INTERVIEW WITH MOHAMED SAEED
(Dive & Water Sport Center Manager, Euro-Divers Eriyadu)
Back in March 1990 I started my career in the tourism industry as electrician in Rihiveli Beach Resort. Shortly after and during July 1990 the compressor tender of the dive center went for holiday and I offered to help filling the tanks which changed my life forever. I liked the work in the dive center and with the guests so much that I left my job as electrician and joined Euro-Divers as a compressor tender. Curious why the guests went for diving I was eager to learn diving myself.
That was an ambitious target as during that time I didn’t even know how to swim. With the help of the dive center team I made it and got soon after certified as a diver. From that day onwards I was in love with the beauty of the underwater world of the Maldives. Several years later, already with some experience under my belt I finally became PADI Divemaster and guided regularly our guests through the beautiful dive sites of South Male Atoll.
With the help of Euro-Divers I went for my next big goal, to become a diving instructor myself which I reached in 1997. Working at several Euro-Divers dive centres and increasing constantly my knowledge I became the Dive Center Manager of Atoll Explorer in 2001. During this time, I had the chance to explore every little corner of the Maldives with our guests.
Many times, our guests asked me which dive site I like most? I just can say, even after 30 years of diving I still like every dive, every little fish I see.
Not only the fantastic underwater world amazes me. It is everything, working with remarkable colleagues from all over the world, a great company, hand in hand together, share knowledge and work together to show others the beauty of the ocean.
Everything started with my Open Water Course at Koh Tao, Thailand. I’m hooked with the first breath I took underwater – this magical and peaceful world with all these different colors and creatures made me forget about everything else. It felt like an addiction.
This time made me realize that I don’t want to keep diving only as a hobby. I wanted to become a Diving Instructor and make diving my profession.
I was working as an entertainer in one of the resorts in South Male atoll. The first time I tried diving I absolutely fell in love with it, so every day off I would go diving.
I was lucky enough to meet people from Euro-Divers who helped me complete my instructor course and employment later on.
That trip changed everything. Since 2014, I visited more than 50 countries in three continents.
2019, 2020, 2021 – still in Maldives, enjoying what I love the most.
Im sonnigen Süden (Ägypten) lernte ich im Urlaub die unglaubliche Unterwasserwelt bei einem Schnuppertauchgang kennen und lieben.
Anfangs arbeitete ich im Tauchcenter im Büro, mir wurde jedoch schnell klar, dass ich die Gäste nicht nur über Wasser sondern auch unter Wasser begleiten wollte. Somit machte ich die Divemaster Ausbildung.
I studied Hotel management and ended up working for several years in different Hotels/Resorts around Italians seaside where I spend my days off diving and achieving the Dive Master rating.
I choose to stay in Oman because of its unspoiled dive site, beaches and many undiscovered dive places! We do not have mass tourism here and the country itself is spectacular besides being the safest place to live in.
Bored and burnt out of the stressful life in Holland, I quit my job as Manager Back Office & Finance and I went to Curacao for holiday. On this tropical island I took my first breaths under water with Instructor Marc, who is still my buddy in life.
Diving keeps me grounded, relaxed and connected with Mother Nature (myself). It supports me to let go, to put things into perspective and it helps me to stay focused and balanced in my position as a manager.
But diving was not at all my purpose of the journey, in fact I was not even a diver yet, I became a diver after I got passionate in freediving in Egypt in 2012 while freediving with dolphin in the wild, eager to become a snorkeling guide, I did my life guard licence and then my PADI open water!
I love freediving but scuba diving is an all other story for me, learning scuba diving make you discover part of yourself you didn’t know, you learn to control things that you would have never imagined possible, I regularly see many of my students discovering how calm they can be underwater when in life they tend to be hyperactive and then in the other hand I see calm or introverted persons becoming excited and move like a torpedo underwater 🙂 so diving might not be for everyone but it is definitely to discover!
I decided after my hospitality studies to enter this fascinating new world. I have started my career in Club Med as Guest Service and had the opportunity to travel some of the famous destinations for diving or snorkeling.
I am the perfect example of someone who was scared of diving, the only advice I could give is to believe in yourself.
But since I was young, I knew I wanted to travel the world, to go on adventures, have fun and meet people from everywhere. Unfortunately, those jobs didn’t give me the opportunity to do it so after 5 years I decided to move to Thailand.
Scuba Diving is a sport of passion.
During this time, I wanted to try something new, so I started scuba diving and I will never forget my first underwater experience. I felt nervous at first but at the same time a lot of excitement.
Some people might think that diving is a difficult sport, but there are many ways to enjoy safe diving for any age or gender.