Andrzej Bacinski: SDI Instructor Trainer Ambassador
Hi, I’m Andrzej Bacinski. I’m honored to be a part of the SDI Instructor Ambassador Program. I’m from Poland.
What was the first dive you did and how did it influence you to start a career in the diving industry?
While swimming in a pool I realized some of the people were enjoying staying underwater in scuba equipment. At first, I started to wonder- do they pay the same entrance cost to a swimming pool as I do if they do not utilize the surface? Not much later, after my OWSD I realized the cost. My very first diver after OWD was in Egypt. I jumped out of the boat and at 10 feet experienced face-to-face with a big turtle. Each dive after that was better and better. On my confined water sessions of OWD, I already knew one day I want to teach others how to breathe underwater.
What do you believe is the most important trait of a professional educator and why?
I believe the educator must love diving himself and must love other people. This is a job where good relationships with people are key. It cannot be done quickly and without patience. One must dedicate to share his or her love of diving with other people. When I see my students enjoying their time underwater – that is my biggest reward. I love when good training gives them the opportunity to discover underwater and follow their favorite activities (photography, wreck exploring, etc.) without having problems diving itself.
What is your favorite SDI class to teach and why?
I have two favorite classes:
Advanced Adventure Diver: that class allows me to show students how many interesting things can be done underwater. I tell them – diving is like driving. Some like the driving itself, but most of us like driving for the purpose (to go to the movies, restaurant, etc.); the same with diving – knowing how to breathe underwater is just a way to explore the completely different world, which is so close to the surface.
IEC: this is the last step to allow people to share their underwater passion with others.
What is a bucket list dive you still have?
Having thousands of dives already I still haven’t met manta rays. I would like to have a dive to see them. I do not mind if that is to be Maldives or Australia or Thailand or anywhere else – just to meet huge manta rays.
What is one bit of advice you would give to a perspective Instructor candidate about to embark on becoming an SDI Instructor?
Let them not forget when they were doing their first dives and the problems they had. Now, as Instructor Candidates, they are masters in diving, but their future students are at the beginning of the path. We need to have a lot of patience for them not to ruin their interest in diving.
As one of my educators used to say, I am saying the same to the candidate before the exam – “Do you feel stressed before the exam? Please, remember this feeling, as pretty soon your students will have the same feeling when you organize an exam for them.”