Staff

Matt McMinn, Master Instructor: Diving Since 1997

What is your favourite type of diving?
Wrecks.

Favourite dive site?
Scapa Flow, Orkneys.

Why did you become /are becoming a PADI professional?

I love diving so much, I just want to share it with everyone!

Shereen Roberts, Master Instructor: Diving Since 2002

What is your favourite type of diving?
I enjoy both wrecks and scenic diving.

Favourite dive site?
Cornwall!

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
I really enjoy teaching and seeing people develop and learn their skills.

Katie Broadley, OWSI & EFRI: Diving Since 2016

What is your favourite type of diving?
I love any diving! Both reefs and wrecks equally.

Favourite dive site?
Playa Chico in Lanzarote I saw sea horses for the first time and Monad Shoal in the Philippines where I saw Thresher sharks.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
To learn more about diving, improve skills and help others discover the amazing underwater world.

Simon Edlington, IDC Staff Instructor: Diving Since 1994

What is your favourite type of diving?
Reefs and marine life, plus the odd easy wreck … prefer light and colourful to the dark inside wrecks.

Favourite dive site?
Maldives … watching huge mantas circling at a cleaning station.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
Wanted to travel the world and teaching/diving was the perfect way of doing that in exotic locations! Plus, I wanted to be the one to teach my daughter … if and when she shows an interest !!!

Carl Sanders, Master Instructor: Diving Since 1998

What is your favourite type of diving?
Anything above 10 degrees.

Favourite dive site?
Farnes and Fushivaru Thilla.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
To pass on what people taught me.

Sue Sanders, Assistant Instructor: Diving Since 1998

What is your favourite type of diving?
Drift (woohoo).

Favourite dive site?
Loch Creran.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
To show others some of the amazing things I have seen/experienced.

Jack Finney, MSDT: Diving Since 2016

What is your favourite type of diving?
Coral reefs and Cenotes.

Favourite dive site?
Maldives and Mexico

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
I came to diving fairly late in life and so wanted to use my skills to share my passion for diving with others who are interested to experience the underwater world.

Howard Turner, MSDT, EFRI & Tec40: Diving Since 2012

What is your favourite type of diving?
Wrecks & Life, love exploring new sites and sites with a bit of History or a little something special about them.

Favourite dive site?
Silfra, Iceland.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
Becoming a diver with Bolton Area Divers made such a positive change to my life that I wanted to give something back and help others explore the under water world.

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Gareth Thompson, Assistant Instructor: Diving Since 2005

What is your favourite type of diving?
Wrecks but I enjoy everything.

Favourite dive site?
Wrecks in the Sound of Mull.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
I was greatly impressed by the dedication , patience & passion for diving of the staff &volunteers who helped me that I wanted to pass  it on to others.

Ian Ball, MSTD: Diving Since 2005

What is your favourite type of diving?
I love diving anywhere and being able to teach diving.

Favourite dive site?
I really enjoyed Mexico where I learnt to dive.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
I enjoy seeing people start brand new and become divers!

Paul Byrne, Assistant Instructor: Diving Since 1986

What is your favourite type of diving?
Wreck diving but if the wreck has lots of life then that’s a real bonus.

Favourite dive site?
Not one but three….Thistlegorm for it’s history, Zenobia for sheer size and interest. HMS Scylla comes a close third 🙂

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
I felt that I wanted to give back to others what someone had taken the time and trouble to give me. Helping anyone experience all the underwater world has to offer is quite special and very rewarding.

Paul Greenough, MSDT: Diving Since 2002

What is your favourite type of diving?
Wrecks.

Favourite dive site?
Thistlegorm, Red Sea.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?
To enable others to learn professionally from me, what I have gleaned in the last 14 years, from diving in dive sites, spread as far as Korea, China, Red Sea, Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean and the North Sea.

Stewart Heywood, EFI Instructor: Diving Since 2014

What is your favourite type of diving?
Any type of diving!

Favourite dive site?

Cuba, very difficult to choose one site.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?

I’ve had and still receiving first class support from BAD, so I decided to give something back in return try and become an active member in the club.

Carl Lees, Service Technician: Diving Since 2012

What is your favourite type of diving?
If I have to pick it would be wreck diving as a subject and TEC diving as a method. I really enjoy the TEC side of diving with my twinset rig.

Favourite dive site?

I’d have to base it on the buzz I got out of the places I have been like Scapa Flow for rusty stuff and the Sound of Mull for squidgy stuff. Also the Maldives for squidgy stuff too!

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?

I am a mechanic/service technician by trade so how stuff works interests me. I saw people book kit in for service or repair and I wondered what happens upstairs so I asked Matt. That is how I a became a service technician.

Colin Marshall, Divemaster Candidate: Diving Since 2011

What is your favourite type of diving?
I prefer reef diving, but don’t mind a nice lookign wreck.

Favourite dive site?

North Atoll in the Maldives, the Manta Rays blew me away.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?

I wanted to become a PADI Professional to be a better diver and help others to learn and enjoy diving.

Gary Gerrard, Divemaster Candidate: Diving Since 2015

What is your favourite type of diving?
Since diving on my first wreck I got a real thrill and have dived on several since in various locations and hope to pursue this aspect of diving further. In December 2019 I got my deep diver speciality at NDAC and would so like to one day dive at Scapa Flow and if I won the lottery Truk Lagoon.

Favourite dive site?

I don’t have a favourite dive site as yet, I just enjoy the new challenges, experiences and rewards each dive brings.

Why you became / are becoming a PADI Professional?

I decided to do my Divemaster course as a way of saying thank you and to give something back to all the staff, instructors and dive buddies at BAD who gave me their encouragement throughout.

I feel it is now my turn to give up my time and to assist student divers as they are taking there first steps into diving. I would be so happy if even just one student got confidence to carry on from me helping them.