide and the need for responsible behavior in order to protect the remaining healthy reefs. In addition this specialty course introduces divers to the Biorock® Technology and helps divers develop the necessary skills and knowledge to identify coral damaged areas, the cause of coral destruction and the use of Biorock® for coral resurrection and erosion prevention.

Lecture Topics

- Coral ecology
- Species identification
- Reef threats (bacterial algaes, sponges, Crown of thorns, Drupella snails etc.) 
- Coral gardening (removal of obvious threats, overturning broken corals, coral collection to be tied on Biorock® structures, cementing of shifting rumble, leaning algae off the reef). Please note that many of the students dives will be concentrated on this topic and the students will regularly dive different areas helping to improve the condition of the reefs (both natural and artificial) with the use of continued coral gardening.
- Coral survey techniques and the submission of data to PADI's Coral Watch (this will be the other largest portion of student dives. Using the grid method of collecting data students will learn how to identify and measure naturally growing corals and compare next to the Biorock® artificial reefs.

Building your own Biorock®

You have the chance to design your own Biorock®. Your are taught how to weld and create the structure, wire the power source and submerge the Biorock® structure based on the best possible positioning for success. You then attach the coral which has been collected from the gardening efforts and photo document each piece of coral at its beginning stages. 

Photo catalogue existing Biorock® projects

Aside from building your own Biorock®, students can expect to document and photograph an existing Biorock® structure for submission to The Global Coral Reef Alliance.

TOPPS Financial Protection

In the unlikely event of financial failure, subject to the terms and conditions of the Policy, UK customers’ prepayments for non flight inclusive packages will be reimbursed. topp is underwritten by Travel & General Insurance Company plc, authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Protected by Total Payment Protection Policy (topp) under policy no GADL/topp/10/03.

Flights

Flights are not included and it is your responsibility to book flights. There are direct flights almost everyday from UK to Indonesia, so you'll have plenty of choice! The best flight you can get is the London Heathrow - Denpasar flight. Some flights may involve a stopover but you should check out BMI, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airlines, Qantas, Korean Air, Malaysian Airlines, KLM and Qatar Airlines (LGW).

Transfer and arrival in Denpasar

You are picked-up from the airport and taken to a hotel of your choice (we recommend some hotels for you to choose from - hotel paid locally by you). On the day your project is due to start; you are picked up in the morning from your hotel and taken to Gili Trawangan by fast boat. At the end of your project phase you are also taken back to the mainland.

Accommodation

We sleep everyone in single sex dorm-style accommodation. There are two beds per room (so you share with one other person) but you can also upgrade to something a little more sophisticated if required. Showers and toilets are generally shared between three people. The accommodation is on-site adjacent to the restaurant, dive centre and beach. After a days diving you'll be able to chill out and relax on the beach or nip down the road to a local bar for some cold beers!

Meals

Three full meals a day are provided for you whilst you are on the programme.

Requirements

- 2 week course - minimum Advancecd Open Water or equivalent
- Submit signed PADI medical form prior to departure
- Be physically fit
- Be prepared to study and take an active role on a marine research project

PADI Materials and fees

All PADI materials and fees are included with the exception of the Divemaster licence (10 week programme) which must be paid directly to PADI.

Prices (WITH 3 meals a day)

Prices (NO catering)

2010 Dates