At 8 or 9 years old, a resort instructor took me into the Red Sea on a Discover Scuba Diving experience. I remember 3 feet of visibility and sand rushing around my fogged-up mask. We were only in about 15 feet of water, and I don’t think I saw a single animal on that dive, but I emerged feeling like the world was just the most magical place. My tiny frame buckled under the c cumbersome scuba gear, but my instructor kept his hand on my tank the entire time.

I felt safe in this alien world with him by my side. I felt like I was gliding; I felt like an explorer; I felt totally free.

Through my young eyes, I could see my instructor possessed a gift: He brought magic into other people’s lives. I had no idea then how scuba would shape my life or that I would become a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor myself one day.

The next 10 years of my life were punctuated by a string of continuing education courses, led by instructors who inspired me to push through personal challenges and fears. I was pulled deeper into the tightknit camaraderie of the local dive community and became a version of myself that I was proud of.

As a teenager, I took a summer job at a dive shop in California, where I sold gear and helped instructors set up for their classes. When the shop was slow, I loved to watch them teach—the confidence, skill and influence they embodied seemed unattainable to me as a shy and awkward teen, but I nevertheless looked up to them. With the perks of gear discounts and cheap training, I started racking up certs.

With each course I completed, I felt more confident, prepared and excited to one day share my love of the ocean with others. It wasn’t long before I was encouraged to overcome my selfdoubt and try to join the ranks by going “pro.”

By the time I went to college across the country, I was working hard on my divemaster cert—the first rung in the dive professional ladder. The first course I assisted in as a divemaster candidate was a comical disaster. The instructor in charge was only a few years older than me, but she seemed to shine in her leading role. Meanwhile, I was trying my very best to embody the level of authority that I believed divemasters should have while still fumbling with my own underwater skills.

It was my first time managing a large and unwieldy dive float, and upon my exit, I managed to get myself hopelessly tangled in the trailing line. I tripped up the beach and fell flat on my face in the rocks. Without a shred of pride left, I crawled out of the surf on my hands and knees—dragging the float behind me—while the entire class watched.

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After that experience, it was clear to me that to become a dive professional you first need to master your own skills and accurately assess your abilities because you are responsible for the safety and enjoyment of others as well as your own. That humbling first dive made me even more determined to continue my training and build up my own experience through many hours underwater.

After college, I returned to my native California waters to work as a divemaster in Monterey and get ready to become an instructor. I fell head-over-heels in love with local diving. I especially appreciated the cold-water diving community: the grit, mutual support, die-hard dedication, and obsession with finding the right gear to make 7 mm of neoprene and 20 to 30 pounds of lead feel just a bit more comfortable.

THIS WAS THE START OF SOMETHING BIG FOR ME, AND MY CHEST SWELLED WITH PRIDE. FINALLY, I WAS THE INSTRUCTOR: THE ROLE MODEL I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE.

I admired the instructors in the area who would wake up before the sun and spend all day teaching people to dive in some of the most challenging conditions around. It always struck me as a skill set to be proud of.

For the next year, I rarely left the water. Even when the viz was 2 feet and as green as pea soup, I would gear up with a huge smile. This enthusiasm made my instructor course hours fly by.

The day finally arrived when I stood before my first class of open-water students, eager to share my love for the underwater world. As I guided them through the intricacies of dive theory and demonstrated essential skills in the pool, I felt a profound sense of fulfillment.

On day one of the open-water component, I arrived early at the beach and sat watching the sunrise. I could feel the significance of this moment. This was the start of something big for me, and my chest swelled with pride. Finally, I was the instructor: the role model I always wanted to be. I had worked so hard to become someone others could look up to, and I knew I would always treat that role with the utmost respect.

At that moment, a man walked up to me on the deserted beach and asked to take my photo. The serendipitous moment gifted me a visual memory that makes me smile to this day. Looking at that photo, I can feel the intense pride, the nervous jitters and the anxious anticipation to take the next step in my career.

Since that day, I’ve had the privilege of teaching many students, from people I just met to family members and friends. Each time I witness someone take their first breaths underwater is a gift.

Some of my most memorable students have been those who are conquering fears or anxieties. I remember working with one open-water student who had a near-drowning experience as a child and was terrified of the water. She told me scuba diving was a dream of hers, and she wanted nothing more than to overcome her fears and move forward with her life. I was excited to work with her, and after spending many hours in the pool getting her comfortable we went to the ocean.

I held both her hands as she took one tentative step toward the ocean at a time, pausing to work through tears, breathe and recenter. With each step, I reassured her she was safe and encouraged her to trust herself and me. I was able to do for her what each of my instructors did for me: offer support, challenge limiting beliefs and open the door to the magic of the underwater world. We made it into the water, through all the skills and out the other side. This student and many others taught me that we are all much more capable than we give ourselves credit for, and sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see the strength that we can’t see in ourselves.

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Ready to Go Pro?

Here’s what to expect: To become a PADI Divemaster, you will need a PADI Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certification, Emergency First Response training and a minimum of 40 logged dives. The course consists of an eLearning component, classroom lectures and a skill circuit where you are coached on demonstration quality skills. After this you will work with an instructor or shop to get hands-on practice with classes and leading tours.

To become a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, you go through a rigorous Instructor Development Course (IDC), where you work closely with a PADI Course Director and other instructor candidates to learn public speaking, teaching techniques, class organization, marketing and diving legalities. Next comes the Instructor Evaluation (IE), where you prove your chops as a pro through written exams, classroom presentations, and inwater teaching presentations.

➜ Learn more: padi.com/education/professional