Billy Combs Diving Story
Billy’s personal account, first published in December 2021.
Scuba diving literally changed my life. I had a period where it was bad news after bad news, and I really was not enjoying life in the UK. I had a very messy divorce and lost a very close friend. I had tried scuba diving before and enjoyed it, but had never completed any certifications.
After all of the bad news in the UK, I decided to go travelling, and my first stop was Thailand. This is where I did my PADI Open Water Course. If I’m honest, though, this was not where I fell in love with scuba diving. It was when I went to the Philippines. Now, this was amazing and where I discovered my passion for diving.
I remember my first dive in the Philippines. Wow! We had three manta rays swimming around us for 30 minutes. This is when I fell in love with scuba. The second dive secured my love when we saw a whale shark. Now, this is something you must see. It was huge and swam so slowly past us. We really had the chance to see it up close.
During a month in the Philippines, I decided to do my Advanced Course and did 40 dives over the month. I now had the bug. This is when I decided I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. I said to myself, “I want to become a PADI Instructor.”
This is when I met Steve over Facebook. I started to talk to him about my dream, and we discussed things at length. I look back now and see he had the same passion I did. I liked Steve, as he did not want anything from me apart from giving me sound advice and options on how to do what I wanted.
After visiting Bali, I decided to skip over to Egypt, finally meet Steve and dive the Red Sea. I’m so glad I did. I planned on staying a couple of weeks before going back to the UK to sort some private things out, but ended up staying for nearly two months.
Now, this is where my eyes were opened to being a PADI Instructor. I was able to watch Steve teach and guide people, and now I was fixed: I wanted to be a PADI Instructor. I wanted to be like him, and he told me, “It’s easy. You have the passion and the want.” I cannot thank Steve enough. He helped me so much. I did my Nitrox, Rescue and Divemaster with him, as well as doing well over 80 dives.
To dive every day and work alongside such a fantastic instructor really opened my eyes. I can’t thank him enough for all the help he gave me at zero cost. Yes, I paid for my courses, but every day he taught me something different.
I will be a PADI Instructor in 2022, and I will teach scuba diving for a living and follow my dream. If you want it badly enough, then do it. Invest in yourself with good training, and it’s easy. Trust me. Live your dream, and the best of luck.
William.
A reply from Dive UK Hurghada
Billy, you’re a fine example and will be a top instructor. I can’t wait to start your IDC prep to turn you into the instructor you want to be. You put a lot of praise in here for me, but know that you put in so much work and dedication. I remember you asking me non-stop questions, looking at everything I did, and seeing how much you wanted it. That was you, not me. You were a joy to teach, and I can’t wait to get started again.
Being an instructor is not easy. You have to be dedicated and committed to learning and doing things the right way. Many teach the course, but we at Dive UK Hurghada want to deliver all PADI courses to the very highest level. We cut zero corners, and if you need an extra day, then you have an extra day. We believe in high-quality training and delivering excellence in every way. If you want cheap and just to pass, we will not be for you. If you want to learn to the highest level and standards, come and see us. We make top-quality divers and instructors, nothing less.
