What are the first steps towards becoming an underwater photographer?

A passion for taking photos combined with a desire to capture images of the unique underwater world and share them with many who may not have the chance to see it with their own eyes, is the motivation behind many underwater photographers.  While the first and most important step in your career is learning to dive safely.

Dive HQ Christchurch’s Diploma Student, Patrick Rose, is studying the year long Diploma of Scuba Instruction Course, and taking his camera with him.  Already we are seeing fantastic images being captured by the enthusiastic photographer.  It’s an exciting journey, to be learning new skills that will help him immensely with his photography in the future.  Recently along with his class mates, Patrick completed the Advanced Open Water Course.  Thank you Patrick, for sharing your thoughts on the experience, as well as many great photos.

Beautiful Hermit Crab Shell Captured by Patrick Rose in Kaikoura

Advance Open Water Overview
By Patrick Rose

This year’s Advance Open Water Diving was well satisfying and a great opportunity to revive my skills and look over what I have done three years ago. When I last did the course in 2013 we managed to fill in a variety of training from Peak Performance to Night and Deep Diving in Kaikoura. However I was only 17 and was still getting my head into it, but now things have changed for the better.

Macro Photography by Patrick Rose in Kaikoura

I enjoyed visiting Righton Station for our Deep Dive, for it was a place I had never been to in Coleridge and I’ve noticed a huge difference in my buoyancy at those depths. After studying some underwater photography for 2 years and my previous Deep Dive, I was already aware of the loss of the colour red in deeper water as well as pressure crushing a plastic bottle.

Cray in Kaikoura by Patrick Rose

For our overnight trip to Kaikoura I enjoyed the opportunity to revise Peak Performance Buoyancy and searching for marine life. This of course gave me the opportunity to capture excellent images of the marine life in another perspective. Unfortunately we were unable to do a night dive because for the change of weather, but “HEY!” we don’t have power over the weather and I look forward to the next night dive in the near future.

Camouflage at it’s best, Image by Patrick Rose

Lastly to finish off the trip to Kaikoura I enjoyed the opportunity to practice navigation underwater. Though I was a little put off from the current pushing me and my calculations around, “there’s got to be some form of environmental challenge to overcome in order to progress!”

Overall I thought this year’s Advance Open Water Course was well worth it.

I love my leather jacket – Captured by Patrick Rose

Does a career in Underwater Photography interest you?  Join our next intake, in August 2016 for our Diploma of Scuba Instruction at Dive HQ Christchurch.

Dive HQ Christchurch
103 Durham St South,
Sydenham
Christchurch
03 3795 804
www.diveskiworld.co.nz

There are many exciting career options for those who love the ocean and are passionate about Scuba Diving.

Our Diploma of Professional Scuba Instruction, here at Dive HQ Christchurch, has been the ticket for many of our graduates, leading them into a wide range of jobs, all over the world.

One of the most popular career paths is to become a Scuba Diving Instructor, where you teach others to dive.  This is a job that can be done all over the world, where you are able to explore some of the most beautiful parts of the world – underwater!  Scuba Divers often become specialists in different types of diving, may it be wreck diving, cave diving, ice diving, or diving with new technical equipment.

Cave Divers explore and map parts of the world, where very few go.

There is no shortage of Dive Instructor Jobs being advertised internationally, from working on Live-aboard dive ships, cruise ships, managing dive centres to dive instructing in the tropics.  We also have a strong Dive Industry in our own beautiful country, with such an incredible coast line which offers spectacular diving as well as being a haven for hunter and gatherers.

Working on a live-aboard and having access to some of the most beautiful dive sites

Being a professional Scuba Diver also opens up potential for all types of work that involve working underwater, to name a few:

Underwater actors and stunt divers.

Scuba Divers with The 007 Submarine from “The Spy Who Loved Me”

Underwater Photography and Videography

Capturing images of our beautiful underwater world.

Marine Science, Marine Biology and Research Diving

Studying our underwater ecosystems

Commercial Diving – Engineering/Welding/Construction Underwater

Commercial Divers, Weld, Build, Maintain and Monitor underwater sites

Police Dive Squad – Search and Recovery Diving

Search and Recovery in Ice

Navy Diver

Navy Diver

Technical Diving

Maritime Archaeology

Marine Aquaculture

Seafood Hunting and Gathering

We also know there are many other sides to the Dive Industry, and our Diploma of Professional Scuba Instruction graduates use their knowledge gained with Dive HQ Christchurch to also work within areas such as:

Dive Equipment Sales

Dive Equipment Servicing and Repairs

Tank Filling and Testing

Dive Centre Managing

If you are thinking of a career, that lets you live a more adventurous life, exploring and working in our beautiful underwater world, then get in touch with us at Dive HQ Christchurch.  We have part time and full time study options, for our career courses, for which student loans and allowances are available.

Call 0800 DIVEHQ (348347)
www.diveskiworld.co.nz
Dive HQ Christchurch
103 Durham St South
Sydenham
Christchurch

Academy of Diving Trust is registered as a Private Training Establishment by NZQA and has approval to sub-contract to Dive HQ Christchurch.

Learning to SCUBA dive programmes for school groups have been a great success at Dive HQ Christchurch.  I am currently working with an adventurous group from Christchurch Boys High School who will gain their Open Water Dive ticket along with NZQA credits.  The success of a group of students doing the course earlier in the year has encouraged another fantastic group to become divers, along with the encouragement of a former PADI Master Instructor (their teacher!). The course was offered as an extra curricula activity, so the students are meeting in their own time after school once a week.

Learning to dive as a teenager has benefits beyond just earning the certification. Obviously there are associated risks when diving, learning to effectively manage these risks provides skills and increases a sense of responsibility.  Our group from Boys High are in their later school years however PADI dive courses can be done by children as young as ten years old.  Eight year old children can also have an experience of breathing underwater using SCUBA equipment with the PADI Bubble Maker Course.

As Dive Instructor at Dive HQ Christchurch, I have really enjoyed working with young people and seeing their confidence grow.  Many students are already really comfortable in the water and have a great enthusiasm to learn to dive.  Understandably there are a few nerves for some, as breathing underwater is a totally new experience, however, our learning environment in the pool is really supported and it’s fantastic to see the students overcome those nerves, and come up with big smiles on their faces.

The course involves theory and pool sessions and then we go to the open water.  The students learn all about safety and how to use their dive equipment, and there is even a bit of physics involved.

Along with doing a Diploma in SCUBA Instruction at Dive HQ Christchurch, I also completed a tertiary Degree in Education and have focused on Outdoor Education.  Through my experience, I have seen what great value there is in giving young people the opportunity to become comfortable in the outdoors, and develop a passion for outdoor sports and their environment at a young age.

Get SCUBA at your School!
If you would like see SCUBA diving as an extra curriculum activity at your/your child’s school, get in touch and have a chat about setting up a programme with us at Dive HQ Christchurch.

Louis Kimber
Dive Instructor
Dive HQ Christchurch
0800 DIVEHQ
www.diveskiworld.co.nz