A year in the life...

So what does a technical diving instructor do all year? As many of you who regularly visit the dive centre know, Martin runs courses and trips all over the world. Here are the highlights from 2006:

January and the new year saw Martin searching for premises for our new Dive Centre premises as well as teaching KISS rebreather courses and a Normoxic Trimix Course in the UK. Although water temperatures are at their lowest visibility is often at it’s best and those divers who are properly prepared enjoyed some of the best diving conditions of the year.

February started with a trip to Finland to teach ice diving both in the sea and caves. With temperatures down to -40C even the locals had to wrap up warm. From one extreme to the other, Martin left Finland just in time to repack and head off to sunny Florida to co-teach a CCR cave course with Tom Mount, the head of IANTD. The water in Florida caves is 21C and even in Winter the midday sun makes it feel like Spring. To finish the month off Martin flew back into the UK and out to Cyprus on the same day for an Inspiration rebreather diver course for Russian and English students.

March saw the opening of our new dive centre, The Eau Zone. Opened by Simon Pridmore, the head of IANTD UK, and supported by Poseidon, Hydrotech and DUI. Just a day later Ed was left in charge and Martin and Vikki headed back  to Cyprus. This time for Deep, Basic EANx, Wreck, Normoxic Trimix CCR  and CCR wreck courses. With minimum water temperatures of 17C even in the winter and fantastic visibility year round the students have the best of both worlds. Back home for a KISS course and another month is gone.

April After an Advanced Nitrox course and Trimix CCR course in the UK both Martin and Vikki returned to Finland this time to teach Cavern and Intro to Cave courses. The fantastic diving and friendly people made an arduous trip fly by and four weeks and seven courses later they said a reluctant farewell.

May Staying with the Scandinavian theme Martin drove to Southern France to teach an NACD Cave Diver course for a group of Swedish divers. The combination of fantastic caves, French cuisine and long sunny days is a winner every time. Back home for a Gas Blending and Instructor course, then off to Cyprus for another rebreather course with a group of Brits addicted to Burberry Hats and back home for a Semi-Closed rebreather course. Phew!

June With UK diving now coming into peak season Martin enjoyed a Normoxic Trimix Course diving off the South Coast on some of our favourite wrecks like the Duke of Buccleugh and Moldavia, popped back to France for an Advanced Cave Course and then jetted to the Black Sea for an Advanced Wreck Course. Martin got to practice teaching in Russian and came back much improved just in time for the end of year exams at our night school.

July Martin is making the most of the great visibility and sea conditions here in the UK with a CCR Trimix course followed by an Open Circuit Trimix course and with rebreather diving becoming more and more popular it’s no surprise that the second half of the month is taken up with another rebreather course for beginners and a CCR skills workshop for existing rebreather divers who wanted to brush up their skills.

August and Martin is invited to the opening of another Dive Centre, one of our partners for whom he teaches technical courses, followed by an Advanced Recreational Trimix course. A Normoxic Trimix course is followed swiftly by some rebreather try dives for another dive centre we partner and then theory and open water skills for upcoming cave courses.  Traditionally this is tech diving’s quiet month but this year there is no respite and no time off.

September dawns and Martin heads off to Florida for a marathon 6 weeks. Full Cave course, CCR Cave Course, Trimix Cave Course, Side-mount Cave and back to Full Cave again. As the students return from the experience of their lives the dive centre is filled with stories full of adventure, excitement, Otters, Alligators and requests to book onto the next cave trip.

October is half way through before Martin returns just in time for the Birmingham Dive Show. We spend our days enjoying meeting and chatting to both new and old friends. Sharing our stand is the new Silent Submersion DPV. As new dealers for Submerge scooters we are very excited by this new lightweight model and can’t wait to get a couple for ourselves (to show prospective customers, of course). Half-term may seem like the wrong time to head off to Cyprus but the combined CCR Normoxic and Technical Wreck course students actually have the dive centre all to themselves.

November The end of the year approaches and there is no let up. A Semi Closed Rebreather course is followed by Martin’s birthday. Does he get a day off? No, he attends a DAN Instructor Trainer Update! The day is rescued by a fireworks party in the evening with explosions set to rival the big bang! Surprise, surprise another rebreather course next – definitely this year’s most popular course and so many people want to do it that Vikki is drafted in to teach as well, followed by a Trimix course and an appearance at the Stockholm Dive Show.

December is still ahead of us as I write and Martin has two consecutive rebreather courses to run plus an instructor training course. It does at least look like he will be off on Christmas Day (the first time in 5 years) Still with his unbounded energy and enthusiasm for teaching and diving it seems likely that someone will find out and book him for that too. With his 2007 diary already half full it looks like next year will be even busier – and that’s just the way Martin likes it!