After spending Christmas in Norway, and the first part of 2011 in Sweden – I bounced down to Africa again. This time I was even more terrified than the last time I went there. Not only am I doing a diving course, but I am going pro – PADI Pro. The Red Sea Diving College in Sharm El Sheikh very generously offered to train me all the way up to instructor level. So, I am not worried about the sharks, but of the responsibility I am about to put on my shoulders. It is a big step going from diving just for the fun of it – to being responsible for other divers and their safety. But terrified in a good way, I think! However, I am in good hands. The Red Sea Diving College has a reputation for not making shortcuts, and time after time set the standard for diving education.

Deborah Metcalfe with Blue Eye FX offered to help me out with housing during my stay, so  I am staying in El Rewisat, 7 km from Naama Bay, where ”the college” is. It is fabulous to live outside the main tourist area, having the mountains and the desert as my neighbours, and it is nothing more calming than sitting on your roof deck, watching the stars as you eat supper.

After all the shark attacks people say the amount of tourists have gone down drastically – which makes it perfect for diving! Less tourists means less divers, which means that if you are lucky enough to be around now – you get the reefs almost to yourself. I bravely brought my 5mm Fourth Element Proteus here, even though many instructors jump into their drysuits during the winter. At one point I was afraid I might had done yet a bad decision regarding thermal protection, but for 24C it was fabulous. I started out using my hood on the first few dives, but soon got acclimatized. Also, when you are diving with students dressed in shorties, it just wouldn´t be fair to be all warm and comfortable, would it?

My fabulous instructor, Kenny Riddell, and me spent many hours in the confined area outside the college. From the surface, it can look very deceiving, just like a normal beach with sand and grassy patches here and there. Like this:

.

But once submerged, THIS is what you get:

Awesome? I thought so too.

Practising to become a PADI Divemaster means you need to do all sorts of things, multitasking is one of the most important. Being able to supervise other divers at the same time as you are aware of the environment around you is essential. My first experience assisting during a Confined Water Session in a pool probably did not impress my instructor, as I ended up forcing one of the pool guests up against the pool wall with my cylinder while swimming backwards, supervising 2 student divers. But hey, you learn the most when you make mistakes – right?

So for now I am busy with the Divemaster internship in Sharm El Sheikh, and even though it is lots of fun, the hours are long and I am usually very tired after a work day and pass out around 9 pm. Sarah Ling, the other Divemaster intern they have at the college, and me have been working together on our mapping project. We try to do it ”after hours”, which means that after all the courses are finished – we jump in for an afternoon mapping dive. It is fantastic to have someone to share the experience with, and especially when she is the perfect model for my random UW photography while mapping. The afternoon light here is gorgeous, and here is a picture to prove it.