Back in 2019, a time when we were all guilty of taking social interaction for granted, I started my Duke of Edinburgh award.

When making my choices I knew I wanted to complete each section in an area that I have an interest in and I didn’t want this to just be a box ticking exercise, I wanted to enjoy it too and if possible develop my skills and interests In no particular order I decided to complete: Skills – Cooking (Yes I know I still owe the team a chocolate cake!), Physical – Rugby and for Volunteering I wanted to incorporate diving.

I approached Tracey to ask if she would allow me to carry out my Duke of Edinburgh Volunteering with Dive Rutland, with a focus on mentoring the junior divers. Tracey and the team kindly took on the challenge of supporting me whilst I supervised the juniors! 

In addition to helping with the junior theory and practical sessions I also learnt what goes on behind the scenes in the shop getting the sessions ready and I was even let loose on a few customers and stock taking! 

Written by Thomas Frieland

We are pleased to announce that the CPD Certification Service has accredited the EFR Primary and Secondary Course for the purpose of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit. 

Our course participants, seeking CPD credit, now have the opportunity to receive a CPD certificate of recognition:-

• EFR Primary and Secondary Course = 6 Hours

Not familiar with the CPD process here are the key features:
CPD is required to

• be documented ( can be through certificate)
• be self-directed; not driven by the employer
• focus on learning from experience, reflective learning and review
• help set development goals and objectives
• include both formal and informal learning

CPD is often a requirement of membership of a professional body. It can help to reflect, review and document learning and to develop and update professional knowledge and skills. It can also serve to:

• provide an overview of professional development to date
• act as a reminder of achievements and progression
• direct a career and help keep focus on goals
• uncover gaps in skills and capabilities
• open up further development needs
• provide examples and scenarios for a CV or interview
• demonstrate professional standing to clients and employers
• help career development or a possible career change

On completion of this course with us here at Dive Rutland we will complete your CPD certification registration for you (on request).

No better time to start learning new skills whilst continuing with your own personal development, so get yourself booked onto a course

Every certification we process for our students Dive Rutland actively contributes to Project Aware by donating £10, so we THANK all of our students for choosing to dive and train with us.

Its not just about the donation but actively encouraging you to participate in Project Aware Specialities such as Coral Conservation, Project Aware Speciality and Dive Against Debris to name but three.   You can take all of these now as our virtual classroom is great fun, if as per the Dive Against Debris you need to undertake a dive or two, well we run those dives regularly on our Dive Against Debris site.. so no excuses.. take a speciality or two and you will be that one step, or even two towards your  Master Scuba Diver  qualification

Get your name on our achievement board, you know you want to!

Congratulations to two of our Dive professionals (Tracey and Bridget) who have been 'awarded' elite instructor status for 2019.

I do not want to take anything away from achieving this status and it is nice to be recognised, but an instructor is nothing without their Divemaster, our surface support teams and most importantly our students BUT it has raised a question amongst our Professional Dive Team, just what is an Elite Instructor.

The answer to the question depends on who you ask, but that could also boil down to what is diving?

Here at Dive Rutland yes, we have had two elite 50 instructors in 2019.  To us elite is not a numbers game, but an ethos that we fully embed in our 5 star Instructor Development Centre centre.

We strive to be the best professionals that we can be and 2019 saw personal and professional development through training for our club trip to Scapa Flow,  some of our professionals crossing over to be RAID instructors, all while also growing outside of simply diving learning more about exploration, ecological issues, and even a bit of geographic research.

We put our heart and souls in to each course that we teach, enthusing divers and inspiring others to join into the wonderful underwater world.  We support school activities that do not get logged with PADI, inspiring marine biologists, scientists, and future astronauts as that is what we believe our role is - TO INSPIRE.. it only takes one of the students from our many activities to be the next Jacques Cousteau, the next David Attenborough or even Neil Armstrong to name but a few.

​At the end of each year we take stock of the DIVERS we have made and the children we have inspired.

​That is why we teach. 

But lets not take anything away from our Elite Instructors but also recognise it as it is - a team recognition of a GREAT TEAM or should that be AMAZING TEAM.

After accepting the place, we were already busy - not only did we complete the fit out of the new classroom and start the revamp of the Dive Centre, there was some pre-reading, exams and knowledge development activities to be done… but finally we got there, so on 7th March you found me packed and ready to go.

Arriving a day before the course started, gave time to meet my roommate for the nine days we were going to be in Kota Kinabalu and to have a mooch around

​On arrival on the first morning we found out which team we had been allocated into; I was in team Blue.  A multi-national team from Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway and the Philippines

Each day we started at 8:00 and finishing anytime between 18:00 – 18:30, night off. no… Every night was spent, preparing presentations for the next day, so sleep becomes something you learn to go without. normally diving trips are eat, sleep, dive repeat this one was eat, work, work, eat, work, sleep!
 
The course consisted of presentations from the PADI team covering items such as Counselling Instructor Candidates, Knowledge Development Evaluation Training Workshops, Marketing Workshop, Quality Management & Risk Management Workshops to name but a few, intertwined with confined water and open water presentations, rescue evaluations, classroom evaluations from all areas of the NEW Instructor Development program.  
 
And when you see the schedule and it says Day off – do not be fooled, they drop in a Marketing project for you and your team to prepare and present – which is also a scored project and all members of the team have to participate.

At the end of the course, there is a graduation banquet for everyone successful on the course but not for us, NOW that’s not because no one was successful but because borders were closing and some of the PADI team were flying via Japan and needed to get through before that happened.  So, no party for us
 
I am pleased to say that I am now a PADI Course Director, it just feels a little flat with no celebration in place, but I am sure over time and on reflection that will change.

That leaves me to say Thank You, to the Dive Rutland team that have held things together whilst I have been away – Bridget, James and Rick.  Bridget and extra special thanks as it hasn’t been the easiest week.
 
To my husband for the moral support and words of wisdom needed at times.
​
Time to go deliver on the plan… after a few more days of oh, and yes a few drinks.

Congratulations to Arabella and Harry who completed the Master Seal certification during Saturday's pool session