Interview With Hugo Garcia, PADI Dive Instructor At Dressel Divers Cozumel

Hugo started scuba diving when he was very young. Fortunately, his uncle was also a diver and introduced him to our beloved hobby. Time passed and he currently works as PADI Dive Instructor in Dressel Divers Cozumel. Before arriving here,  he was a scuba globetrotter, always in search of the best dive spots, like Manta Reef, in Mozambique. Today we went to Cozumel and had a little chat with him. He told us about his beginnings in scuba diving and all his incredible experiences, both alone and with students

At what age did you start diving?
When I was very young. My uncle “El Tiburon” is a Dive Instructor and he introduced me to the sport.

What is the most incredible dive you ever did?
Manta Reef in Mozambique. The interaction that I had with the manta rays is something that I will never forget.

At what point did you realize you wanted to be a Dive Instructor?
After living on my sailboat I realized that I wanted to live the rest of my life on the water.

Where did you do your instructor course?
I did my IDC with the PADI Platinum Course Director Paul Flower, and Dressel Divers ,in Playa Del Carmen. The most amazing team.

What qualities do you think a Dive Instructor needs to be successful?
Patience, patience and excellent diving skills… did I mention patience?

What is the best advice you ever gave to your students?
Have fun, enjoy and relax. If you are not enjoying diving there is no point of you being down there.

What is your most memorable moment with students?
A moment where I came up from the dive. I felt sad  sad because we didn’t find anything, but my student shouted “that was amazing!” It made me appreciate what I do.

Why would you recommend Dressel Divers to new students?
We have an amazing diverse team of Dive Instructors, with incredible skills and knowledge to pass on to new divers.

How long have you been in Dressel Divers?
Going on 12 months now.

What features and opportunities made you chose to work with this company in particular?
Dressel Divers has an international presence and a reputation for creating passionate and knowledgeable instructors.

Which Dressel Divers dive center would you like to go next if the opportunity arises?
I would love to work in one of the amazing Dressel Divers Quality Selects liveaboards.

What is the best advice you would give to someone who wants to make a living with scuba diving?
Learn as many languages as you can and you will always find work.

What are your other hobbies? What do you do on your day off here in Cozumel?

I love to sail and climb. On my days off, I take my paddle board to the beach and edit all of my photos and videos from the water.

Now you know a bit more about Hugo. Tell us, have you ever dived with him?  If you have nice experiences to tell us, don’t hesitate to drop them below.

See you in the next interview 🙂