SDI Instructor Ricardo Carrio -

Ricardo Abel Carrio

Stories from Diving with an SDI Instructor

Name: Ricardo Abel Carrio

Country of origin: Argentina

Place of residence: Buenos Aires, Avellaneda

Dive club / dive center: Centro Buceo Sur

Highest diving certifications: TDI Cave Sidemount Diver, Stage Cave, Full Cave

Highest instructor certifications: Trimix, Extended Range, Cavern, Into to Cave, Instructor Trainer SDI-TDI, IT Sidemount TDI-SDI, IT Advance Nitrox, IT Decompression Procedure

What inspired you to become a dive instructor?

The world of diving attracted me from a very young age when I watched Jacques-Yves Cousteau. After my first night dive, coupled with the inspiration of my original instructor, the renowned and memorable Tito Rodriguez, I decided I was going to be a diving instructor. Later, helping out at the dive center and seeing how people evolved, I definitely found the place I wanted in diving.

What motivates you to keep teaching diving every day?

I say that diving is an activity of constant personal improvement. Seeing people on this path who may face different barriers in other aspects of their lives is extremely motivating to share what is undoubtedly a passion. Working and living passionately doing what you love most, every day of your life, every minute, and in many corners of the underwater world, is not only very rewarding for any human being, it’s like finding your place in this life. But we can elevate that feeling even further when each candidate in each course leaves me with a new learning experience as an instructor.

How do you handle fear or insecurity in students, especially beginners?

Each candidate responds differently to teaching and skills incentives. The SDI system provides us with a wealth of resources for this purpose, but here, creativity is put to the test. The main resources are order, the use of structures, experience, and patience to ensure candidates understand and repeat the skills over and over again. Always being one step ahead of candidates’ possible responses to a stimulus gives me the tools to demonstrate my potential as a facilitator on their path to certification at any level, with confidence and enjoyment. In the end, they will prove to themselves that they can do it as taught.

What do you think sets apart a good instructor from an exceptional one?

An exceptional instructor is one who consistently navigates the barriers candidates face, anticipating potential problems when they’re making mistakes, creating empowering experiences most of the time, so that they ultimately end up like me, “loving to dive.” An exceptional instructor is always willing to learn, open to industry developments, always seeking superior teachers to develop, and then passing on new knowledge to their candidates, regardless of their level. That’s my recipe: outstanding continuing education, high standards, and leaving room for further development.

Why did you choose SDI as the diving agency you work with?

SDI particularly sparked my interest as a teaching system for two fundamental reasons that underlie its philosophy. One, doing things right the first time, primacy. Two, being a certification body that was born with very high standards in training divers capable of developing technical program skills. These two aspects motivated me to feel part of a system that leaves nothing for later and can always teach at every stage with the highest levels of quality. Over time, the system showed me that these characteristics and demands have been passed on to the instructors, without exception, making me proud to be where I am. The study materials, videos, and standards constantly improving and innovating, complete a highly recognized and efficient system.

Which courses are most requested by your students, and why do you think they are so popular?

Well, there are several factors that influence this point, but I’ll try to be straightforward. If we’re talking about the number of courses, Open Water Scuba Diver and the specialties leading to Advanced are undoubtedly the most popular. The reasons are obvious: when a candidate comes and wants to be a cave diver, to give a prime example, they first have to be a good diver. However, there are other requirements specific to our focus: Wreck Penetration, Instructor courses at different levels (which deserve a separate section), the entire Extended Range program, Sidemount, and our prestigious Cave program alongside Ape Divers.

What has been the most rewarding moment in your career as an instructor so far?

Well, truth be told, it’s been full of good times. However, we can all share a common thread: seeing the joy the candidates feel when they achieve their goals, whether it’s a course, an incredible voyage across the seas, or even a trip to the caves of Mexico. Achieving quality divers who are committed to the industry has always been my best experience.