I have been diving since 1993 when I learned to dive with BSAC underneath Swanage Pier. I then dived in Comino with Subway and switched to PADI. I trained through to Master Instructor with Dive In, Gildenburgh Water in the UK. I started working there in 2003 and loved every minute of it. Eventually I decided to make scuba diving my career and moved to Malta in March 2007.Since becoming a Course Director in July 2008, most of my teaching is now Instructor Level Courses but I can still be found teaching Open Water and even the odd Try Dive if Karen makes me!
I learnt to dive to see the wonderful underwater life, so my favourite dives are ones with lots of fish. Having said that, my favourite dive in Malta is the wreck of the Um El Faroud, it is just breathtaking. Faroud aside, my top 5 dives would be Comino Caves, Imperial Eagle, Anchor Bay, Blue Hole & Inland Sea.
Outside of diving I love football and passionately support Luton Town Football Club. I'm a computer games freak, currently playing Left4Dead2. I relax by spending time with my beautiful Daughter – Emily and my 2 Rottweilers & now the 2 Pugs.
PADI Course Director 629889
PADI Specialty Instructor Trainer
Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer
PADI TecRec – Tec Deep Instructor Trainer
PADI TecRec – Tec Trimix Instructor Trainer
PADI TecRec – Trimix Gas Blender Instructor Trainer
I always knew that I would become a diver!
I qualified in Egypt in 2000. If I hadn’t have been in the middle of buying my first flat, I would have never gone back to the UK.
I loved the freedom that Diving gave. Viewing the marine life in its natural habitat is a sight I believe everyone should have the chance to see. Under the sea is a different world completely, it’s so relaxing and no one dive is the same. Every dive is a different experience, from the marine life to the wrecks, it’s just amazing and from the moment I got in the water for my first dive I fell in love with it.
At first I was only planning to be a warm water diver, taking my holidays in Egypt, Turkey and hopefully places like Mexico, Thailand and ultimately wherever my budget would allow. Then as my love for diving grew, I realized that I no longer wanted to remain in the UK. I wanted to make my hobby my profession. I became an Instructor at Gildenburgh Water in 2005 and loved it.
Gildenburgh was also where I met Martin, and found that he had the same views. We left England in 2007 and headed to Malta. And I guess the rest is history!
One of the main reasons we chose Malta to settle in is the fact that it offers diving all year round. It also has some fantastic dive sites, giving a wonderful variety between shallow scenic dives, such as at Anchor Bay and the Santa Maria caves, and deeper wrecks such as the Rozi and the Um el Faroud. Aside from diving I found the people to be friendly and the scenery to be breathtaking. It really is a beautiful island.
PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
Emergency First Response Instructor
Instructors
Chris Heaton Master Instructor
Elka Borucka Staff Instructor
My diving experience started as a kid in Africa, and I was addicted from that moment, I then had to come back to the UK and learn in the cold dark waters of England….but I still loved it! I did my Divemaster in Malta during my university summer break, and since then have never been far away from the place. I became an instructor in 2010, and worked in Malta for the last five years. Although last winter I did manage to get away to work in Thailand,
soon enough I was back in Malta.
The diving in Malta allows me too visit fantastic wrecks, whether in recreational diving, where I love going to the Um El Faroud, the Imperial Eagle or the wreck of the Bristol Beaufighter.
Or in technical diving where there are the deeper wrecks of the submarine H.M.S. Stubborn and the Polynesian.
Of course it’s not just the wrecks that make the diving so awesome here, the landscape can be breathtaking, with Santa Marija caves in Comino and the Blue Hole and Billinghurst cave in Gozo being particular highlights.
After I did my first Discover Scuba Diving I knew that this was something I wanted to do! I started diving in 2008 in Malta. As a work placement from university I came back to Malta the following year, and I did all of the courses up to Divemaster. After graduating I worked as a Divemaster with Buddies and prepared for the IDC, which I did with Martin (the big boss!). After becoming an instructor I started teaching in the cold, green waters of Poland, and the Netherlands. I came back to Buddies last summer as an instructor and in November I completed the Staff Instructor course and left Malta for beautiful Thailand. And now….. I’m back again for more awesome dives!
I got interested in diving since 2012, came to Malta and started to think about becoming a pro.
In September 2014 I had the opportunity to do my rescue, DM with Buddies. So I started playing with the idea of becoming an instructor – and yes in May 2015 I did the IDC with Buddies. There is no bigger pleasure than change a hobby into a career. I speak French, Dutch and English.
My first dive was in the temperate waters of the UK down on the south coast. At the age of 11 I completed my first DSD and within a few weeks I had completed my Open Water course in Torquay. It is mainly due to my Dad that I have got into diving, having spent various holidays here in Malta where I got to know Martin and the Buddies team. I loved diving here so much that I decided to commit my summer of 2013 to completing the Divemaster internship at Buddies, completing several courses along the way. It was then I was offered an instructor position once I had successfully completed my IDC (thanks to the support of my Mum and Dad) in November. Two summers later and my passion for teaching and diving in Malta hasn’t subsided.
My particular favourite dive site is Cirkewwa, where we have two great wrecks (P29 and Rozi) as well as lovely reefs and swim throughs. The views of the Blue Hole and Inland sea in Gozo are un paralleled, a must see. I also love the legendary Um El Faroud, as any self-respecting diver should do!
Aside from diving, I enjoy spending time with friends, playing Fifa and enjoying the nightlife.
EFR Instructor
Deep, Wreck, Nitrox, Night and Navigation Instructor
I did my first dive ever on the 8th June 2008 in the Maldives. I immediately fell in love with it and worked my way up to Divemaster. I then travelled to Mallorca and by the 12th October 2009 I was a certified instructor. I have been working in Malta since May 2010 working for various dive centres before earning my yellow shirt at Buddies.
My favourite dives on the Maltese Islands would be the Blue Hole and Coral Cave in Dwejra. To name a few others; Um El Faroud, P29 and the Rozi at Cirkewwa. I consider myself a bit of a wreck freak, as I love all of the wrecks around the islands.
Outside of diving, my main loves are Everton FC and playing guitar.
I've only been diving since 2014 but as soon as I started I was hooked! Me and my family went diving in the Maldives and I realised I'd been missing out on a whole world of undersea life that I could see just by getting in the water. It didn't take me long after that to realise I wanted to do this every day. With that in mind I decided to become a Divemaster.
I joined Buddies in April 2015 and I haven't regretted it for a moment. I'm learning how to be a better diver, having a lot of laughs and enjoying some fantastic diving. Specifically I love the combination of dramatic scenery and the variety of life at Gozo's Blue hole and the massive wreck of the Faroud, both tied as my favourite dive sites.
My goals for the future are to enjoy the rest of the season, pass my instructor exam in November and keep on diving.
