Living the dream

DREAM Living the

Many people dream of running a dive centre, and that’s just what Ben Breakspear and Susie Williams did at Scuba Leeds, but now they have gone one step further and are taking the reins at New Dimension Scuba in Malta. Mark Evans spoke to them about their endeavours

Photographs courtesy of New Dimension Scuba

Susie and Ben on a British dive

The thought of quitting the day job and running

a dive centre is a daydream of many ardent recreational divers, but alas, few ever go on to achieve this lofty goal. Dive instructors Ben Breakspear and Susie Williams bucked the trend, however, and not only managed a successful dive centre in the UK in the form of Scuba Leeds for several years, but have now headed for the much-warmer-waters of Malta to lead the team at New Dimension Scuba.

New Dimension Scuba (www.nds-malta.com) is located in St Paul’s Bay on Malta, a prime location that is not too far from some of the premier dive spots on the island.

For qualified divers, NDS can offer a range of dive packages, courses from beginner to technical levels, as well as professional courses, diving for children, freediving courses and a vast range of specialties.

New Dimension Scuba also has a well-stocked shop for all those diving essentials, or if you just fancy treating yourself to some new gear while you are on holiday!

Editorial Director Mark Evans chatted to the couple to find out a bit more about how they got started in diving, what it was like working in the UK diving industry, and then what drew them to the island of Malta.

Representing Scuba Leeds

Training session at Capernwray

However, we were lucky enough to snorkel with whalesharks between open water training dives three and four, and there’s just no going back from that!

The calmness and clarity of Malta’s waters makes for excellent visibility, creating the ultimate conditions for first-time divers and beginners. For more experienced divers, there are plenty of challenging dives to try, ranging from reefs to shipwrecks and even airplanes.

With weekly pool sessions, we could ensure our students were 100% comfortable in confined water before heading to the open water sites

Q: When did you first discover scuba diving, and were you hooked on the sport immediately?

A: (Ben) I was travelling around Central America and when I was in Utila, I decided to give diving a try. It was something in which I’d been vaguely interested in the past, but never really given it too much thought. However, we were lucky enough to snorkel with whalesharks between open water training dives three and four, and there’s just no going back from that! I signed up for my advanced course straight away, and ended up not taking my return flight, working my way up to Divemaster, and working out there as a dive guide for the rest of the season.

A: (Susie) I completed my first ever scuba dive in Crete back in 2001 and I hated it. The briefing was just that - brief. With very little instruction given on equalising, it was no surprise my ears hurt the whole dive while they guided us around a harbour with poor visibility. I remember after the dive I was in a lot of pain, and thought “well, thats one thing ticked off the bucket list, but I’m glad I’ll never have to do that again”. It wasn’t until I gave it another go almost ten years later that I got hooked. It really shows that the correct understanding of how to stay safe and comfortable underwater makes the difference between continuing to dive or just trying it out once. Luckily, I’m stubborn and didn’t let that first experience put me off!

Q: When and where did you get qualified as a dive instructor, and what is it that you love the most about teaching people to dive?

A: (Ben) After working in Honduras I came back to the UK and took my instructor course in Leeds in 2010. For me, the most-rewarding part of teaching is working patiently with a struggling student and seeing them gradually start coming into their own.

A: (Susie) I completed all my professional training at Scuba Leeds. I passed my instructor exam in December 2019 in a cold quarry in the UK, it was a proud day for me. The next day I handed my notice in at my old office job keen to make this my full-time passion. I love teaching all levels of divers and all ages, and pass on the knowledge I’ve gained over the years.

Q: You ran Scuba Leeds for several years. What was it like running a dive centre in a land-locked part of Yorkshire, and what did you learn from your time at the centre?

A: (Ben) Running a dive centre landlocked away from the water comes with its challenges - we couldn’t just jump in the water. However, it does come with advantages. With weekly pool sessions, we could ensure our students were 100% comfortable in confined water before heading to the open water sites. It’s also great being able to provide an

opportunity for previously holiday-only divers to take up a sociable, regular hobby.

A: (Susie) I leant a lot! I’ve always wanted to run a dive centre and Scuba Leeds was a great centre to learn the basics of operations, such as organising a dive team, planning students’ course dates and the logistics of a dive day. I could also get my teeth into what goes on behind the scenes that customers rarely see, such as cylinder testing, maintenance, paperwork (lots of paperwork) and the accounts. I’m truly thankful for the opportunities Scuba Leeds gave me to allow me to spread my wings somewhere warm and sunny.

Q: You are now out in the much-sunnier and warmer climate of Malta, heading up the team at New Dimension Scuba. What are the main differences between running a centre here in the UK and out in the Mediterranean?

A: (Ben) The most obvious one... lack of drysuit! But in other ways... In the UK, you’re geared more towards the regular hobbyists and as such there is much more emphasis on equipment sales and servicing, weekend trips, and the social side of diving. The courses and trips are tightly structured to slot around busy people’s work schedules. Here in the Mediterranean, divers are often only here for a week or two. We have a beautiful house reef right on our doorstep, and many more fantastic dive sites less than 20 minutes drive away. All this leads to a much more flexible approach. The plans can change at a moment’s notice, which is actually great when you have such a wealth of diving options around the island.

Ben and Susie outside New Dimension Scuba in Malta Ben and Susie were at Scuba Leeds through COVID

We already feel a strong connection to the dive centre and our lives here in Malta

A: (Susie) The basics are the same, we are teaching to the same standard as in the UK, the same courses, but we have instant access to the water. Its an amazing feeling that someone can walk into our dive centre and within the hour they can be diving on our house reef.

Q: What are your main ambitions for New Dimension Scuba, and what will you be offering customers?

A: (Ben) At Scuba Leeds we prided ourselves on delivering a very friendly and personalised service, with small group sizes to make every customer feel special. We are keen to continue that at New Dimension Scuba. We already feel a strong connection to the dive centre and our lives here in Malta, and we’re passionate about keeping that going.

A: (Susie) My main ambitions for New Dimension Scuba is to be a dive centre that helps protect what we love – the ocean. I’m a strong believer that a problem out of sight doesn’t feel like a problem and I think that is true of marine debris. If everyone could see the amount of trash in our waters I believe they would be doing more to stop litter. I feel very proud of divers who pick up trash as they dive - even just a plastic bottle on every dive will make a difference.

Q: On a more-personal front, what do you hope to achieve during your tenure in Malta? I know that Ben is an entrylevel Tech Instructor and keen to expand his technical diving experience.

A: (Ben) Yes - after completing my Tech 50 Instructor course, I’m now keen to get as much experience as possible on our deeper dives (and it’s a good excuse to go visit some more of the amazing wrecks here in Malta!).

A: (Susie) As cliched as it sounds, I just want to make sure 2022 is a success for New Dimension Scuba. I want our customers to continue having safe and fun dives, and hopefully return again on their next holiday. On a personal level, I’m very grateful to be running the dive centre with Ben. I also get to dive in Malta every day, and we both feel we are living the dream. n