Instructor Ye Xi from Hangzhou, China, became a PADI Instructor in 2014 and works at PADI Dive Centre iDiver International Diving Club in Hangzhou. Read on to find out how becoming an Instructor changed his life.

Describe a typical day in your working life as a PADI Pro? I usually wake up to singing birds and the first rays of sunshine, read the online news to find out what’s going on in the world, followed by morning exercise. After breakfast and coffee, I run through the daily schedule and make preparations for the course. The students arrive at 9am, ready for the PADI Open Water course agenda and full briefing. We watch the course video, I answer their questions and there’s usually time before lunch to choose diving gear and equipment for the students. Most of the afternoon is taken up in the classroom with the PADI Open Water course theory and knowledge review and in the pool for confined-water training. In the evening we summarise the day’s work, go through the schedule for the next day and take the opportunity to have an enjoyable chat with the students.

When and where did you start diving? In 2010 I travelled to Mauritius with a couple of friends and I saw many people with professional diving gear, which to me was really cool. Afterwards, back in China I signed up for a PADI Open Water course in Shanghai, and then it all began.

When and where did you become a PADI Pro? I completed my PADI Advanced Open Water course in Anilao, Philippines and was very keen to achieve more. In September 2013, I went to Bohol Island in the Philippines to complete my PADI Divemaster course under PADI Instructor Tony Wong. The whole month of my stay there was amazing. I passed the Emergency First Response and PADI Rescue Diver courses and finally became a PADI Divemaster.

What made you choose to become a PADI Pro? Scuba diving is fun and exciting, but the part I love more is that diving education and divers themselves continue to preserve our environment. As a PADI Pro, I can help more people enjoy diving and encourage them to love and appreciate the ocean.

What highlights do you recall from your PADI Divemaster course and PADI Instructor Development Course? Two things impressed me most – the PADI Divemaster course and PADI Instructor Development Course taught me comprehensive diving knowledge and systems operations. During the courses, environmental protection is repeated again and in this way, PADI Pros become a great influence on their students.

What dive locations are on your bucket list and why? The Great Barrier Reef — one of the most renowned diving locations in the world.

What has been the most memorable dive of your life? I was lucky enough to see a whale shark in open water during my Instructor Exam (IE) in Bohol. We were conducting a briefing on the dive boat and the big whale shark swam towards us and stayed for a while. It’s not easy to meet the large pelagics in shallow water there. We were all very excited and forgot about being nervous. Thanks to our lucky whale shark, we all passed the IE!

What words of advice and encouragement would you give to divers thinking of becoming a PADI Pro? First of all, diving can change your life. Being a PADI Pro gives you a greater understanding of the beauty of the ocean, the planet and indeed, your life. Because you have gained skills and experiences, your students are able to learn and appreciate the marine environment more than ever. Becoming a PADI Pro may not only change your life — it could change the world!