Having recently relocated from New Zealand to Indonesia, PADI Regional Manager Jen Clent found herself pleasantly surprised by many things in her new home. One such thing is the number of amazing women working in the dive industry around the country. Both locals and expats can be found working as divemasters, instructors, dive shop managers and owners, conservation advocates and more!
With PADI Women’s Dive Day just around the corner, Jen gathered together just a handful of their inspirational stories.
Yuyun (Sri Wwahyuni)
Yuyun works in Pulau Weh and is leading the way in changing perceptions about local women entering the dive industry. Yuyun was the first local female instructor in Aceh – an area where historically this has been a male dominated career path.
When and how did you get involved in diving?
“In June 2012 after quitting my job (because I have no interest anymore), I came back home to Pulau Weh. I went to live in Iboih for my unlimited holiday ? and I saw a few divers coming back from the dive with their equipment and I asked one of them, how does it feel, hows life down the water and what they see. The answer was making me to start the PADI Open Water Course. As soon as I enter to the ocean, I fell in love of this new world. The local crew at that time said, there is no local female diver yet so you will be the first and that made me more excited.”
What is your current role in the dive industry?
“I am a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor and Diving Manager for a PADI Diving Centre”.
What tips or advice would you give to someone who is thinking about a career in diving?
“Imagine doing what you love every day and get paid for it. Don’t even doubt in entering in this world, You will not regret it”.
What is your favourite part of working in the dive industry?
“Helping people overcome their fear and showing them a new amazing different world”.
Do you have a ‘bucket list’ dive destination you are dreaming of going to?
“Galapogos, Raja Ampat, the Blue Hole, and Maldives”.
What attributes make you more successful in diving?
“Being always positive and friendly and also be open to learn new things”.
What is the next step in your diving career?
“Having my own PADI Resort”.
What has been your best moment in diving?
“When I let free a turtle that got entangled on a fishing net”
Simone Gerritsen
Simone is a PADI Course Director who lives and works in North Sulawesi. Simone is truly making a difference in people’s lives every day!
When and how did you get involved in diving?
“I started diving in 1978 in one of the first commercial diving schools in Holland, after a spontaneous decision made while leaving a swimming pool after doing some long distance training to get rid of my stress from home. I loved it from my first breath underwater; although no briefings or information were custom at the time and the equipment just consisted of a tank with a backpack and a J-valve, a single regulator, fins and a mask. The training was hard and harsh, but I loved it and was 1 woman with 34 male buddies”.
What is your current role in the dive industry?
“Currently I own and manage 2 Dive Resorts in North Sulawesi in Indonesia and train local kids until they can have a job in the diving industry. I have built a school in my village and trained many local kids who are now working all over Indonesia. It makes me proud and happy and it makes me feel good”.
What tips or advice would you give to someone who is thinking about a career in diving?
“As a tip I would say; follow your heart and not your wallet. Until now, diving is still not being looked at as a business where instructors are taking up a lot of responsibilities and liabilities. Until now, in many areas, it is still seen as a hobby if you work in this field. Your heart should be in it; your love for the sea, your love for teaching and you should enjoy the life style”.
What is your favourite part of working in the dive industry?
“I am a person that likes challenges and I could say that I am a ‘builder’. Not only of resorts (and schools) , but also of people. I love teaching and trying out new ideas and projects. I also like to try out new activities and go ‘off the beaten path’ regularly”.
Do you have a ‘bucket list’ dive destination you are dreaming of going to?
“I just came back from South Africa, which was on the top of my bucket list. I would like to try the Galapagos next. Living , working and diving in the tropics is amazing, but the roughness of cold water diving is also something that attracts me. I would do it from a liveaboard though”.
What attributes make you more successful in diving?
“I am in the industry for a long time already and was the first female Course Director in Europe. This chance was given to me to help increase the number of female divers in the industry. It works until now; especially with me teaching in the local school. The number of girls joining my class is growing. There are many female divers and instructors now and really good ones too. Women are usually very good at ‘multi-tasking’ and I think that being multi talented is giving novice instructors the best chances to become successful. There are many good instructors in the world, but finding one that has other useful skills, like languages, IT, mechanics etc is certainly something that in my opinion increases the chance to get a great job”.
What is the next step in your diving career?
“I am, presently running my resorts, which in Indonesia is a daily challenge, nevertheless I have taken up a feasibility study for one of my ‘brain babies’ to see if so called ‘dive college resorts’ could be realised in Raja Ampat“.
What has been your best moment in diving?
“There are many great moments in my 40 years of diving. If I have to mention just one, it was being present at an enormous bait ball with tuna, jacks, dolphins, orcas and sharks; just in front of my dive centre”.
Indah Tasyana
She might only be 19 years old, but Indah recently successfully passed the PADI Instructor Exam and is enthusiastic about her future in this amazing industry.
When and how did you get involved in diving?
“I grew up in a diving family. My father and grandfather were both diving instructors and I got my Junior Open Water when I was 10. I guess you could say that diving is in my blood”!
What is your current role in the dive industry?
“Currently, I’m working as a diving instructor in our family business in Bali”.
What tips or advice would you give to someone who is thinking about a career in diving?
“Do it”!!!
What is your favourite part of working in the dive industry?
“I really enjoy teaching beginners and I think it’s a great way to travel the world, meet people and get paid to do something you love”!
Do you have a ‘bucket list’ dive destination you are dreaming of going to?
“French Polynesia for sure! But also other parts of Indonesia like Komodo and Raja Ampat“.
What attributes make you more successful in diving?
“I had a lot of problems in the beginning learning to dive myself, especially equalising my ears and clearing my mask! I think this helps me to understand the problems that new students can have with certain skills and it makes me a more patient teacher”.
What is the next step in your diving career?
“After working a couple of years as a diving instructor, I would like to manage my own dive centre”.
What has been your best moment in diving?
“Some of my best moments underwater are when I am exploring myself and doing crazy things, like handstands and flips! Also, it is hard to describe but when I am diving it feels like the ocean and its creatures have become my second home”.
Cortex Lo
Cortex is originally from Macau but is falling in love with Amed and is excited to be making a difference there.
When and how did you get involved in diving?
“When I was 13 years old, coincidentally after my family had experienced a dive in Australia, I discovered that I was deeply in love with the underwater world. Slowly, after I started to get more knowledge about diving, I was very interested in everything about diving, such as technical diving, recreational diving, and freediving”.
What is your current role in the dive industry?
“I am a diving instructor in the diving industry, and more is to assist IDC course. At the same time I am also a underwater macro photographer”.
What tips or advice would you give to someone who is thinking about a career in diving?
“Because more and more people begin to dive, I hope diving professionals do not bulk certify student, need to provide quality teaching, and following all the standards”.
What is your favourite part of working in the dive industry?
“When I was teaching, I liked to see the student’s continuous improvement, which made me feel happy as a instructor. When I took macro shots underwater, I like to keep looking for the super small animals and record their joys and sorrows”.
Do you have a ‘bucket list’ dive destination you are dreaming of going to?
“I want to go to Mexico to study cave diving techniques”.
What attributes make you more successful in diving?
“Successful diving is the first thing that must be following standards. The next step is to enjoying. Whether it’s teaching or fun diving, enjoying your character will make me successful”.
What is the next step in your diving career?
“Next, I will work hard to become a Course Director”.
What has been your best moment in diving?
“Every dive are my best my favourite moment, when I bite my regulator to breathe, when I equalise, when I can feel like a state of no weight as in space, when I suddenly encountered my favourite animals underwater without expectation . That’s why every dive are my best moment”.
Want to get involved in PADI Women’s Dive Day? Find an event near you here.
