MEET
THE TEAM
IDC
Koh Tao @ Crystal Dive Resort has one of the most professional
and experienced Instructor Development team anywhere
in the region, all led by our Platinum PADI Course Director
Matt Bolton. As one of only 6 Career Development Centers
in Thailand, our dedication to first-class pro level
education is unrivalled.
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MATT
BOLTON
PADI
Course Director
Director of Training & Education
Matt
Bolton is a Platinum PADI Course Director and Crystal
Dive’s Director of Operations, Training &
Education. Matt has been at Crystal Dive Resort since
1999 working his way through the ranks, initially employed
as a Divemaster, progressing onto Instructor before
becoming Crystal’s senior Instructor.
In
2003 Matt excepted the position of Operations Manager
and under his leadership Crystal has grown from a small
Koh Tao dive shop into one of the world’s most
popular & successful PADI dive operations.
Read
a full profile of Matt here
>>>
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KENJI
TAKAHASHI
PADI
Course Director
Diving
for over 10 years, Kenji joined Crystal Dive Resort
in 2003 with a view increase the Japanese market here
in Koh Tao.
With
over 1,400 certifications to his name, Kenji teaches
all levels of PADI dive courses in both Japanese and
English language.
A
keen underwater photographer and naturalist, Kenji's
eye for spotting even the smallest of marine creatures
is legendry with Crystal staff and his knowledge of
the marine life in and around Koh Tao is second to none.
Kenji
first became involved with the PADI Instructor Development
Process in early 2005 when he completed his PADI IDC
Staff course with Matt.
Since
that day he has been a familiar face on many of the
IDCs that Matt has conducted building his experience
& worked towards the PADI Master Instructor rating.
In
2007 Kenji attended the PADI IDC Staff Update program,
conducted in Bangkok as part of the process of building
towards being in a position to be accepted on the Course
Director Training Course (CDTC).
In
March 2008 Kenji successfully completed the CDTC in
Kota Kinabali, Malaysia becoming a PADI Course Director.
He is currently the only Japanese speaking PADI Course
Director on Koh Tao, and Crystal’s second "in
house" PADI CD.
Qualifications:
.PADI
Course Director
.EFR Instructor Trainer
.12 PADI Specialty Instructor Trainer Ratings
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JUSTIN
MAYERS
PADI
Course Director
IMCA Dive Medic Technician
Diving
for over 14 years, Matt conducted Justin’s Divemaster
course over 8 years ago. Justin worked as a DM for a
while and completed the IDC in 2001.
Initially
working as an Instructor, Justin quickly progressed
in the industry and managed a PADI 5 Star Gold Palm
resort on Koh Tao.
Returning
to his old mentor in 2004 Justin completed the IDC Staff
Instructor course with Matt and finally decided to return
to Crystal in 2006, teaching all levels of PADI courses
whilst working towards his Master Instructor rating.
During
this period Justin also become a Dive Medic Technician,
completing the course in Plymouth, UK at the Diving
Diseases Research Center.
The
following two years saw Justin work on 15 IDC’s
as an assistant to Matt and was ever present on all
Matt’s IDC’s during 2008 gaining his Emergency
First Response Instructor Trainer along the way.
Initially
excepted on the CDTC to be held in California in July
2008, family commitments saw Justin defer and complete
the course held in Kota Kinabli, Malaysia in March 2009
making him the only Koh Tao based PADI Course Director
ever to be accepted on the CDTC twice!
Justin
adds an additional dynamic to Matt's IDC team, having
both managerial experience and being a fully qualified
IMCA Dive Medic Technician. He is our third ‘in
house’ PADI CD making Crystal Dive the only Koh
Tao based Dive Center with three active full time PADI
Course Directors.
Qualifications:
.PADI
Course Director
.EFR Instructor Trainer
.DAN O2 Trainer
.IMCA / HSE Dive Medic Technician
.Reef Check Trainer
.Mares Equipment Technician
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Nathan
Cook
PADI
IDC Staff Instructor
Nathan
has been living and working on Koh Tao since 2004 when
he completed his IDC with Matt. Prior to this he operated
an action adventure company in India called Himalayan
Exposure. "H.E" conducts adventures throughout
Asia & the Himalaya, specializing in mountaineering
expeditions. Nathan still conducts 2-3 trips per year.
Teaching
all levels of PADI diver courses from entry level through
to the Divemaster course Nathan is also a regular contributor
to Matt’s IDC programs.
In
2007 Nathan’s attentions turned away from teaching
the mainstream PADI dive courses and towards the environment
and marine conservation projects.
Realising
that marine conservation is playing a greater part in
our day to day scuba diving activities Crystal Dive
Resort created an ‘Environmental Awareness &
Action’ department within the existing structure
of the operation and Nathan became the Manager.
Regularly
teaching the Reef Check Eco Diver courses, Nathans role
includes organizing all environmental activities associated
with Crystal Dive Resort. He mixes regularly activities
like beach & dive site clean ups, with fund raisers
for the community based conservation organization Save
Koh Tao or Project AWARE.
Nathan
is also spearheading several medium to long term projects
such as Reef monitoring, coral nursery’s and alternative
dive site exploration. Currently Nathan & Crystal
Dive Resort are at an advance stage of developing an
alternative dive site, hoping this will take pressure
off Koh Tao’s existing dive sites.
"I
grew up by the ocean in Melbourne Australia and although
my formative years were spent swimming and surfing,
it took me almost 30 years to give scuba diving a go.
Being an avid climber and mountaineer the idea of diving
and going underwater seemed a world away. So it wasn’t
until repeated visits to Koh Tao turned a growing passion
into a career.
Having
worked as an instructor for the last four years I have
constantly been amazed by the number and diversity of
divers and the opportunities it opens up for people
to get in touch with nature. Having always been considerate
of our natural world it only made sense to focus on
the environmental side of diving, which is where my
main focus lies today. While I teach all levels of divers,
the environment and its preservation is definitely my
passion and my priority."
Qualifications
.PADI
IDC Staff Instructor
.EFR Instructor
.Reef Check Instructor
.Holds 10 PADI Specialty Instructor Ratings
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SUKI
OI CHING HUNG
PADI
Master Instructor
Co-Ordinator Divemaster Training Program
Chinese Instructor Development
Originally
from Hong Kong, Suki is fluent in English, Cantonese
and Mandarin. She discovered scuba diving by chance
while travelling around South East Asia more than 10
years ago.
It
was love at first sight (underwater) and eventually,
her passion for diving and the lifelong dream of becoming
a professional beach bum has "forced" her
to replace her high heels with fins and become a dive
instructor.
Suki
joined Crystal in 2007 and besides teaching recreational
level diving courses, she plays a key role with Crystal’s
Divemaster Training programme and Instructor Development
Courses both in English and Chinese.
Qualifications
.PADI
Master Instructor
.Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer (EFRIT)
.Holds 10 PADI Specialty Instructor Ratings
.Dan O2 Provide
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