Sophie
The PADI Junior Open Water Course went really well; we had a great weekend at the lake and everyone’s buoyancy and skills improved so much over just a couple of days. Congratulations to Bethan, Jake and Seren for becoming a newly qualified diver and enjoy the summers diving! Tuesday was a fun day at Access All Areas event with Andark giving children age 11- 17 years old in Fareham their first breaths underwater with a PADI scuba diving experience.
We had a great day at the PADI Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) UK office in Bristol learning what PADI is all about. Our mentor Margriet Schuur gave us a presentation on the international organization and her career in diving. Next up was a presentation on quality management from Su Li and the PADI member code of practise then a quick chat with Rich Somerset and Emma Hewitt, the PADI Regional Manager.
We met the Project AWARE Foundation team to find out what they do. Their aim is for divers to protect the ocean and they focus on saving vulnerable sharks and rays and clearing up marine debris. Follow what they’ve been up to on twitter #Divers4SharksNRays and #diveagainstdebris. I have pledged to follow the 10 tips for divers to protect the ocean planet including making responsible seafood choices and to become a debris activist. You can Search the Action Map for events near you to get involved with ocean conservation. I also signed up to My Ocean, their online eco community to find other members to take action together. Have a look at their website www.projectaware.org to find out more about their campaigns. I am passionate about ocean conservation as I study Marine Biology at University so Project Aware is a great resource to help make a difference.
To end the day we had a tour of the PADI office and met the marketing team; it was amazing to hear all the different languages spoken by the advisors on the phones. Thank you to Margriet and her colleagues for their time and for arranging the visit.
On Thursday I had a sunny day diving at Andark Lake with a Refreshers course; hope you have a great holiday in Greece Joey. This weekend I assisted with an Open Water Course in the pool with instructor Bob which went very well. Margriet Schuur, my PADI mentor, came down for the weekend to see how we are getting on and I helped her with a Discover Scuba Diving course for Jemma who took to the water like a fish!