FAVOURITEKIT
FAVOURITEKIT
My Aqualung Favola dive mask is
“ my window to the underwater world. They’ re so good, I own three. A wellfitting mask makes all the difference. If a mask doesn’ t fit properly, it leaks and turns a dive into a frustrating experience.
”
“ I love how everything slows down underwater; the sound of my breathing and rising bubbles is incredibly calming,” she says.
Tessa describes every dive being like opening a Kinder Surprise Egg [ the children’ s chocolates with a tiny toy inside each one ].“ You never know what marine life you’ ll discover on any dive. It’ s always an adventure, whether exploring new sites or retrieving a dropped phone from a lake.”
But what made diving more than just a hobby, Tessa says, was becoming a part of its community.“ It’ s not just something I do; it’ s become a part of who I am,” she exclaims.
A keen diver for some nine years now, Tessa has done around 850 and she logs every single one.“ I believe keeping a log sets a great example for newer divers,” she says.“ Even after so many dives, I still find it useful to look back on previous experiences.
Logging dives also makes it easier to share information with other divers.”
Like many BSAC divers, most of Tessa’ s dives are done in the UK, but she’ s had the opportunity to explore overseas, including visiting Barbados, Mauritius, and Cape Verde. Her favourite spot, though, has to be the Red Sea, she says, as it’ s unbeatable for its abundance of marine life.
Tessa is an Open Water and Diving for All Instructor and says she’ s honoured to be part of the North West regional team. It turns out she was encouraged to become an instructor because people felt she had a natural ability to comfort nervous trainees.
I wonder what her favourite course is to teach.“ Definitely the early diver training courses; Discovery Diver or Ocean Diver,” she replies.
“ I enjoy teaching all courses, but these bring the most rewarding moments. Seeing
Club trip to Nemo 33 in Belgium
a trainee’ s reaction when they master a skill that they thought was impossible, or experience their first glimpse of fish or underwater attraction, is priceless. Those moments, when everything clicks and their confidence grows, are what make me drive home with a huge smile on my face.
“ Volunteering has always made me happy, so teaching felt like the perfect way to give back and pay it forward. Being from Belgium, my pronunciation of some terms can be amusing, and I’ m not afraid to use that to make theory lessons fun. It also helps me simplify explanations, making learning more accessible for everyone.”
Accessibility of diving to all is an important part of Wigan Scuba Divers’ philosophy. The club’ s promise is to“ sea” to it that diving becomes a welcoming world full of fun to explore, in which you will discover a whole new you.
So, what advice does Tessa offer to her newly qualified divers? Keep diving, she says.“ Don’ t be afraid to ask questions, dive with different buddies, everyone has their own way of doing things.
“ Steal the aspects that help you and leave the rest for someone else. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy every dive.” It certainly seems like Tessa does. �
Snag recovery exercise with Wigan Scuba Divers
Helping to organise NW Dive Fest
Become an Instructor!
Sports Divers and up( for scuba) and 16 + year olds( for snorkelling) can start instructor training.
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Or visit bsac. com / instruct 51