New PADI training initiative for 11 Caymanians

The Ministry of Tourism, along with the Department of Tourism, recently joined forces with two local dive companies, Ocean Frontiers and Go Pro Diving, in order to provide the opportunity for 11 Caymanians to undertake an 8-Week PADI Certification Course, with the aim of increasing the number of professionally-certified Caymanians in the dive industry. It is a part of the National Tourism Training Program which is helping prepare Caymanian for when the borders open again. It’s been a struggle for local dive companies to survive, since covid-19, because it is so dependent on diving enthusiasts from overseas who have heard about the unparalleled diving experience Cayman’s beautiful reefs can offer, but the new training initiative means Caymanians will be better placed to face the future.

The course took the participants through all the stages of internationally-recognized PADI certification to the level of Dive Master. The first weeks of training began with PADI Open Water Diver Certification, which was followed by Advanced Open Water Certification, and PADI Rescue Diver Certification. As the weeks progressed, there were also training courses resulting in Nitrox Enriched Air Certification, PADI Fish identification, Lionfish culling, Coral Conservation, and CPR & First Aid Certification with AED and Oxygen Provider training.

“The Ministry of Tourism is committed to training displaced Caymanian workers for opportunities in the industry and to advance their skills,” said Minister of Tourism and Transport, Hon. Kenneth Bryan. “We need to ensure that anyone interested in a tourism career is able to access the resources required to pursue one, especially young Caymanians. Diving is one of the key activities that we are known for here in Cayman and it is encouraging to see that Caymanians are receiving these qualifications.”

Since becoming certified, several participants have been assisting with the coral restoration projects of Cayman’s reefs.

PADI stands for Professional Association of Diving Instructors, and represents the international standard for Scuba certification. 70 percent of worldwide scuba instructors are PADI Open water Scuba instructors.

Persons who are interested in learning more about the PADI Certification Course and future opportunities can email hcd@caymanislands.ky to receive more information.

The Ministry and Department of Tourism continue to offer training opportunities for persons in or who are interested in the industry. For more information, visit https://www.visitcaymanislands.com/en-us/ourcayman/education-training.