DivingIDC News

Help the Ocean Guardians Magazine & Directory come to life

2013-01-10T21:24:04Z

My friends Cherie and Jim Dodd have setup a Pozible project to launch the Ocean Guardians - Magazine & Directory.

Jim and Cherie are two of the most passionate divers I know, and dive incredibly regularly around Nelson Bay. They are both very talented photographers, and are enthusiastic about protecting the oceans and building awareness of the life in it.

Cherie describes their vision for the project:

Over the years I have been gathering information about organizations, businesses, groups and individuals from around the world who are influential in the survival of our Oceans. While doing this I have met, both in person and virtually (thanks to the internet), some amazing people.

My plan is to take this growing collection of names and information to create the Ocean Guardians Directory and to share their inspirational stories though the Ocean Guardians Magazine . . .

As a Pozible project, the funding to get the project going comes from crowdsourcing - getting interested parties to commit to a contribution. The contribution is deducted from you only when the project reaches its stated goal to get off the ground.

I have pledged to support this project, and strongly encourage all divers and those with a passion for the marine environment to do so too!

BTW, Jim undertook a PADI Instructor Development Course with me at Let's Go Adventures last year.

Emergency Oxygen in the Workplace

2012-12-17T01:31:37Z

A standard part of most PADI IDCs I conduct is the bonus PADI Emergency Oxygen Instructor course. The PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course is a great course that teaches divers and non-divers alike how to provide essential oxygen to a diver following a possible diving accident.

In Australia, the standard PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course does not meet the requirements for nationally recognised training, and therefore may not be suitable for workplace requirements. Until recently, PADI Asia Pacific, through their RTO have offered a distinctive specialty called the PADI Asia Pacific Administer Oxygen in an Emergency Situation distinctive specialty, which previously resulted in a Statement of Attainment for SRXEMR003A: Administer Oxygen in an Emergency Situation.

With the phasing out of this unit of competence, PADI Asia Pacific's RTO has now released a new program that will allow the global PADI Emergency Oxygen Provider course, with several additional requirements (administrative, practical and evaluative) to result in a statement of attainment for 22100VIC: Course in Basic Oxygen Administration.

To teach this program, PADI Instructors will need to be an EFR First Aid at Work Instructor, a PADI Emergency Oxygen Instructor and register with the PADI RTO.

Providing emergency oxygen to an injured diver is the gold standard of care (beyond the basic DRABCD'S), and teaching as many individuals as possible how to provide this care is an important role. This is why I include the PADI Emergency Oxygen Instructor Course in most PADI IDCs, and why I require the provider level certification for Divemaster candidates and PADI Tec 45 (and above) students.

A New Instructor at Let's Go Adventures

2012-09-17T20:48:17Z

Ben Zuniga, a candidate from the fantastic PADI Instructor Development Course held at Let's Go Adventures in Nelson Bay in July successfully undertook his PADI IE in Sydney over the past weekend, getting fantastic results that reflect his hard work and dedication throughout the IDC.

Ben completed the IDC along with Rob and Samie (Rob attended the previous Sydney IE, and Samie is planning to do the IE a little later this year), and we had a great time diving various sites around Nelson Bay, including the fabulous Halifax Park, Fly Point and The Pipeline. As part of the PADI IDC at Let's Go Adventures, the candidates also completed the brilliant AWARE Shark Conservation Diver specialty instructor course, the PADI Emergency Oxygen Instructor course and the EFR Instructor Course.

Ben went on to undertake his PADI MSDT Prep program, gaining the PADI Drift Diver, Deep Diver and Enriched Air Instructor ratings.

Ben came to the IDC as an experienced instructor with another agency, and although he could've done the OWSI Program as a cross-over to become a PADI Instructor, he chose to complete the full IDC. His attention to detail, professionalism and his passion for diving make him a great addition to the ranks of PADI Instructors.

Congratulations Ben!

The next PADI IDC at Let's Go Adventures in Nelson Bay will be held in November. Contact us for more information.

A New PADI Instructor for SDA

2012-08-13T06:01:50Z

Richard Wheeler (centre) with fellow candidate Alex Kirichenko (L) and PADI Course Director Des Paroz (R)Congratulations to Richard Wheeler who has completed all his PADI Instructor Exam requirements to become a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.

Richard completed his PADI Assistant Instructor Course with Jamie at Sydney Dive Academy, before going on to complete his PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor Program with me.

Richard will make a very welcome and deserved addition to the professional team at Sydney Dive Academy.

A New PADI Instructor Hits Nelson Bay

2012-08-12T10:44:05Z

Congratulations to Rob Main on completing his PADI Instructor Exam in Sydney this weekend.

