Orpheus Dive

13/02/2025

The Dragon has officially passed the torch to the Snake! Let’s just hope the phrase “eating snake” (吃蛇)—which means slacking off—doesn’t apply to us! For those unfamiliar with the term, don’t worry—we’re keeping busy!

We kicked off the year by helping our good friend Jim, who has supported us for years, with a custom 3D-printed protector for his Ammonite Canister light. It’s been an exciting project, and 3D printing has quickly become a big part of what we do—not just for diving, but beyond.

Our next challenge? Printing prosthetics for animals! This is something we’re really excited about, as it has the potential to give pets a new lease on life. From a physiotherapy standpoint, prosthetic limbs can significantly improve the gait of dogs and cats, helping them move more comfortably and naturally. We can’t wait to see where this journey takes us!

11/02/2025

Why We Chose to Set Up a Dive Centre in Bali

A question we often get from friends, fellow divers, and industry peers is: "Why Bali?"

The truth? We wanted a place to call home—somewhere we could control more of the diving experience, from equipment quality to course structure, all while creating an environment that makes learning (and teaching) scuba diving truly enjoyable.

Back in the day, when we operated in places like Tioman and Dayang, we were constantly at the mercy of land and sea transfers, unpredictable boat schedules, and subpar accommodations. Everything felt rushed—like we were on an assembly line, just churning out divers. It was frustrating, exhausting, and honestly? Not the kind of experience we wanted for our students or ourselves. For over a decade, we put up with these challenges, but when the chance came to build something better, we took the leap.

Fast forward to 2025, and we’re proud to say that Orpheus Dive Bali has become one of the most well-equipped and welcoming "man cave" in the region. Whether you’re taking your first breaths underwater or advancing your dive skills, we’ve created the perfect space for learning, exploring, and simply enjoying the magic of diving.

Video Credits: Wonderful Indonesia - Official Account of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Indonesia

10/02/2025

Do you know, all our courses conducted in Bali, from Open Water Diver onwards, are all done in Nitrox? And we have very good reasons for it. Forget about the marketing words such as longer diving time etc. We are gonna tell you why in our own opinon.

All nitrox tanks in our facilities are inspected on an annual basis
You feel less tired when using Nitrox
You have less nitrogen loading when using Nitrox

And if these reasons are not good enough, go read our blog why we insist all divers should be diving in Nitrox.

https://buff.ly/40SpuoV

08/02/2025

Here we go again—another weekend, another round of underwater shenanigans with our PADI Sidemount Course! Oh, did we say PADI? Yep, we’re still proudly dishing out PADI courses left, right, and center—especially when it comes to Sidemount and our one-of-a-kind PADI Bespoke Open Water Diver courses.

This weekend, we welcomed four brand-new, shiny PADI Sidemount Divers into the club, expertly trained by none other than Lester and Matt. It was a weekend filled with laughs, way too much Nespresso, and a multi-lingual crash course in underwater communication (which mostly involved exaggerated hand signals and dramatic eye contact).

Oh, and big news—our dive guide Ijat is now officially a sidemount diver! That means if you're sidemount-certified, you can now dive with a guide who actually understands the struggle of managing those tanks like a pro. So, who's up for a sidemount dive with the one and only Ijat?

07/02/2025

As we dive deeper into the world of 3D printing, we thought—why not create something useful for our fellow divers? So, we recently designed and printed these handy tape holders with markers and placed them at key spots around Puri Madha. Now, analyzing and marking your Nitrox cylinder is easier than ever!

We absolutely love diving with Nitrox! It helps us feel less tired after a dive, shortens surface intervals, and most importantly, we have complete confidence that the tanks are properly maintained and clean.

Oh, and here’s the best part—if you’ve been Nitrox-certified with us, your Nitrox fills are free whenever you dive with us at Puri Madha!

06/02/2025

Long Weekend Dive Getaway!

31 March 2025 is a public holiday—why not spend it underwater? Imagine diving along Bunaken’s breathtaking coral walls, swimming alongside turtles and reef sharks!

Coral is leading another awesome dive trip to Cocotinos, Manado, from 29 March to 2 April, and you’re invited! If you haven’t made plans yet, drop us a WhatsApp today to find out more. Let’s make this long weekend unforgettable!

