Abdulla Ahmed (Ablo)
Assistant Dive Center Manager
Languages: English, Dhivehi
Valentina Kuzmina (Vale)
Diving Instructor
Languages: English, Russian
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.
I wanted to go underwater again and again. That’s how my future dream got created. Some diving holidays later I became a rescue diver, and I went back to Koh Tao enjoying a sabbatical and started my Divemaster training.
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.
Unfortunately, COVID came in between, so I postponed my Instructor course. I bridged this time in Germany continuing my office job, so I worked in the human resources for a health insurance company again until I got the once-in-a-lifetime chance to change my whole life last year.
I heard that Euro-Divers Maldives is looking for a German Speaking Instructor. So, I applied for that position, resigned from my job in Germany, went to Egypt, finally did my Instructor Course, and here I am, working in paradise.”
Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it – Roald Dahl
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.
After completing two contracts with the resort, I was certified as a divemaster and looking for work in this position.
I was lucky enough to meet people from Euro-Divers who helped me complete my instructor course and employment later on.
I’m always looking forward to getting in the water because I never know what I’ll see this time.
The underwater world is full of wonders!
I feel fortunate to have my passion as my work and share it with others.
Don’t worry, be happy. – Bobby McFerrin… and Dora
That trip changed everything. Since 2014, I visited more than 50 countries in three continents.
Diving came into my life in 2015 when I decided to finish Open Water Course in Thailand – that time I spent all my money on that and had to hitchhike from Thailand to Russia for 1 month! Besides Thailand, I gained experience in Egypt, Colombia, Spain and Vietnam.
I worked online during those years and in a way started feeling I need something else – to fulfill my life with something positive I enrolled into a dive master course in Canary Islands.
It took me 2 months to realize I want to become an instructor – after taking a loan I headed back to Thailand a few months later to finish the IDC.
I spent wonderful time in Thailand working with big groups and in big teams, relocated to Vietnam for some time before I found job in Maldives with Euro-Divers.
2019, 2020, 2021 – still in Maldives, enjoying what I love the most.
Diving brings me peace, teaching brings me joy by seeing my students learning how to dive, experiencing new world, improving their skills and overcoming their fears.
If you feel like diving just go for it! Find the instructor you are comfortable with, study the theory and dive, dive, dive – different conditions, new emotions and new friends – you will totally love it.
Stay hungry, stay foolish. – Alina
Im sonnigen Süden (Ägypten) lernte ich im Urlaub die unglaubliche Unterwasserwelt bei einem Schnuppertauchgang kennen und lieben.
Meinen ersten Tauchgang werde ich nie vergessen – mein damaliger Tauchlehrer bestimmt auch nicht 😉 Es war ein Erlebnis, welches man nie mehr missen möchte – im Gegenteil – es machte direkt süchtig.
Leider war der Urlaub wie immer zu früh vorbei und so beschlossen mein Mann und ich 2 Wochen später noch einmal dorthin zu fliegen.
Wir waren wieder so begeistert von der Unterwasserwelt und dem dortigen Leben, dass wir den Beschluss fassten, dorthin auszuwandern und Tauchguides bzw. Tauchlehrer zu werden.
Die Liebe zum Tauchen, den Fischen, den Schnecken – kurz der ganzen gesamten Unterwasserwelt – stieg mit jedem Tauchgang.
Dies ist nun über 15 Jahre her, habe auf den Malediven, in Thailand, Ägypten gearbeitet und ich genieße noch immer jede Sekunde unter Wasser.
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.
Während dieser Ausbildung begleitete ich verschiedene Kurse, unter anderem auch Anfängerkurse in denen ich mich wieder erkannte, als ich das erste mal „den Kopf unter Wasser“ steckte.
Dies machte mir meine Entscheidung leicht, einen Schritt weiter zu gehen und den Tauchlehrerkurs zu absolvieren.
Meine große Leidenschaft sind Schnecken in Film und Foto fest zu halten. Mich fasziniert einfach die Artenvielfalt, Farbenpracht und das Suchen und Finden dieser Meeresbewohner.
Ich kann jedem nur wärmstens empfehlen, einmal das Tauchen zu versuchen, um diese Schwerelosigkeit, diese Ruhe, diese Harmonie zu erleben. Einmal ein Teil dieser ganz besonderen Welt zu sein.
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.
Soon after my DM training, I decided to move to Egypt where I gained my Instructor license during a 4 month internship with a lovely Italian dive company.
Once I became Dive Instructor, I worked in different places around Egypt, Maldives, Thailand, Philippines till I ended up in Oman. In Maldives, I got the opportunity to develop myself to be a dive center manager.