PADI CD Des Paroz, Ben, Rob, Samie and PADI Master Instructor Emma ChallenRob undertook his PADI IDC, EFR Instructor Course and AWARE Shark Conservation Instructor Course with me at Let's Go Adventures last month.

Due to personal schedules, the other IDC candidates - Samie and Ben - were unable to do the IE this time round, but I am sure will do themselves proud over the next couple of months.

Well done Rob. Best wishes for your teaching adventures!

Nelson Bay is a wonderful location to do undertake PADI Instructor Training, with some of the best shore diving in Australia. There is another IDC there in November. Check our Course Schedule for more details!

PADI & Project AWARE Instructor Courses at Coffs Harbour

2012-08-10T03:23:08Z

Over the past week I conducted a couple of courses at Jetty Dive Centre Coffs Harbour.

Three experienced PADI Instructors (all MSDTs) undertook a PADI IDC Staff Instructor Course and a Project AWARE Shark Conservation Specialty Instructor Course. Two of them also did their EFR Instructor Course.

The PADI IDC Staff Instructor Course saw the guys gaining a full understanding of the PADI System of Instructor Development, and the process of evaluation and counselling.

The new AWARE Shark Conservation Diver specialty course teaches divers and non-divers alike about the role of sharks in the health of the oceans, the threats to sharks and a balanced view of risks posed by sharks. Diving from Jetty Dive's superb dive boat, Wild Fin, we dived South Solitary Island, diving with half a dozen grey nurse sharks. Just a few days earlier, the Jetty Dive crew had been involved in the rescue of a couple of these sharks, who had been caught in rope.

It was a great program, and congratulations to Andrew, Lindsay and Mark on achieving their PADI IDC Staff Instructor qualifications.

Sidemount Instructor Courses Coming Up!

2012-07-27T09:39:48Z

I love Sidemount Diving! Pretty much all of my open water dives (even on PADI Instructor Development Courses and other training in the ocean) is done on a recreational Sidemount configuration. The true redundancy and easy trim in the water makes all diving easy and fun.

Sidemount Diving is not difficult, but it does take some basic instruction to use your sidemount gear.

As a PADI Sidemount Instructor, you can introduce divers to the ease of Sidemount Diving.

I have 2 PADI Sidemount Diver and Instructor courses coming up over the next couple of months:

25-26 August at Frog Dive Willoughby
22-23 September at Indepth Scuba Canberra (with dives at Batemans Bay)

Please contact me if you'd like to join either of these programs.

Tec Sidemount Instructor Course Info Added

2012-06-26T06:04:30Z

I've added a new section to the website about the PADI Tec Sidemount Instructor Course.

PADI has recognised the versatility of sidemount diving with the introduction of 2 courses -

the PADI Sidemount Diver course, which is aimed at recreational diving applications of sidemount diving, using 1 or 2 cylinders; and
the PADI Tec Sidemount Diver course , which is aimed at divers wanting to use sidemount equipment and procedures for tec diving applications, using 2 sidemounted main cylinders along with stage/deco cylinders

I offer both programs at diver and instructor level. I generally find that most instructors will undertake the program by starting with the PADI Sidemount Diver and PADI Sidemount Instructor courses, and then completing the upgrade to achieve the PADI Tec Sidemount Diver rating. After completing (extensive) dive experience requirements, the instructor can then apply for the PADI Tec Sidemount Instructor rating.

I love sidemount diving for both recreational and tec diving, and dive sidemount on most dives in the open water. My traditional (single bankmount) diving is generally confined to confined water dives in the PADI Instructor Development Course and during some PADI recreational courses (Rescue Diver, and the confined water dives of Open Water and Divemaster courses).

New PADI Instructor

2012-06-03T05:08:01Z

Congratulations to Alex Kirichenko who became a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor after completing the PADI IE in Sydney on this cold, rainy weekend!

Alex undertook his PADI Assistant Instructor Course with IDC Staff Instructor Jamie Illistom at Sydney Dive Academy before completing his OWSI Program with me.

A very professional instructor is joining the ranks of PADI Professionals, and I am sure he will make a great asset to the SDA team!

Good luck to Alex for his career in diving!

New Sidemount and Deep Specialty Instructor

2012-05-23T06:45:54Z

Congratulations to Tom Cordukes who completed his PADI Sidemount Diver Instructor and PADI Deep Diver Instructor courses today. Tom has completed the PADI IDC, as well EFR Instructor and MSDT Prep Courses at Frog Dive Willoughby.

We had a couple of great dives at Bare Island today. May is a beautiful time to dive around Sydney, and a spectacular, mild midweek day today was a perfect time to enjoy this great site. We had previously done dives at Camp Cove and on the wreck of the ex-HMAS Adelaide.