Last Four spaces available.

https://buff.ly/4aKpQRD

06/02/2025

What Really Happens in the "Man Cave" When Your Regulator Gets Serviced? 🤔

Ever wondered what’s actually going on behind the scenes when your trusty regulator goes in for servicing? Are the technicians really giving it the TLC it deserves, or are they just giving it a quick wipe-down and calling it a day?

The truth is, while many places claim to offer top-notch servicing, a lot of them secretly outsource the job to undertrained technicians. And the worst part? You’re paying premium prices for subpar work! Not cool.

But here’s the deal—we love regulators. Like, borderline unhealthy levels of love. 🥰 When we service yours, we go beyond what a standard technician course teaches. Why? Because we treat your gear like it’s our own, and that means meticulous care, proper tuning, and a whole lotta TLC.

Want to see what real regulator servicing looks like? Check out our blog article—we promise, it’ll make you think twice about where you send your life-support equipment.

https://buff.ly/3Wth0BE

scubaproservicing

01/02/2025

Meet Ijat, our passionate PADI Divemaster and sidemount-trained dive crew! Enthusiastic, diligent, and always ready to help, Ijat has developed a deep love for sidemount diving.

We’re excited to share that Puri Madha is now officially “Sidemount Enabled”! If you’re a sidemount diver looking to explore the Kubu Wreck or enjoy longer, more streamlined dives, you can request Ijat as your sidemount guide. Get ready for an incredible dive experience!

26/01/2025

As we welcome the Year of the Snake, we’d like to wish everyone an early Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year! May 2025 bring you good health, great wealth, and plenty of amazing dives!

Please note that we will be closed from January 28th to February 3rd for the festive celebrations. Operations will resume on February 4th.

Wishing you calm seas, clear waters, and a year filled with unforgettable underwater adventures!

With Love, Orpheus Dive Team

24/01/2025

It’s been a while since we shared updates on other scuba diving education systems, and we figured—why not now? We love discussing concepts that can enhance diver training and education, making the learning experience safer, smarter, and more effective.

One fascinating approach is the Four-Dimensional Education framework (by Charles Fadel et al., Four-Dimensional Education: The Competencies Learners Need to Succeed, 2015). This method takes a holistic approach to learning, focusing on both cognitive and psychological skills—which, in the world of diving, are essential for managing complex environments and exploration safely.

It’s an interesting read, and definitely something worth diving into (pun intended 😉). Stay tuned as we explore more ways to improve diver education!

By Ulrik Juul Christensen, Jennifer Thomson, & Dorota Czerny. Photos by Julian Muehlenhaus unless noted. A transformational course for existing divers not aiming for the technical path—yet… The Global Underwater Explorers (GUE)’s Fundamentals course has long been the primary entry point for ce...

23/01/2025

Just 7 more days before we take a well-deserved CNY break and head to Bali for an exciting PADI Sidemount Course! Both of our resident instructors, MF and Brotak, will be leading the training, and it’s been a while since we’ve had multiple sidemount classes running at the same time—so this trip is going to be extra special.

We’re also bracing ourselves for a sea of colorful XDeep Sidemount BCDs (because let’s be honest, sidemount divers love their gear customization! 😆). More importantly, we’re looking forward to testing out some new teaching methods, carefully refined with insights from some of the best sidemount veterans in the industry.

And here’s something we’re really excited about—we’ll be training one of our local guides at Puri Madha! This means that by 2025, we’ll have a dedicated sidemount guide available for our sidemount divers. More support, better logistics, and an even smoother sidemount diving experience in Bali!

Can’t wait to share the journey—stay tuned for updates!

22/01/2025

Ah, the age-old question! Most manufacturers say every 100 dives or 2 years—whichever comes first. But honestly? We politely disagree. The truth is, how often you should service your regulator depends on a few key things:

1️⃣ The Type of Regulator You Use – Some are built like tanks, while others are more, let’s say, delicate.

2️⃣ How Well You Treat It – Rinsing it properly after each dive? Storing it correctly? Or just tossing it into the gear pile like a forgotten gym sock?

3️⃣ Your Luck (or Lack of It) – Murphy’s Law applies underwater too. Regulators have a funny way of acting up at the worst possible time—like on that once-in-a-lifetime dive trip you spent a fortune on.

