Siân Williams- diving instructor at Trawangan Divers and communications officer at Gili Eco Trust, Gili T, Lombok.
Sîan is a PADI Dive Instructor with over 4,000 dives in her (weight) pocket. Her passion(s) lie underwater and with the environment, so she trains eco-divers and helps run environmental projects in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia, in particular with the Gili Eco Trust.
She also loves teaching Coral Reef Restoration and Citizen Science ( like the Reef Check Coral Reef monitoring programme) to recreational divers alongside running beach cleans. She is currently establishing a Turtle Conservation program to protect endangered turtle nests in the Gili Islands.
When and how did you start diving?
I was lucky enough to have my first scuba dive when I was 12 in Zante, Greece. I loved it from that moment on! I completed my Open Water at 17, in college, and then spent every holiday underwater from then on.
What made you want to become a diver? A dive pro?
I've always had a big passion for ocean wildlife, dolphins in particular, when I was a child, and always knew I wanted to be a marine biologist (even though at 7yo I didn't know what one does!) After spending 2 months in Malaysia working on a turtle conservation project and completing my DiveMaster, I knew that I wanted to find somewhere I could continue diving (and earning a little to live) instead of going back to England to save money for more expensive dive trips.
I arrived in Indonesia in 2012 to volunteer with the Gili Eco Trust on their reef restoration program, and I was instantly hooked. I became a PADI OWSI in 2013 and continue to teach diving and coral restoration courses to this day.
What is your best/most memorable dive?
I've had numerous memorable dives since starting! I still remember that first dive in Greece as a 12-year-old very well! Another amazing one was on a stunning liveaboard trip in Komodo, Indonesia, diving with a dolphin. Almost any dive on my coral nurseries in Gili Trawangan is inspiring: it's one thing to experience incredible diving, it's yet another to teach and encourage protecting and restoring oceans and corals!
The most gratifying course you took or taught?
The Coral Reef Restoration course that I took in 2012 was the game changer, I knew I had to stay in Indonesia to master this form of coral restoration, building Biorocks, planting corals and cleaning up underwater. Now I am an instructor so I can teach it to more people!
5 qualities of a great dive pro?
-Patience.
As a dive pro, we find most things scuba pretty easy. To teach a beginner to be that good, we have to revert back to when we were just starting and remember how it feels that way we can help other people get through challenging skills.
-Encouragement.
Diving is tough! Remember how bad your buoyancy was on your first dive? A few words of encouragement for that perfect hover does wonders for a student's self-esteem
-Smiles.
Students are on holiday, we are living the dreaaaaam, and a smile is free and goes a long way.
-Knowledge.
A student learns so much from their instructor, so keeping your knowledge up to date and learning new things all the time are great qualities
-Passion.
We are not in this industry to become millionaires (well, maybe only in Rupiah!) so love what you learn and share what you love. Passion is infectious, and your excitement for the underwater world will rub off on your students.
Do you think women are different divers than men and why?
Where we work and dive we have men and women smashing all the cliches of scuba diving! Being surrounded by some of the most influential women divers in tech diving, conservation, cave diving and female course directors, I am lucky to be surrounded by an empowering women's dive community. I guess the guys are pretty fun too!
Advice for 1st time diver
For someone starting diving, welcome to the most exciting, addictive and maybe the most expensive hobby out there! It's completely out of this world breathing underwater and flying over walls and reefs, so expect the unexpected, trust your instructor and have the best time!
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