Congratulations

TO OUR FIRST UAE PADI JUNIOR DIVEMASTERS

BY KATHLEEN RUSSELL, PADI COURSE DIRECTOR AND OWNER OF AL MAHARA DIVING CENTER

In 2019, PADI launched a youth programme for those who were under the age of 18 and had a keen interest in scuba and diving knowledge. This was a new pilot programme which was offered to some of the world’s first PADI dive centres. We would like to congratulate Xander Russell (15 years old) and Paulina Slawek (17 years old) on earning their PADI Junior Divemaster certification with Al Mahara Diving Center in Abu Dhabi! They are some of the first youth divers to earn the Junior Divemaster rating in this region.

This youth initiative is designed to prepare 1517 year olds for their next steps in the full PADI Divemaster course. As a Junior Divemaster trainee, they need to be at least 15 years old with a few prerequisites, including: Emergency First Response Primary and Secondary, Rescue Diver certified, 20 logged dives to begin with, and 40 logged dives for certification.

On being asked about his course, Xander explained, “Over the years of diving, I have picked up many different bits of information, tips, techniques, and overall help. So by doing this course I feel that it really empowered me and allowed me to properly mentor other youths to guide them on the best path in their diving journey.”

Paulina went on to say, “Personally, the junior Divemaster course was a great experience! I continued to learn about diving itself but also all about the mechanics of the dive shop and how it runs. Thanks to the course, I feel very comfortable and confident in the water and ready to assist other divers as much as I can.”

The course teaches youth divers how to become a more confident diver and mentor through similar hands-on practicals, workshop and skills development, and real life scenarios. It allows the trainee to experience similar training conditions to a full on Divemaster. The candidates learn a wide range of skills including: dive environment awareness, dive site mapping, concise skill demonstration, assisting in dive logistics, and dive site briefings! The course includes a short internship to include PADI AWARE’s Dive Against Debris (DAD) and the Shark Awareness Conservation speciality; ultimately leading them to become a PADI torch bearer and making a difference to our world.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

We hope more youth divers will follow their passion in scuba diving and earn their PADI Junior Divemaster certification.

For more information on PADI Junior Divemaster programmes and internships with an EDA membership discount, please contact our dive centre at: info@divemahara.com

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KATHLEEN RUSSELL

AL MAHARA DIVING CENTER

PADI Course Director and Starguard Instructor Trainer and Artificial Reef Projects, Reef Check Eco Diver Trainer Mobile: +971 56 5358883 www.divemahara.com