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The journey to happiness - how  I became a dive instructor

I was not born in a scuba family, I actually started quite late to dive and it was a long journey until I ended up doing what I´m doing now. I call it the "journey to happiness" because before this part of my life started, something was missing. 

Breaking with all my career plans and a complete change of my lifestyle was the necessary step to find my true profession.

My first job plan at the age of four inspired by Jaques Cousteau

Too young to dive

Unfortunately at that time I was still too young to try scuba diving. I learned to ski, later skateboarding and was never really in vacation at the ocean where diving was offered. Also I was into music and learned some instruments.

After school I studied national economics and finished it with the German Diploma degree.

Up in the Engadin valley

I finished university but my plans to become a consultant for environmental economics didn´t worked out, so I decided to take some time out and work as waiter and ski instructor in the Engadin valley in Switzerland.

After my first winter I didn´t wanted to leave and took a job offer as second general manager of a small hotel and already after a few month I got promoted.

I never forgot about diving

No matter what I did, I never lost my interest in diving and underwater life. I watched every documentary I could get, read books, I always had mask, snorkel and fins and used them sometimes in our cold German lakes.

In 1993 I was for vacation with my family on Comino, a small island between Malta and Gozo. Here I could have done a scuba certification but they wanted a check from a physician, no doctor on the island, everything too complicated, chance gone. But hell I was snorkelling there...

At university I focused on environmental economics, especially economic impacts of climate change. Also here I kept a connection to nature.

My first dive in Mauritius

The time out as waiter evolved into becoming general manager of the small sport hotel I worked for. I thought I had made it, a cool position and living where others go for vacation. I really liked living in this beautiful mountain valley.

Now that I had not to spend money for ski vacations I focused on a new experience: tropical waters!

I went to Mauritius, an amazing island in the middle of the indian ocean and there it happened that I did my first dive.

It sounds very stereotype, but this moment changed my life.

I know the fear before the first dive

I still remember every second of this experience. When we went with the speedboat out of the lagoon behind the protection of the barrier reef, huge waves rolled in. So far no problem, I have no issues with motion sickness. Also backroll into the water was easy. Then I was floating at the surface, up and down with 4-5m waves. I can see the island - walls of water - I can see the island - walls of water. I was peeing my wetsuit. The instructor looked into my eyes and knew what was going on. He told me to put my head in the water and look down. 

Best advise of my life, I saw the reef in the crystal clear water right bellow me and my heartbeat slowed down. WOW!

Head up, look at the instructor, thumbs down (if you are no diver, that means "let´s go down" and is the opposite of bad).

I was in my element, I could see all that stuff I already could name from the documentaries and books. Back at the surface my first reaction was "we need to talk about a certification". My budget just allowed the Scuba Diver, but who cares!

Back in the mountains

Back home I could not stop thinking about diving and planned my next vacation to be a real dive trip to Sahrm-el-Sheich in Egypt, upgrading my certification and then go diving, diving, diving! Next vacation after Sharm was Akumal in Mexico. Next certification level and first Cenote dive, another life changing experience. Until that day I was fascinated but also a bit scared of caves. I expected something different from the dive and got surprised how "cave-ish" it was.

But to pay for that I had to work as manager. And that was not easy. Managing a small hotel means 24/7 on duty. I lived from dive vacation to dive vacation until I could not ignore anymore the fact that I had to change something in my life.

Change of my profession

A new life in Mexico

In the following three month I had so far the best time of my life! Nearly every day I was diving in the Caribbean, all dive sites of Playa del Carmen, some in Cozumel,  different Cenotes. I learned tons of new skills, gained knowledge about all aspects of diving, was surrounded by happy people. 

The deal was that I could go diving whenever there was a free spot on the boat. No matter if I was told that the next day is fully booked, I came anyway at 8 in the morning to see if someone cancelled or if I can join an instructor in his classes. 

If possible I did 2 dives in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and a night dive.

I logged 250 dives from my first to my last day.

Everything fits

After I finished succesful my instructor courses I started as part of the deal an internship in the same company where I did my training. Before it was over I was called in by the HR manager who handed me a contract to sign. And without having a plan my life happened to be amazing! I had everything I needed to be happy. And the best damn street food right in front of my doorstep.

The journey continues

After a couple of month working as instructor in Playa del Carmen I met my girlfriend - now ex. She lived in Cancún so I moved in with her and started working in a local dive shop. It was a complete different type of work, in Playa I was mainly guiding certified divers, now I was teaching mainly try dives.

The experience I gained was pretty amazing, dealing every day again with new guests that never have been diving before tought me so much!

To gain more experience and continue my education I left to the Maldives and headed from there to Oman. After 6 month it was enought, I really had to go back to my mamacita in my casita in Cancún.  

Back home in Cancún