Joma is a dynamic & passionate individual. Originally from Canada, he graduated from the University of Toronto where he studied marine & terrestrial ecology.
Joma is that rare combination of a passionate and patient teacher who is also an exemplary diver, instructor, and ocean advocate. As a dive instructor, Joma Dix wanted to do more to protect and rejuvenate the marine ecosystem where he now lives and works, the Indonesian island of Nusa Penida.
This desire lead to the opening of Project Laut in the year 2021.
What is your favorite travel memory?
Before coming to Indonesia, I actually had very little travel experience. I had gone around North America a small amount, but I had never really left the backyard, so to say.
So, when I came to Indonesia for the first time in 2016 it was a major revelation for me.
To get to experience a new culture, geography, climate, & environment on the almost polar opposite of the world from where I had all my experience was nothing short of amazing & humbling.
Add in the underwater aspect of the extremely biodiverse reefs present in Bali & Nusa Penida - everything from the marine megafauna such as the sea turtles, manta rays, sharks, & molas, to the small critters like octopus, nudibranchs, seahorses, and every type of shrimp imaginable - and you can hopefully understand how much this impacted me, having mostly studied these creatures from the comfort of a auditorium.
To point to a single memory is difficult, but the entire experience of leaving my comfort zone behind to explore new horizons here in Indonesia has been one of my greatest memories & decisions to date.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
How have I changed & grown during my time in Indonesia with Nomads Diving & now Project Laut? This is a good question, and one hard to answer succinctly.
Before leaving Canada and coming here, I was very inexperienced in all fields, and still very trepidatious. Believe it or not, my two biggest fears were deep water & sharks! When I first set out to Bali, I was frankly terrified of what was to come, but knew that confronting my fears were integral to my growth as an individual.
This, the desire to confront ones fears, and the willingness to get uncomfortable & allow growth to happen would be the most fundamental aspect that has changed.
This mentality leads you down many different paths, and I have gained skills, knowledge, certifications, social skills, & many friends along the way - but at the base of those proximate changes are the development of a can-do attitude paired with the confidence of getting uncomfortable.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
It is hard to provide a singular "best story" from a return student, as we have very unique & personal experiences with every individual that passes through the program.
A reoccurring theme that I am very happy to hear is the happiness with how the project has grown & developed since their time with us.
We do a couple of different things here at Project Laut, but two main projects are turtle identification & coral rehabilitation. So, it is always a rewarding feeling to hear students talk about how large & quickly our identified turtle database has grown, or comments regarding the growth & health of the corals in our coral patches that we have established.
It makes me feel very proud of our work, because each & every intern that has passed through has contributed directly to our projects, and it really hammers home the idea that our successes are not individual, but a culmination of many dedicated & passionate people.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
Our program offers a variety of packages, all aimed at providing high-quality dive training & the opportunity to get hands-on experience learning & contributing to our marine conservation initiatives.
The program is an extended version of a typical divemaster program, so interns can get a strong foundation for their diving career through the opportunity to lead certified divers, participate in various workshops, & to be an integral part of our diving operations.
In addition to this, the program teaches students about marine ecology, safe & scientific diving practices, photo-identification of marine megafauna, construction of coral rehabilitation structures (deploying & outplanting), and RUV drops (remote underwater video).
We also teach interns how to manage our growing database & how to keep clean records of large sets of data.
So which program would I choose?
Whichever one I could begin the quickest!
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
What makes our company unique is undoubtedly our staff.
At Project Laut, we make sure to maintain a wonderful intimacy with our interns & divers in which a safe, fun, and educational diving experience is guaranteed -- without the zoo-sized crowds and impersonal approach that has become too familiar in today's diving environment.
We keep our group sizes small, and when interns come to participate with us, we make sure they are treated like friends & family instead of "customers". Because of this, I have had the chance to develop & maintain several strong friendships with some of the most interesting & passionate people I have ever met.
The scope of Project Laut is small and very focused, but it is that clear vision and intensity that makes it so worthwhile -- and in the long run such an excellent opportunity for all who love the ocean.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
In my experience so far, the biggest factor in being a successful company is always the people.
Whether we are talking about staff, interns, day customers, friends, family, etc, it all comes down to one thing - who you are surrounding yourself with.
Authenticity is an extremely valued trait for me personally. I love meeting people with at times contrasting views to myself, because they can help expand your worldview, or push you to do & try new things that you may not have thought of beforehand. Different perspectives, interests, backgrounds, personalities, cultures, and opinions are absolutely key to surround yourself with to become a complete & rounded person, but fundamental to this is authenticity.
Without authenticity, it becomes hard to make clear anything in life, and if the people you surround yourself with & the relationships you cultivate are founded in inauthenticity, then the path forward will be cloudy.
