Have never ever thought about diving as I have never ever been able to equalize my ears while free diving in a pool or at the sea.
Also a cousin had a diving accident in the early 80’s and has remained paraplegic after it… It happens in Israel. Family legend says it was a language issue, that they did not understood well the briefing and the water visibility so good that they did not realize how deep they were diving. His buddy died on the spot, my cousin was brought to hyperbar chamber and was saved a by doctor that was "passing by"...
Then I went to work in the Philippines in 2009.
All my colleagues were having diving lesson there.
One of them "convinces" me that if I do equalize very very often, I might be able to dive…
So, during a week end in south Philippines in a nice resort near Davao, I tried a Discover Scuba Diving program.
My instructor was nice, we had pool exercises and then went diving.
Amazingly I did not feel anything wrong, I was equalizing often and then I read the depth gauge… 9m! I was amazed.
So sure that I will like it, as soon as back to town, I even went immediately online and bought myself a set of regulator, a mask…
Found after that an instructor, Gigi Santos, started the PADI Open Water classes, continuing to buy my gear.
End of November 2009, I was certified Open Water.
A month later, end of December same year I did a wreck specialty (TDI) in Subic with George Ang Dy Pay.
In few months I become Advanced Open Water and Nitrox certified, all that with Gigi Santos.
Summer 2010, I did my rescue with Adrienne Salcau in Maolboal.
End of 2010, 13 months after starting diving, I logged my 100th dive… in Komodo, Indonesia.
Went to work, and of course dive, in Haïti.
Have most of the time dive with wing and back plate (thanks Gigi), long hose and "DIR" minded configuration. I do have now a “normal” BCD” with "regular" rig for teaching PADI.
The logical next step was to take (and pass!) Global Underwater Explorer (GUE) Fundamentals course, by Graham Blackmore, in Jakarta in September 2011...
Then, I thought about becoming a professional diver…
I did my Divemaster, in July 2011, with Guy Faisnel, in Bali.
After that, Instructor Development Course, in Bali also, Course Director Mohamed R. Bagherian…
And beginning August 2011, I become PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.
Took classes with Platinium Course Director S. F. Chong to be able to teach immediately those following specialties: deep diver, wreck diver, night diver, peak performance buoyancy diver, enriched air diver, emergency oxygen provider and equipment specialist.
Since then I work full time as diving instructor...
Since beginning 2012 I become Master Scuba Diver Trainer.
February 2014, eye opening experience when I upgrade my GUE Rec pass to Tech pass. Discover how diving double make all suddenly so peacefull.
The more I dive and the more the D.I.R. diving is the way I like it and I like to teach, what ever agency name you put on your style if any...
So the basic start with backplate/wing diving, learning skills in neutral buoyancy, practicing all time perfect trim, finning, gas managing.
And so, where I have been diving? I dove in:
Phillipines: Davao, Anilao, Subic, Malapascua, Moalboal, Panglao, Guiuan, Coron, Sogod Bay, Puerto Galera, Cebu...
Indonesia: Komodo, Bali, Thousand Islands...
Haîti: Côte des Arcadins...
United Arab Emirates: Dibba
Oman: Musandam
Greece: Crete (Elounda), Milos, Kimolos, Poliaygos
France: Menton
Spain: Aiguablava
Did PADI mention at the beginning that diving is a transforming industry?