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.
It’s been 10 years and still love to spend every single day teaching, diving, guiding and sustaining the environment. During all these years, our team managed to achieve different big goals, like being the only dive center in Middle-East approved by UK’s Ministry of Defense & this was mainly possible due to our approach of safety first & friendly atmosphere with our guests.
The biggest challenge currently we have (like many others) is to survive the Covid times, however, we remain positive and hopeful that tourism will bounce back sooner or later and we will be able to dive with our international friends as we did pre-covid.
For those who hesitate about going diving: I suggest you to start slowly and enjoy a morning in our swimming pool first and once mastering the few skills and the breathing under water we will happily bring you out diving from the beach or the boat. – Karin
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 reminded me of my earlier childhood when I couldn’t get enough of being in the water. I was instantly addicted to the feeling of moving freely and weightless in the water, surrounded by the most beautiful colors and creatures, just listening to my own breathing. It is my pleasure to guide guests to let them experience this feeling too.
I am very grateful that I got the opportunity to combine my office and management skills with teaching and guiding the diving guests.
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.
The golden rule with scuba-diving is “never hold your breath” and so is my saying “Just B(-reath)” stay in the moment.
In the context of “Euro-Divers Women Diving Day”, my invitation to all Women is: “in this stressful world where you always have to perform and the level of expectation is extremely high, do yourself a favor, give yourself a present,
Breathe…and go Scuba Diving! – Jeanine
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!
Once it was done I went back in Egypt and did my very first giant step in the ocean and right there was the beginning of a new journey…Can’t forget to mention that my new instructor at that time was going to become my life partner in the future and still is 8 years later, So typical… I know!
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 am a scuba instructor since 7 years, I have been working with Euro-Divers since in Egypt then later they gave me the opportunity to work in the Maldives where I still live. As a female diver I’ve never had any trouble in this activity, neither since I am instructor. Generally, in the diving industry, you will find yourself outnumbered more by men than women so that can be intimidating at first but hey! guys have realized by now that us girls can be as good (if not better) as them underwater 😉 !
Women diving community gets bigger and stronger every day so come and join us!
My favourite quote:
Sing like no one’ listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody’s watching, and live like it’s heaven on earth. -Mark Twain
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.
That’s how I end up in the Maldives, Club Med Kani, where I was approached by one of the dive instructors to start my new addiction!
Scuba diving has changed completely my life, as I was working at the front office, I resigned from my position to start my career in diving, from then, I have been working in Mexico, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Maldives looking forward for new opportunities.
Diving was for me is most amazing challenge of my life, as I was not very confident in the water, scared of the ocean!
I am the perfect example of someone who was scared of diving, the only advice I could give is to believe in yourself.
Diving is for anyone who want to go above their comfort zone and achieve what you think you are not able to do.
The best evasion of the mind is to be underwater but also to share this passion to others.
Specially we as women, we are always a little bit more nervous about diving, but we have proved to be wonderful scuba diving role model.”
Overcome your fears, believe in yourself and rock it! – AJ
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.
Even though I was surrounded by my family and friends, had good jobs, and a nice apartment to live in, but I knew something was missing in my life.
I did my first dive in Koh Tao, and I simply fell in love with it and never stop diving since.
Scuba diving gave me the wings to fly away from a settled life and brings me the happiness I never felt in my heart. Being in the Ocean is like being at home for me.
Scuba Diving is a sport of passion.
It creates a community and there are no boundaries between people who love to share stories about it.
Becoming a diver gives you the chance to feel, to live, to explore, and to admire this unique underwater world. Just jump, open your eyes, and take your first breath in the Ocean.
And, when you will be surrounded by those beautiful aquatic creatures you will understand how it is like to fly in paradise.
Diving in the ocean is like immersing yourself in paradise – Vee
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.
Diving is like meditation for me. I like the feeling of just floating, chilling and very quickly I get addicted to it.
One day I just decided to become a diving instructor myself and my diving career started in Cairns Australia and Guam USA.
The Maldives is home to the world’s largest population of reef manta rays, and back then I’ve never seen manta rays.
That’s what brought me to beautiful Maldives in 2017. Of course, I love all the underwater animals, however, I would like to share the wonderful feeling of peace and relaxation underwater.
Some people might think that diving is a difficult sport, but there are many ways to enjoy safe diving for any age or gender.
Like everyone has different food taste, everyone can find different diving taste, not only for the depth and time, also finding different big/small animals, corals, topography, enjoy the silence, zero-gravity, water flow etc.
Diving can be your lifetime activity. Come and join us for your diving experience. It can be a chance to find new step!”
Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. –Margaret Mead-
