Ebba joins us from Sweden. She completed her PADI IDC with us last November and is now regularly found teaching in the waters around Manuel Antonio. She enjoys working with us on marine conservation classes amongst many things. Welcome Ebba to the team of Go Pro we love having a strong girl that scubas!
When and why were you first drawn to the underwater world?
I grew up in Sweden next to the ocean and I’ve spent every summer on a boat, always in the water swimming and snorkeling. I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean and my parents consistently had to drag me out of it always coming up with blue lips and being freezing cold. When I was 8 I did my first scuba dive in Gozo, Malta and was just absolutely amazed. I still remember every moment. I only went down to 6m and it was in a harbour, but just being able to breathe underwater was incredible and the best feeling!
What has been your most memorable moment underwater?
I’ve had a lot of great underwater experiences and every time you go for a dive (even in Sweden with 1m visibility) there’s always something that makes you smile! Buuut I would say diving in Indonesia at a Manta Ray cleaning station was one of the most memorable ones! Just me, my friend, a Divemaster and twenty Manta Rays circling around us, so insane and beautiful and cool.
If you could be any ocean creature, what would it be and why?
A cuttlefish! I think they’re so cool and cute and just love watching them underwater. It feels like you can’t really go looking for them, they just randomly show up right in front of you. There’s also so many cool things they do, like being able to mesmerize their prey or that they have huge brains and are highly intelligent or their ability to change color and texture patterns instantly. They’re just so beautiful to watch.
What is your favorite thing to teach others about scuba diving?
That anyone with the will can do it, you just have to get in, relax, breathe and be amazed!
Also, I have recently finished my Marine Conservation Research Diver Speciality instructor which has just been so fun and interesting to teach. It’s about scientific methods that you use underwater. Laying out transect lines, using quadrants to complete reef topography surveys, using t-bars to determine reef relief and so on. Before this, back home, I assisted with laying out transect lines and taking surveys but from a boat above water and it’s really cool and different to do it underwater. It’s a very interesting course. But also teaching an open water course can be really cool since you actually get to take someone into the water, scuba diving for their very first time. You know that if you give them a great introduction to the underwater world they’re gonna keep on diving and exploring and that’s just incredible.
What has surprised you most about teaching?
It’s a lot more fun than I thought! It doesn’t really feel like you’re working when you get to spend your day in the ocean teaching people about something you love.
What piece of your personal scuba equipment can you not live without?
My BCD. I have a lightweight Oceanic Biolite BCD that I bought for traveling and it surprised me and I just love it. It fits perfectly, is so comfortable and streamlined in the water, has everything I need and nothing more.
What do you think is next for you?
I’ve really been enjoying working as a Dive Instructor at Oceans Unlimited and want keep on doing that for the time being. Later this year I am planning to go to university in Sweden to study marine science and part time work as a Instructor during my studies. Diving, marine biology and conservation is what I’ve been wanting to do ever since my first scuba dive (or even before then) and I believe that is what I’m gonna keep on doing.
What advice would you give future and upcoming dive pros?
Do your DMT or IDC at a serious place so you get a good foundation for your future dive career. Also doing your DMT & PADI IDC is a lot of fun and make sure to really enjoy it! Entering the professional world of diving is one of the best choices I’ve made and wherever it takes you it’s gonna be great cause you get to work with something you absolutely love and that’s just awesome!