I'm a firm believer that hard work and excellence should be acknowledged, and so I am emailing your office to give credit to a great PADI Instructor who is a superb role model for your company, and someone who has not only introduced me to the world of SCUBA for the very first time, back in January of this year...but has inspired me to become a PADI professional myself.  I write this email from a PADI CDC in Thailand , where I am well on the way to becoming an Instructor!

The person I wanted to commend is Andrew Lander, and he runs a small dive shop on Canouan Island , in St Vincent and the Grenadines .  I was a little afraid of the concept of diving initially, but he guided me through the PADI framework in a thorough and utterly professional manner, making me work hard when it was important for me to do so, but offering good humour and friendliness to ensure I enjoyed myself along the way!

There should be more instructors out there like him, and fairly new dive shops of this quality should be given the support and encouragement they deserve.  I hope I will be employed in one of those in the near future!

Andrew Lander MSDT#180936, Canouan Island, St Vincent and the Grenadines

Bien, ahora aquí lo que motiva esta carta: el buceo fué para mí una atracción muy fuerte, pero siempre estuvo fuera de mi alcance, lo que a través del tiempo se transformó en un sueño...pero hace 3 años se convirtió en realidad: certifiqué como OWD, y allí ocurrió uno de los cambios más importantes de mi vida: ingresé al MUNDO SUBACUÁTICO y Uds. saben muy bien lo que ello significa... pero además descubrí una nueva forma de aprender: EL SISTEMA DE EDUCACIÓN CONTINUA DE PADI, y es aquí donde quiero señalar lo siguiente: el método de enseñanza-aprendizaje con el que trabajamos, utilizando los videos y manuales que PADI suministra junto con el desarrrollo propio de este método y me estoy refiriendo a cuestiones puntuales como por ej: las clases académicas, los repasos de conocimientos y las autoevaluaciones como así también el sistema de evaluación final donde el alumno comprende y reafirma los conocimientos, es de una experiencia INVALORABLE en la formación intelectual y profesional de una persona, y esto lo digo con conocimiento de causa a partir de 20 años de experiencia en la función docente que realizo en la FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS VETERINARIAS, y es aquí donde quiero ser muy justo y puntual: ESTO HA SIDO POSIBLE GRACIAS A LA EXTRAORDINARIA ACTITUD PROFESIONAL Y HUMANA DEL MASTER INSTRUCTOR #181680 DIEGO DEGIACOMO, el cual hoy es mi guía, mi confidente, mi consejero, pero por sobre todas las cosas el responsable de haberme hecho ver que no existen fronteras en la vida para aprender y crecer siempre.Quiero que sepan que PADI en la República Argentina está representado y respaldado por una persona que se desempeña al máximo por sus alumnos, que trasmite absolutamente toda su sabiduría pero que fundamentalmente FORMA LOS BUZOS MÁS SEGUROS DEL MUNDO, esto Uds. deben saberlo bien, aquí nuestro Mar Argentino es tan hermoso como agresivo: las condiciones de temperatura (10ºC durante casi todo el año) y visibilidad ( 10 mts.) hacen que la enseñanza y práctica del buceo se realicen cumpliendo en forma estricta todas las normas de seguridad que aprendemos en los cursos PADI y esto es responsabilidad absoluta del INSTRUCTOR, por todo esto quiero AGRADECER INFINITAMENTE A PADI QUE A TRAVES DEL IMPECABLE MASTER INSTRUCTOR #181680 DIEGO DEGIACOMO ha producido la formación de un DIVEMASTER, pero fundamentalmente ha reafirmado mi amor por la vida y la naturaleza.

Diego De Giacomo , MI #181680, Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Wayne Gallinger DM#211287 Calgary ,  Alberta , Canada

My wife and I were certified by a PADI  5 Star facility (272) in 
september of '95. Our instructor was Steve Glass (MSDT-30486).
We are trying to locate him in order to thank him for his training 
methods. We have logged 486 dives since our certification.
On may 31 we encountered our first real emergency. My buddy (and 
wife) suffered an air embolism at 82', and blacked out.
Without Steve's training it could have been much worse. Many of the 
things he taught us are still used by us on every dive.

At the time, we did not fully understand "why", but the training 
stayed with us. When it counted most, we were prepared!

If possible, could we contact him directly, or could you forward this 
message to him?
We are very thankful to PADI and instructors like Steve Glass.

Also, (Very Important)  we want to tell you that the dive operators 
that we were diving with (DIVI TIARA, Cayman Brac) when this
emergency happened, Were extremely competent and well equipped to 
handle this situation. PADI has done a wonderful job of
training it's facilities around the world! They were Great!

Stephen Glass CD-30486, Whittier, California –US
Divi Dive and Photo Tiara, R-813, Gold Palm, Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands

I was pleased to learn from your web site that as well as structured feedback from surveys you also take unsolicited feedback regarding Padi dive centres and professionals. I would like to give you feedback on the experience I had with Perth Scuba and the managing director, Lee Johnson.

In September 2005 I started my Divemaster course with my local Padi dive centre in the UK . In October 2005 my wife was diagnosed with motor neuron disease. This had an enormous impact on both of us and I stopped diving. At the end of November we travelled to Perth, Western Australia to live with my daughter for six months to help come to terms with the diagnosis and our future.

In February of this year my daughter encouraged me to take up the Divemaster course again in Australia . I did not know if I could continue or would complete the Divemaster course for which I had paid the full amount in the UK . I approached a number of dive centres around Perth and asked if in the circumstance if they would take me as a referral and let me pay by module, week or month as I went along as I did not know whether I could continue.

All said I would have to pay for the complete course regardless.

Fortunately one Sunday I came across Perth Scuba, Unit 4, 180 Bannister Rd.

Canning Vale, WA 6155.

On making the same enquiry with Lee Johnson the answer was "no problem, let's get you started and we will work out payment as we go along". Lee arranged that I could take the examinations the  following Sunday after I had obtained a doctors certificate to dive which is mandatory in Australia .

On passing the exams Lee himself made out a schedule for me to complete the remaining modules of the course. Although running a very busy dive business and training operation Lee was always availalable, supportive and totally infectious with his positive attitude and dedication to diving and the Padi organisation. Even at times when I found it necessary to cancel pre booked sessions Lee's reply was always "no problem let's see when we can do it".

Over the years I have been in many dive centres and I can assure you Perth Scuba is outstanding. The shop is well stocked and immaculate, the training facilities are excellent and the instructors very professional. However, what makes Perth Scuba outstanding is the attitude and culture evident throughout the team which is the result of Lee Johnson's dedication and professionalism. He not only gave me great support throughout the three months Divemaster course, he helped my wife and I through an extremely difficult period and made our stay in Australia worthwhile.

Because of my wife's illness it is extremely unlikely that we will travel to Australia again, however, Lee Johnson and Perth Scuba will always be a great memory.

I note that you follow up on structured feedback and I trust that you have something in place to reward people and businesses who are exceptional, an enormous asset to Padi and the dive industry in general.

Bob Hodgetts, DM#640605, Ash, Hampshire,England