Our former students: Kyle

Kyle joined us in January 2025 and completed his PADI Divemaster and Instructor course with us.

• Where are you from and how did you start diving?

I'm originally from London. I tried a Discover Scuba in the Caribbean at 14 years old and then gained my Open Water certification at 16, whilst on holiday in Thailand.

•⁠ ⁠What made you decide to embark on the Divemaster course?

I knew I wanted to quit my office job and start working outdoors. No one was going to pay me to walk through the mountains, so the sea seemed like the next best option!

•⁠ ⁠What was your favourite part/highlight of the training?

The people were amazing - both the staff at Purple Dive and my fellow divemaster and IDC candidates. It was great to get a feel for working in the dive industry and having such awesome mentors. It was also really nice to have a group of three other people going through the same process as you from start to finish.

•⁠ ⁠What was your biggest challenge and how did the team help you overcome this?

My biggest challenge was relearning all of the skills circuit to an instructor level, having completed my open water course more than 20 years ago and having dived fairly infrequently since then.

•⁠ ⁠Where are you working now and what is your current role?

I'm now working as a Open Water Scuba Instructor in La Digue, Seychelles.

•⁠ ⁠What is your favourite part about your job?

I absolutely love my job! It's the first time I've ever had a job that I look forward to waking up for every day. I love how every day is different due to the customers and the ever changing dive sites. You might have some small routines that you need to do every day - such as filling tanks or rinsing equipment - but the sea is always full of surprises.

•⁠ ⁠How did your training at Purple Dive prepare or facilitate you in finding/working as a dive professional?

I chose Nusa Penida as the location for my Divemaster as I wanted to gain experience working with strong currents. I chose Purple Dive as my dive centre because I had heard great things about their courses. I was not disappointed on either decision! Going through my DM and IDC with them left me feeling fully prepared to work anywhere in the world. I then found my first job via their Alumni page, so they were invaluable in every way.

•⁠ ⁠What is your best dive to this day?

I'm not sure whether I could pick a single best dive... Seeing my first Manta Ray in Nusa Penida was was very special, as was finding an Ornate Ghost Pipefish in Komodo. In my job in the Seychelles I have had some amazing encounters with large schools of rays and sharks, as well as close up Whale Shark encounters. Picking just one dive would be impossible!