DevonDiver
Tech Instructor

Date of Birth

February 24

About DevonDiver

Biography:

I am English, but spent time growing up in West Africa and the USA, before returning to the UK to complete university studies in Politics & History. After university, I was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Air Force, completing tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as service in Cyprus, Qatar, Oman, Belize and Germany. My final 2 years of service were spend commanding a specialist Civil Affairs (CIMIC) team.

I learnt to dive during my college studies, gaining qualifications with PADI and BSAC. I progressed my diving experience during my military service, eventually becoming a BSAC instructor and PADI Divemaster, along with RYA Powerboat 2 (ICC).

When I left the military, I completed the PADI IDC and SSI Instructor cross-over and moved to Thailand, where I worked in several dive centers, eventually becoming manager of a PADI/SSI center on Koh Tao.

During my time in the Gulf of Thailand, I persued my interest in technical diving. I originally began my tech training back in the UK, under Mark Powell with TDI.... but switched to the DSAT system to complete the tech instructor courses aboard the MV Trident, diving virgin war wrecks in the 50-75m range.

After several years in Thailand, I took up an offer of an instructor position in Borneo, where I dived around the Sipidan/Kapalai area daily for 4 months.

Having completed my contract in Malaysia, I moved to the Philippines, where I set-up and managed a dive center in Subic Bay, exploring the host of American and Japanese wrecks daily and teaching a wide range of recreational and technical diving courses for 18 months.

I recently finished working on contract (non-diving!) in Kabul, Afghanistan and have returned to Manila, Philippines where I am involved in assisting start-up dive centers, whilst diving full-time to develop my instructor credentials in the fields of sidemount, technical and advanced wreck training

My diving interests are:

Deep/Virgin wreck exploration.
Macro Photography
Nudibranch Identification and Surveys
Dive Medicine

http://andyunderwater.blogspot.com/

http://www.nudipixel.net/photographer/andrew_davis/

Quals:

AUTHORISED TO TEACH - PADI SPECIALTIES
Sidemount Diver, Tec Sidemount Diver, Tec Basics, Tec 40, Tec 45, Tec 50, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Project Aware, Deep Diver, Coral Reef Conservation, Wreck, Equipment Specialist, Dive Propulsion Vehicle, Enriched Air Diver, Night Diver, Underwater Videographer, Dry Suit, Underwater Navigator, Digital Underwater Photography, Drift, Multilevel Diver, Search & Recovery, Boat, SMB Diver (Distinctive), DSAT Nitrox/Trimix Blender, Intro-to-Tec Specialty

AUTHORISED TO TEACH - ANDI
Safe Air Level 2
Sidemount
Technical Wreck

AUTHORISED TO TEACH - SSI SPECIALITIES
Boat, Deep, Navigation, Waves, Tides & Currents, Wreck, Perfect Buoyancy, DPV, Search & Recovery, Stress & Rescue, Equipment, Computer, Night / Limited Visibility, Dry Suit, Photography, Enriched Air Nitrox

Emergency First Response Instructor, including Care for Children w/AED

BSAC Nationally Qualified Instructor OWSI
International Certificate of Competance: Small Vessels
RYA Level 2 Powerboat & Competant Crew
BSAC Boat Handler
BSAC O2 Administrator
BSAC Lifesaver

British Association of Fitness Instructors:
Diploma in Exercise Performance
Diploma in Fitness Teaching Skills
Qualified Fitness Instructor Certificate

UK Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance.

Location:

Manila, Philippines

Interests:

Jiu-Jitsu Instructor / MMA Referee (BAMMA/RINGS) / MMA Coach (UFC 38 Head Adjudicator)

Occupation:

Consultant/Freelance Sidemount Technical Wreck Instructor

Gender:

Male

Blog / MySpace URL:

http://scubatechphilippines.com/scuba_blog

Certification Agencies:

PADI, BSAC, DSAT, TDI, ANDI, SSI

Dive History:

To date I have dived in: England, Scotland, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Egypt, Israel, Oman, Ascension Island (mid-Atlantic), Belize, Maldives, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Philippines.

I have completed 4600 dives (conservative estimate), of which approx 450 were accelerated decompression dives and 120 were technical/sidemount.

Favorite Dives:
James Egan Layne, UK (wreck)
Tino's Paradise, Mabul (muck)
Barracuda Point, Sipidan (wall/reef)
Blue Hole, Belize (wall/reef)
Chumporn Pinnacle, Thailand (reef)
Zenobia, Cyprus (wreck)
USS New York, Philippines (wreck)
Big Boy, Thailand (unnamed Japanese war wreck)

Certification History:

PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (29 specialities)
PADI Sidemount / Tec Sidemount Instructor
TecRec Intro / Basics / 40 / 45 / 50 / Tec Deep / Trimix Blender Instructor
ANDI SafeAir / Sidemount / Technical Wreck Instructor
BSAC National Qualified Instructor (OWI)
Emergency First Response Instructor
SSI Advanced Open Water Instructor

My most memorably courses taken:
ANDI Sidemount / Technical Wreck w/Bruce Konefe
TDI Adv Nitrox/Doubles w/Mark Powell
TecRec Tech Deep w/Jamie McCloud

Certification Level:

Sidemount Technical Wreck Instructor

# of Logged Dives:

2,500 - 4,999

Dive Classification:

Technical Diver

Years Certified:

Ten Or More Years

Dive Equipment:

SINGLES:
Oxycheq Mach V 18lb on Halcyon BP, with hog harness
Scubapro S600T + Mk25T
Force Fins Pro
Suunto D9 & Vyper

DOUBLES/TWINS:
Halcyon Evolve 40lb Wing
Custom Divers SS BP
OMS Ali BP
2x Apeks FST
Apeks Quantum (Gauge Mode)
Suunto Vyper (Gauge Mode)
JMD Umbilical Xenon can torch

SIDEMOUNT:
Several Razor Clone Rigs
DIY 'Frankenstein' Sidemount w/ Hogarthian Harness, OMS Profile & Custom Divers TDB 60lb Wing for multi-cylinder/deep tech dives.
2x Scubapro Mk25 1st Stages & S600 2nd Stages

REBREATHER:
1x Drager Dolphin SCR
1x Drager Dolphin (being converted to mCCR with custom housing etc)

VIDEOGRAPHY:
GoPro HD Hero2
2x Inotova Tac Torches
Home-made Goodman handle video rig

SB Challenge:

Drager Dolphin mCCR conversion

Rebreather Type:

Dräger Dolphin

Rebreather Experience:

Dräger Dolphin

Number of Photos

225

Number of Comments

0

Number of times photos viewed

80,998

Disk space used

29.3MB

Last Photo Uploaded

padi-certificate-of-excellence

Last Comment Posted

Never