Need a trainer in-branch or for the region ? Experienced instructor Andy Botten is always happy to help . Interview by Kristina Pedder
VOLUNTEERLIFE
In common with a lot of people his age , Andy Botten grew up watching iconic French diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau on TV . He was so inspired that as soon as he was 16 – which was at the time the youngest age for scuba due to worries about the effects of breathing gas under pressure on developing lungs – he wrote to BSAC HQ to find a branch near to his home in north-west London where he could learn to dive . He joined Harrow Sub-Aqua Club , where his first logbook signature was recorded in 1975 .
Today , Andy lives nearby in Pinner , just down the road from his local dive shop Scuba-Tech , where he occasionally helps out . He is a member of Dacorum Scuba in Hemel Hempstead , Hertfordshire .
Now a First Class Diver , his most recent instructor ticket is as an Instructor Trainer for AP Inspiration rebreather MOD 1 . Over the years Andy has been on club committees as Training Officer , Diving Officer , Honorary Secretary and Treasurer . He did a stint in the London Region as Treasurer and then London Region Coach .
“ I prefer to be behind the scenes as a mentor now ,” he says , “ rather than a figurehead .”
Andy took a break from diving in the early 1980s , but got back into it again while living and working in the south of France in 1998 . He has been diving continually since then . The kit has changed dramatically , he says ; some techniques have changed , some haven ’ t . “ Basically , I am back diving a twin hose regulator . Albeit one that is a lot more reliable .”
Instructing brings a buzz
Need a trainer in-branch or for the region ? Experienced instructor Andy Botten is always happy to help . Interview by Kristina Pedder
Seasonal photography
FACTFILE
Name : Andy Botten
Job titles : BSAC Instructor Trainer for AP inspiration MOD 1 , Advanced Instructor and instructor for many skill development courses . Former London Region Coach
Area covered : London and the home counties
First dive : 1976
Surface interval chill
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