Less than 10 years into scuba, Tessa De Weghe is Diving Officer and Training Officer of a forward-thinking new dive club. Interview by Kristina Pedder
FACTFILE
Name: Tessa De Weghe
Job titles: Member of the North West Region’ s instructor team, club Diving Officer and Training Officer
Area covered: North West First dive: 8 May 2016
Advanced Diver and Open Water Instructor Tessa De Weghe is proud to be one of the founders of a new BSAC branch. Wigan Scuba Divers came into being in early 2024 and Tessa took on the roles of Diving Officer and Training Officer. Tessa is a full-time volunteer, with BSAC and with the NHS, including at vaccination centres.
One of the most rewarding aspects has been growing the club from just 11 members to 32 in less than a year, she says.“ I’ ve especially enjoyed organising events with other local branches; bringing divers together is incredibly rewarding.” They go on underwater Easter egg hunts and underwater Halloween pumpkin hunts together.
I was curious to know when Tessa got into diving.“ I started scuba diving in February 2016,” she says.“ I wasn’ t a strong swimmer and didn’ t even like water, so I wasn’ t sure it was for me.
“ One of my earliest diving memories is the moment my initial nerves turned into an‘ I’ m really enjoying this’ feeling. Once I gained confidence in my skills, that was the turning point and then I truly fell in love
VOLUNTEERLIFE with diving.
The power of positive diving
Less than 10 years into scuba, Tessa De Weghe is Diving Officer and Training Officer of a forward-thinking new dive club. Interview by Kristina Pedder
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With students Beth and Tom
SKILLSTIP
Learn to clear your mask by
“ smiling – no hands needed. Smiling slightly can create just enough of a gap to let water escape while exhaling through your nose. This is useful when teaching, as it helps maintain control without breaking form or interrupting buoyancy. Plus, it’ s a fun and stress-free way to show students that mask clearing doesn’ t have to be a struggle.
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