Since qualifying as an instructor in 2007, a ‘Pro’ since 2008, and operating rectotec since 2012, I have made the difficult decision to not renew any of my professional ratings for the first time in 15 years and to not deliver training as a professional instructor.
So why?
I have come to this decision for the following reasons:
· Personal reasons. I have been fortunate in my Army career to receive a number of promotions in the last few years. This has however meant that I have had to focus more time on my full-time job to deliver ‘operational output’. On top of this, my childcare commitments and weekend classes mean that I have less free time. Neither of which I can complain about as we all grow up and times change, but the reality is that I’ve not got enough time to spend on my own diving and as such, I feel that it wouldn't be right to continue teaching at a level that I'm not currently diving at.
· Increasing business costs vs the market rate for training. The cost of living and diving has increased by a large percentage over the last few years. Increases in fuel, entry costs, and materials to name but a few have had an impact on course costs. Then there are running costs such as professional fees, insurance etc… not to mention the cost of paying for surface cover. However, what has barely changed over the last decade or more is the expected cost of a course. The easy answer is to up the cost of the course however the reality is that I cannot compete with the larger dive centers.
· Closure of NDAC. This has had a massive impact on the UK Technical Diving scene. NDAC was never the be all and end all and there are still UK boats that do deep diving, but UK weather is temperamental at best. Therefore, there is always an additional gamble when diving at sea and hoping that the weather gods are on your side along with the additional transport, accommodation, and boat fees, for me that’s not fair on paying students. Furthermore, I’ve always stated that if I’m qualifying you to a depth, I will take you to a depth. In some cases, that is no longer possible. This is genuinely not a criticism of other instructors as 99.9% are adhering to agency standards. For example, the standards may say 2 dives below 35m for a 50m course which you can get at a number of inland sites in the UK. But that’s not something that I am prepared to do, regardless of what the agency standards say – sorry.
Let me say thank you
I have been incredibly fortunate to have had some wonderful opportunities over the last decade or so. From being a multiple-year dive show speaker, a TEKCamp safety diver, and an agency course developer.
I have also had some wonderful instructors, I have seen some amazing students blossom into steadfast divers, and I have been fortunate to have been surrounded by some fantastic peers who have helped make the UK diving scene what it is today.
To you all who have helped me along this journey – thank you.
What next?
My main goal is to get back in the water and focus on my own diving. Alongside this, I hope to continue working on BSAC Instructor Courses and I’m currently looking at teaching and diving opportunities within my own BSAC branch.
I also hope that I can now allocate a bit more time on my blogs and be more consistent with my publishing as that has weigned over the past few years. After all, I have a number of partially written ones so it would be a shame to see them go to waste.
For those seeking training.
For those seeking education, please do reach out and I will continue to offer impartial advice.
For those seeking training, I am more than happy to make instructor recommendations, regardless of agency.
Whatever happens however, this will not be the last that you have heard from me.
The boring bit!
All opinions expressed in my articles are my own and may differ to other instructor’s and agency guidelines; by no means are they wrong and I would not wish to disrepute any of them. This article is for information only and should not replace proper training.
Safe diving!
Timothy Gort
BSAC, PADI & SDI/TDI diver training
l Mob: 07968148261 l Email: tim@rectotec.co.uk l
