30 Years Being a PADI Instructor
I got congratulated for being a member of PADI for 30 years…
For paying them a membership fee for these 30 years while working as a full-time diver. Sometimes, I received salaries that a working professional would not accept. For having to save Divemasters, Instructors, and even a Course Director and his wife in Saint Barth. The couple screwed up the night dive of all the “less qualified” divers in the group.
Malpelo Winter Trip Report, 2026
Before I headed down for my Malpelo winter trip, I contacted my friend and dive colleague Jaime just to see how the last trip was. He mentioned that he had seen the ferox 4 times and that the water was cold! Unusually cold! 15 C (59 F) even in shallow waters. A lot of current and not the greatest viz… They saw a good deal of hammers, though!
Ok, sounds like wintertime in Malpelo… but that cold?
Malpelo Trip Report, Summer 2025
This summer, in July through August, I did 3 trips to Malpelo.
As Malpelo is always changing, each trip is never the same. It changes quickly and you experience each trip differently, in terms of weather above and “weather” underwater. You also get to witness the change of the marine life. One trip that follows another can give very different experiences.