Not Quite Ready, But Happy He Tried
Canadian Kaleb Lewis came to Aquanauts in early 2010 already a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer. His plan was to do his IDC Staff Instructor course and teach some courses while waiting for his mother and father — both Advanced Open Water divers — to come and work their way up to instructor.
It didn’t quite work out that way.
He’d done the PADI Instructor Development Course and Instructor Exam. He’d gotten certified to teach five PADI specialties and earned more than 25 certifications. But when he saw the standard of the Aquanauts instructors and courses, he backed down. While we were ready to work with him to bring up his teaching skills, he decided to drop the IDC Staff course and simply teach, assist and dive for his two months here.
As you’ll read below, he has no regrets, saying Aquanauts is “second to none” and that he would recommend us to anyone.
Kaleb’s back in Canada now and his parents have finished their training here and moved on to the Caribbean. But wherever they end up, Aquanauts wishes all the Lewises the best of luck.
Didn’t Do the Course, but Lucky to Be There
by Kaleb Lewis
Through my travels as a dive instructor, I have visited many dive shops and had the pleasure of meeting many different divers and dive instructors. But none of them have been quite like this one.
Many dive shops you will visit in your dive travels as a professional or even just as a recreational diver seem all the same. They greet you as you walk in, take your money and kick you back out the door with some dive gear and a guide who seems more interested in what he’s doing that night then if your dive gear is working properly or how good a dive you have. If you’re lucky you may see another 5-10 divers the entire time you’re there.
At Aquanauts it’s different. As you walk up to the shop first thing, even before the front door of the shop is unlocked, you are met by not just a few, but a crowd of divers. Many of these divers arrive at the shop with the hopes of more than just a few days of diving.
I was privileged enough to join Aquanauts for two months while in Thailand, and though I did not take any courses while with them I was lucky enough to spend those two months diving as an instructor and being able to see the inner workings of their operation.
I can fairly say that Aquanauts is a shop to its own. In my travels I have never come across another quiet like it.
A lot of the divers that come to Aquanauts spend up to and beyond seven months with the Aquanauts team. Some start with no or very few certifications what so ever and will train their way all the way up to becoming a fully certified PADI instructor. Whatever kind of diving you are looking for, Aquanauts can give it to you. Whether you want to dive on wrecks, coast over nothing but coral reefs, or you feel the urge to heighten your diving experience by continuing your training, Aquanauts can offer it to you.
Many dive shops will offer the basic courses that any instructor can teach up to Divemaster. At Aquanauts they can offer above and beyond this with their team of IDC Staff Instructors and Course Directors. The staff instructors have enough experience to handle any situation and any kind of diver. Whether it is an open water course, rescue course, or just welcoming divers into the professional ratings with a Divemaster course they know how to get things done.
Kaleb Lewis dives the HTMS Kood wreck in Pattaya
And how could they not – being watched over by Gary. A man with years of training, years of experience, and the will to pass it on to those who are willing to listen and learn. A man of many words, and though he may not always like what you have done and will not hesitate to make this fact known, he is also the first to step forward and assist when it is really needed.
The final member of the dive team is Roger, another veteran of the diving world. With years of experience in not only recreational diving but in technical diving as well, he is a source of great information, which he is happy to share with any who are willing to ask and listen.
The team the Aquanauts shop has is second to none and the experience I have gained from being with them is one that I will cherish for years to come.
Aquanauts is a shop I would recommend to any diver who is looking for a once in a life experience. Whether it be the dive sites you visit on a daily basis, the high quality of training you will receive while diving with these elite divers, or the experiences you will have while in their area, Aquanauts is by far the shop to go to.