Andy Davis

Independent Technical Diving Consultant Instructor

PADI MSDT | TecRec Tech Deep & Tec Sidemount Instructor

SSI Advanced Instructor | BSAC Nationally Qualified Instructor

ANDI Sidemount Technical Wreck Instructor

andy davis technical diving instructor

Biography

I learned to dive with PADI in 1996 and have since logged over 5000 dives, including PADI, SSI, BSAC, ANDI instructor courses.

Initially training and diving in England and Scotland, I gained extensive cold-water, low visibility, drysuit diving experience – diving ship wrecks around the UK coastline. During work and holiday travels, I have also had the opportunity to dive in Cyprus, the Maldives, Oman, Ascension Island, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Vietnam, Belize, Spain, Egypt, Israel, Malaysia, Borneo and the Philippines. I am an avid technical wreck diver and have taken part in technical wreck exploration expeditions around Asia.

With over 600 decompression dives and 1600+ wreck penetration dives, I have gained a strong foundation in the skills, knowledge and experience needed to operate in this demanding environment. I have also benefited immensely from training and diving with some of the most widely recognized wreck and technical divers in the world. I love to teach and help other divers develop their knowledge and experience. I have a popular scuba diving blog, in which I write articles about scuba training and equipment.

I have written courses and course notes, to accompany sidemount / technical wreck programs and have consulted on equipment design for commercial available sidemount systems.

My other hobby is underwater photography and I have had several photographs published in UK diving magazine – Sport Diver. Some of my favorite photographs can be seen in my underwater photograph blog – Liquid Rainbows. I am also a contributing photographer to Nudi-Pixel, where photographs from my nudibranch survey in Subic Bay can be seen.


Featured on Perfect Dives as a leading diver in the Philippines. I have worked as a scuba instructor and dive centre manager in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines – as well as teaching scuba divers in UK military clubs, for the past 10 years.

With over 500 student diver certifications, I have gained a huge breadth of experience teaching recreational and technical divers of all nationalities and levels of ability.

Prior to working in the scuba industry, I served for 8 years as a commissioned officer in the Royal Air Force and 4 years as a trooper in the Territorial (reserve) Army in a recce/recon unit. My military service included tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, Qatar, Oman, as well as work in Belize assisting the government with development of their national hurricane disaster plan. My final 3 years of service were spent as a CIMIC team officer in a Civil-Affairs role.

PADI INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS:

Sidemount, Tec Sidemount, Tec Wreck, Tec40, Tec45, Tec50, Tec Basics, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Project Aware, Deep Diver, Coral Reef Conservation, Wreck, Equipment Specialist, Dive Propulsion Vehicle, Enriched Air Diver, Night Diver, Underwater Videographer, Dry Suit, Underwater Navigator, Digital Underwater Photography, Drift, Multilevel Diver, Search & Recovery, Boat, SMB Diver (Distinctive), Nitrox/Trimix Blender,

ANDI INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS:

Limited Safe Air User, Complete Safe Air User, Sidemount, Technical Wreck

SSI INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS:

Boat, Deep, Navigation, Waves, Tides & Currents, Wreck, Perfect Buoyancy, DPV, Search & Recovery, Stress & Rescue, Equipment, Computer, Night / Limited Visibility, Dry Suit, Photography, Enriched Air Nitrox

OTHER SCUBA QUALIFICATIONS:

  • TDI Advanced Nitrox – w/ Mark Powell
  • TecRec Tech Deep – w/ Jamie McCloud
  • ANDI Sidemount Technical Wreck – w/ Bruce Konefe
  • Emergency First Response Instructor, including Care for Children w/AED
  • BSAC Nationally Qualified Instructor OWSI
  • International Certificate of Competence: Small Vessels
  • RYA Level 2 Powerboat & Competent Crew (Sail)
  • BSAC Boat Handler
  • BSAC O2 Administrator
  • BSAC Lifesaver


NON-DIVING QUALIFICATIONS

  • BA (Hons) Politics and History
  • Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Associate
  • Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) Licentiate
  • PRINCE 2 Project Management Practitioner
  • Royal Air Force (RAF):
  • RAF College Cranwell, Initial Officer Training Course
  • Administrative Secretarial Officers Course
  • RAF Recruiting Managers Course
  • Defence College Shrivenham – Junior Officer Command Course
  • Defence College Shrivenham – Intermediate Command
  • RAF Police Security Management Course
  • Computer Information Systems Security Manager Course
  • Mine Action Training Centre – Landmine Awareness Advisor
  • JCG Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) Course

British Association of Fitness Instructors (BAFI):

  • Diploma in Exercise Performance
  • Diploma in Fitness Teaching Skills
  • Qualified Fitness Instructor Certificate
  • 3 Dan Jiu-Jitsu Instructor
  • Registered UK Sports Coach
  • MMA Referee and Official/Judge (UFC 38 Head Adjudicator)
  • UK Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance.