5 Years of Guest Stories: Meet Karl

12 Oct 5 Years of Guest Stories: Meet Karl

Meet Karl, one of our great returning guests we have the pleasure of seeing a few times each year. He loves making films underwater, so you might already have seen his amazing on our Facebook page before.

Where are you from?

New Zealand but live in Melbourne, Australia.

How many dives have you done?

330 in total/125 with Joe’s Gone Diving (probably more by now as he has done quite a few dives lately…)

What is your dive certification level?

OWSI (Open Water Scuba Instructor)

How did you end up at Joe’s Gone Diving?

Trip Advisor

When did you dive with Joe’s Gone Diving?

My first trip was my Rescue Diver and Dive Master Courses in March 2014, since then as often as possible. Most recently January 2016.

What did you like about it, what was most memorable?

I love the variation of diving in Bali – black sand, white sand, reef, wreck, wall, drift, muck, night – and I love how all these are options.I love how you don’t have to think about anything. Everything is done for you, and I mean everything (pick ups, lunches, towels, gear management and washing, snacks, drop offs etc). The guides are also excellent, experienced and knowledgeable, and always finding those rare or hard to find critters.The thing that sticks though, is you don’t feel like a number, nor even a customer. I feel like I’m diving with friends. We talk, we laugh, we go out for beers after diving – it’s awesome. I have so many great memories from my times at Joe’s. I’ve met so many ace people, seen so many incredible things.

Favourite dive site on Bali and why?

Tough pick, there’s so many great sites, but I’ll choose Coral Garden in Tulamben. The nutrient rich black sands mean it is rich with macro life, and it also has a combination of man made structures and coral reef that are dense with life. It’s also quite shallow which means tonnes of bottom time to look around and film stuff. It’s also a cool night or dawn dive. I’ve dived it 14 times and have seen eagle rays, black tip sharks, Spanish dancers, bump head parrot fish, great barracuda, tonnes of nudibranchs. I also found my coolest underwater find ever there – a Phyllodesmium longicirrum (the solar powered phyllodesmium) Toyapakeh, The Jetty, and Mangroves also rate highly

Favourite creature underwater

Can’t choose one sorry. Peacock mantis shrimps, nudibranchs, frogfish, and octopuses.

Already plans to dive again with Joe?

You bet. See you soon.