We’ve seen some truly funky regulators over the past 30 years, and honestly, sometimes we just want to tell divers, "Forget servicing your reg, maybe get your lungs checked first!" 😆

So, do yourself a favor—set a reminder on your phone, get your regulator serviced regularly, and don’t wait until you’re 30 meters deep wondering why it suddenly sounds like Darth Vader. Your future self (and your dive buddy) will thank you!

https://buff.ly/4hswMVP

scubaproservicing

20/01/2025

With the number of independent freelance instructors and smaller dive centres sprouting out in Singapore, how do you know which are the better ones?

We decided that we should spill the beans on how you can isolate a better dive centre based on your own EXPECTATIONS rather than what we fill.

https://buff.ly/40IugVW

19/01/2025

Sunday Reflections: Why We Love Teaching in Bali

We’re so grateful to be conducting our unique courses here in beautiful Bali! Looking back, the logistics of land and boat transfers for diving in Malaysia were often a challenge—long travel times, unpredictable schedules, and the rush to make boat departures. It wasn’t always the smoothest experience for students or instructors.

Now, with our own dive center in Bali, we have the freedom to plan each weekend around our students' needs. Our small, personalized classes—often 1:1 or 1:2—ensure that every diver gets the time they need to rest, reflect, and absorb feedback from each dive. This way, they can refine their skills, learn from past mistakes, and truly grow as divers.

Honestly, we couldn’t ask for a better place to teach. Bali has been the perfect destination for divers of all levels, and we’re excited to keep sharing this incredible learning experience with our students!

18/01/2025

Here we go again! What better way to kick off 2025 than by setting sail on a fully chartered liveaboard to the Maldives? Picture this: gliding alongside majestic tiger sharks, coming face to face with powerful bull sharks, and experiencing the magic of a night dive with manta rays gracefully looping through the darkness.

The Maldives will always hold a special place in our hearts, and for good reason. The sheer abundance of pelagic life here never ceases to amaze us. And while teaching is our passion, we also know how to have fun when we’re not in instructor mode. After all, the reason we train hard—perfecting our trim, buoyancy, and overall diving skills—is so that we can fully immerse ourselves in these incredible underwater experiences, safely and effortlessly.

So, here’s to another year of epic dives, unforgettable encounters, and the joy of exploring the ocean with like-minded divers. Let’s make this adventure one for the books!

12/01/2025

These days, more and more divers are jumping into the sidemount bandwagon—and for good reason! The freedom you feel diving sidemount is like finally discovering your pants have pockets after all these years. It’s a game-changer!

At Orpheus Dive, we’ve cooked up a unique teaching system that blends our expertise with knowledge borrowed from other top agencies. The result? You, rocking perfect trim and tank positioning like a pro. Over just three days, we’ll guide you to master the art of sidemount diving and have you gliding through the water like a majestic sea otter (but cooler).

Mark your calendar because our next sidemount course in Bali is happening from June 13 to 17, 2025. Fancy learning from one of the early sidemount pioneers? We’ve got one last spot open for June. Snap it up before someone else does—or risk being the one watching from the sidelines!

https://buff.ly/4fIru70

😜

07/01/2025

Happy 2025, everyone! As we kick off the new year, we’ve set a bold resolution: to elevate our teaching standards far beyond what traditional recreational agencies offer on social media. This year isn’t just another chapter—it’s an awakening for the diving industry. The question is, who will rise to the challenge and who will get left behind?

Today, we want to dive into a powerful concept: metacognition.

In simple terms, metacognition means "thinking about thinking." It’s about being aware of how we learn, process information, and make decisions—something that’s incredibly important in scuba diving.

Too often, diver training is reduced to a mechanical approach: “Here’s how you do it, now let’s go.” But true mastery goes deeper. It’s not just about following steps; it’s about understanding why each step matters and being able to adapt when things don’t go as planned.

Unfortunately, many instructors overlook the importance of cultivating metacognitive skills in their students. But when divers learn to think critically and self-assess underwater, they become more confident, capable, and ultimately safer divers.

We’ll be sharing more insights soon on how instructors can integrate metacognition into their training. Stay tuned!

Original video by John Spencer at spencerauthor.com.

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