Selena Wu Best Dive Job in the World
Welcome to the first installation of the Weekly Underwater, where you’ll learn about the World Underwater from the Woman Underwater:
Selena WU
The
Weekly
Underwater
Born in the USA like Springsteen, but traveled the world and the seven seas like The Eurythmics (Come on, admit it – you know those lyrics.), I now call Australia home. I’ve always led an active lifestyle – soccer, running, cycling, lifeguard, volleyball, hiking, swimming, rock climbing, yoga – so it made perfect sense for me to find my way into an invigorating position working in a…bank.
That wasn’t a typo. I really work for a bank.
Therefore, it should hardly come as a surprise when you hear:
Why I Want to Change My Life and
Become a PADI Instructor
“Can I really do this?”
“What if there are sharks?”
“Will I have enough air?”
These sorts of thoughts went through my mind when I decided to conquer my fear of being under the sea by completing my Open Water Certification in 1995. Scuba diving quickly went from hobby to passion during my time in Honduras as a Peace Corps volunteer. The once intimidating silence of the sea became a means of connecting to nature through the meditative sound of my rhythmic breathing.
The simple pleasure of watching air bubbles bounding for the surface or gazing into deep blue…the imagination behind the peculiar design of the octopus or the lionfish…the feeling of awe when being followed by the curious eye of a gentle creature ten times my size…the thrill of swimming through the remains of a ship as grand as the Titanic…I was hooked. Over the next couple years, I returned to the Islas de la Bahia again and again to be back in the World Underwater and to obtain that next level of certification, ultimately becoming a Divemaster. Since then I’ve wandered many a watery way, blowing bubbles with aquatic creatures great and small, waiting for the right time and place to make the move to instructor.
Selena Wu Best Dive Job in the World
Teaching, both in formal and less structured settings, has played a part in most of my working life – as a sports coach for kids, a volunteer giving health talks in rural Spanish-speaking communities, a bi-lingual preschool teacher, a yoga instructor, and a trainer to my office colleagues and clients. The ability to communicate effectively is critical in these environments, as well as in the World Underwater.
In my current profession, a few erroneous keystrokes or the wrong choice of words could signal financial disaster for a large corporation. As the Woman Underwater, effective communication is essential to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all divers under my watch. I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to use my various language skills with diverse populations ranging from CFOs of global companies…to school-aged children…to Honduran coffee farmers…to deaf-mute community members…to globetrotters from around the world. Every holiday has become an excuse for me to ditch the business suit for the wetsuit. It’s time to make a permanent swap!
