GTS events are one of our favourite things about this community. Getting to meet so many likeminded divers, making new friends and doing something for a better good. And our latest GTS event at Manta Dive in Gili Trawagan, Indonesia quite simply blew our minds! So if you missed it, here’s your chance to ‘dive’ in to what went on down over on the paradise island that is Gili T!
Gili Trawagan, Lombok Indonesia
The location of our latest events was in one of our favourite scuba community islands; Gili T! GTS have spent years hopping over to this island while in Indonesia to catch up with diving friends and do new course. And our GTS days over there have become some what of a staple in our calendar, of which 2019 marked our 3rd year hosting this event there!
Find out more about diving in Gili T and who to dive with.
One day turned into a whole weekend!
This year – due to the response we had last year – we decided to add TWO extra days to the event, making it more of a diving festival than ever before! 3 days full of fun, education, encouragement and parties! Here’s what our schedule looked like:
May 2 (Thursday):
All day: Warm welcome and registration for all ladies joining the weekend
6 pm – 11 pm: Get to know each other evening!
- 2 inspirational TED-wise talks on conservation:
- Sian from Gili Eco Trust on Biorocks
- Claudia from the Jetlagged
- Relaxing opening dinner, accompanied with networking games.
🐙 May 3 (Friday):
6:15 am: Morning yoga
8:45 – Ocean clean up dive
5 – 6 pm: beach clean up in front of Manta Dive with Gili Eco Trust
8 pm: Evening charity auction at Rock N Roll Bingo, Lava Gili T
🙏 All funds gathered will be donated for the cause of Classroom Of Hope in building schools in Lombok!
🐠 May 4 (Saturday):
11:15 – The all-girls fun dive
(10:15 – briefing)
6 pm – midnight
- 2 inspirational TED-wise talks
- Veronika Kruse – Freediving
- Panel discussion on the life as a mermaid on the Gilis
- The Big Girls that Scuba dinner, party and raffle!
Morning yoga
Our weekend starting with a relaxing stretch with the sunset with GTS girl Rachel Locker at Manta Dive.
Beach Clean up
Our event started with a beach clean up with Gili Eco Trust where over 292kg of trash was removed from the ocean!
Charity Auction
The evening charity auction saw the chance for the first ever guy to be allowed on our all-female GTS day dives! With all proceeds going to Classroom of hope the bar was spilling out with guys making their bids and all the GTS girls cheering them on. The winner of the auction Charlie Jeffery donated 5,000,000 rupiahs (approx $350) that went directly to help put kids back in school in Lombok
ALL GIRLS DIVE
Saturday was the big day – the legendary all-girls (plus Charlie) fun dive! 52 GTS divers got onto two boats and headed out on the ocean for one of the most anticipated dives of the season! So much fun was had by all – which is as clear in all the amazing pictures that came back! Girls certainly do have more fun!
Talks and Presentations
Back on shore and rested from the morning fun we had another 2 TED-style talks from Veronika Kruse – a freedive instructor from Freedive Gili and a panel discussion with 8 female divers living and working on the Gilis about how and why they got into scuba diving.
Watch a video of the day!
This weekend was more than we could have ever expected. We raised a phenomenal $2065 USD for Classroom of Hope, extracted nearly 300kg of waste from the ocean and welcomed over 100 females over the weekend. We have to say a huge thank you to our dear friends Manta Dive Gili Trawangan for all of their organisation, support and donations making this event happen. If you are ever in Gili Trawangan go over and say hi and a big thank you from us!
For all the photos of the day head over to our Facebook page where you will see 3 albums full of happy scuba divers! We can’t wait for GTS weekend 2020! Who’s joining us next year?
GTS membership holders get 10% off at Manta Dive
