LARSGets candid about training and teaching future instructors

Can you share your journey into the world of diving and how you became a course director?

I started a very long time ago. When I was a teenager, I had a chance to try out a scuba kit in the swimming pool. Fast forward ten years, I was in Malaysia, snorkeling, hearing the reef, seeing the world underwater. Then I decided to start diving. Fast forward another ten years I got my Open Water in Egypt. I did my Advanced, my instructor at the time said “I see dive master in you”. Fourteen months later I was an instructor – from 2007 to 2015 next to my day-to-day job. Eventually I landed on working as an instructor on Bonaire from 2015. I joined Buddy Dive in 2015. I always wanted to push myself further and inquired on being course director. Within the next four to five years the previous course director was seeing to retire. In 2019 Buddy Dive completely supported the transition and in 2021 the previous course director left to better adventures. Since then the Dive Academy has been under my watch.

What do you find most rewarding about teaching dive courses here?

Each course is so unique and I enjoy helping people grow. Be it through the DSD or seeing people experience how to navigate the world underwater – how to breathe for example. I sometimes help students overcome their fears through the Instructor Development Course. It’s very gratifying to see people’s journey and I ask myself – how do I teach in a manner to make the content easily digestible and how do I keep my students safe? I have seen countless people grow from all corners of the diving world.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a course director, and how do you manage it?

Time. Our natural enemy. Jokes aside, the Instructor Development Course is very intense for both students and staff. For example, the days start at 8’o clock sharp. Personally my days start around 7am with necessary paperwork and preparations. We record all activities and the students must learn how to teach. I’m always engaged from early morning to late at night and it becomes very intense very quickly. After the IDC the students are tired, but so am I as I have to constantly watch everything and help push them to grow. There never seems to be enough hours in the day when you’re doing what you love! On the other hand, it’s also very rewarding to do.

It’s an intense learning environment, so how do you foster a positive learning environment for the students that go through the Instructor Development Course?

Preparation is absolute key. We send out various information on how students must prepare prior to arrival on Buddy Dive Resort. There is an ‘open mind policy’ – where students ask questions and know that I am always willing to provide answers. However, we stress the importance of arriving well-prepared. Many students want to perfect it and I try to teach that good is good enough – otherwise you put a lot of unnecessary pressure on someone. As D in IDC stands for development you learn from your mistakes. This can be difficult for some students and it is a natural reaction as a human being. However, a mistake is part of the learning process and that’s what we try to showcase. I give as much feedback as possible as it allows for people to learn from it. In reality it is what you do when teaching real life students. So for me, keeping an open mind and allowing yourself to make and learn from mistakes gives me the tools to make sure to get you through the IDC.

How do you handle students that may struggle with aspects of courses?

I try to find out exactly where the struggle is and do remedial teaching. Sometimes it makes my days longer because I have to slow down and do 1-to-1 sessions, but I will do whatever it takes to get students through the courses. If a student does not understand something it’s not their problem, but the teacher’s – so I take responsibility for the learning process of all students.

It’s no secret now that you have a recent personal achievement. Could you tell us more about that?

Of course, it’s PADI Tec CCR 40 course. For context, Buddy Dive has always wanted to have a CCR instructor in-house. Eventually I decided it was time to switch over from my previous rebreather to the Dive Rite Rebreather. I love teaching and took the challenge head on, with many hours of preparation and work.

So in the future you will teach CCR. How will this enrich and add to your current skillset?

Teaching is a learning process. When starting out you have to actively think on what you do automatically, thus I have to consider how to explain  this to students. In that respect I’m a beginner instructor, on the other hand I have plenty of teaching experience in the field. I am looking forward to teaching CCR and I am already putting together how to teach, what to teach, all of it.

What is the significance of the course and what does it bring to Buddy Dive programs?

I would say added value, out of all courses we currently offer, it is exactly what we’ve been missing. We teach all courses open circuit, but not closed circuit. In fact, we have been offering open circuit Tec diving for around fifteen year. We have had numerous questions on teaching CCR. Buddy Dive is one of the biggest CCR diving supporters on the island, so it only made sense. As course director I want to continue growing the Academy and myself professionally – so it was only natural to take the next step towards CCR. We can teach the entry level CCR course – PADI entry level Tec course. Soon we will have a rebreather grading on the machine and it means I will be able to teach the recreational rebreather course, meaning we bridge the gap on what we offer. Lastly, with Anouck, our Tec diving coordinator, also progressing soon, we will have two CCR instructors. Perhaps the future plans are to gain more CCR instructors.

Could you explain more about these new possibilities?

The recreational rebreather course is for people that like the advantages of no bubbles, silent diving. Someone signed up for this already – a photographer that wants to have better, passive interaction with marine life without blowing bubbles. For Tec CCR 40 it’s the first course where you go up to the depth of 40 meters (130 feet) and have your first decompression dive. After you can progress to Tec CCR 60, which allows a depth of 60 meters (200 feet).

What future professional developments can you share with us?

I would like to tackle CCR 60 instructor and depending on the amount of courses done, I will aim for CCR 100 – alternatively CCR 40 instructor trainer. On the Tec level I am looking for Tec trimix instructor trainer. Currently I can teach trimix, but would like to teach it at instructor level. Who knows? Only time and practice will tell, maybe I will even try another type of rebreather.

Last question, what advice would you give aspiring professionals looking to pursue a career in diving?

The most important piece of advice is this: diving at professional level becomes a sport. Like any athlete, you need practice and consistency. You must keep your skillset up to date – it goes without saying that when you become a Dive Master you need to put in even more work towards becoming Instructor. Same goes for Tec diving, you cannot expect one dive a week to do the trick. You never stop learning and practising – keep developing your skills and further yourself.