Hi, my name is Lili. I’m a 19 year old English university student on a GAP year. I’m traveling on a working holiday visa, and I recently qualified as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.

I did my training and took my exams up in Cairns, having spent 3 months working as a Divemaster previously. I didn’t want to get a paid job as an instructor because I did not feel confidant in my abilities – I wanted to gain a little more experience first.

I found DiveXsite’s website on the Internet, and emailed shop owner and instructor Mick Jordan to see if he could help me out. He offered to let me work in the dive shop, co-teach on courses and eventually take my own courses. In return for me working in the shop he offered me accommodation.

Working in the dive shop, although slow on occasion, was a great opportunity to learn about all the dive gear and how to sell it. It greatly improved my customer skills, and gave me ample opportunities to read up on specialty courses that Mick agreed to do for me.

The first few courses I helped out on I learned a lot. It’s a whole different ball game being taught the formula for teaching a class and then seeing it put into practice! The small micro lessons we prepared during the IDC and for the IE were a walk in the park in comparison to preparing an entire course.

Once I felt confident I knew what I was doing, Mick let me teach the theory and pool session on my own. This was a fantastic experience as a learned so much, mainly relating to time management (!). The great thing was that I only had a couple of students, so I could really concentrate on getting things right. Mick was really helpful and encouraging, and made sure he gave me advice so I could make right my mistakes the next time. It was great having someone to talk to about what I was doing, and in this sense he was more of a mentor than a boss. It was a great way to learn things fast. After a couple of pool sessions with different students, I started conducting my own courses. These consisted of a theory and pool day, a 2 shore dive day, and finally a day involving 2 boat dives.

In the end I certified several open water and advanced students. I got to go on plenty of dives, including a weekend away to Stradbroke Island and a weekend liveaboard trip. I’ve also met some fantastic people through DiveXsite’s dive club.

I’ve just finished my 2 months working with Mick, and definitely feel more confident in my teaching abilities. I strongly recommend doing a bit of volunteer work for Mick to anyone who is a newly qualified OWSI and feels they need a bit more experience before they let themselves loose on students!