About Big Blue

Introduction

BIG BLUE Diving is Shanghai's Premiere Dive Facility providing Diving training, Adventure tours, Retail dive Equipment and team-building services. Every Big Blue Instructor is fully accredited with either PADI and NAUI trained in Both Primary (CPR) and Secondary Care (First Aid) and members of China Underwater Association (CUA) we Promote Standard Safe Diving Practices, Environmental Awareness and Divers Alert Network (DAN).

Safety, Education and Fun is our goal with the foundation of our business built on Passion, Customer Service and Hard work. We are working hard to promote and publicize recreational Scuba Diving in China and help to cultivate this new and under-developed industry with our Experience and commitment to our goals. We offer private courses on request and also Courses in Homes/Offices and Schools for Groups. Big Blue promotes dive locations through travel and events to divers who want to experience dive sites around the world! We handle logistics and communication on request. There is nothing more fun than exploring the underwater world with everyone speaking the same language - SCUBA.

Big Blue has trained more than one thousand students in mainland China sharing our Passion, eye for Safety and Quality Education that will only improve. Big Blue has over 3000 members from all over the world, we offer up to date information via our newsletters and website. We have three language editions for BIG BLUE website, Chinese, Japanese and English. BIG BLUE distributes 2 email newsletters a month which covers updates, travel and courses with new members added daily.

Facilities

Show Room

Big Classroom

Small Classroom

Mini Library

Training Equipment

Service Station

Swimming Pool

Big Blue Instructors

Leigh Chen
Chinese

Leigh Chen was in Shanghai swimming team and had many champions in all kinds of swimming competition of China in 1990's, he began diving since 1995, and obtained his CMAS 1 star Instructor in the same year. In 1996, he passed the final exam of CMAS 2 stars Instructor and began teaching SCUBA diving. He's one of the first generation instructors in China.

Now he's become an excellent instructor by his hard work as a SCUBA diving instructor in the last 12 years. In 2007 under his own hard work, he earned his status as a NAUI instructor.

Leigh always takes his students diving in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and China, he's very familiar with these dive sites. He loves to take underwater photos and videos, and love to share his happiness and experience with other divers.

  • PADI Master Instructor (MI-255357)
  • PADI Speciality Instructor
  • EFR Instructor Trainer
  • EFR Primary and Secondary Care Instructor
  • EFR Care For Children Instructor
  • Scubapro Authorised Technician
  • DSAT Gas Blender Instrutor

Vic Huang
Chinese

He first experienced diving while on vacation in the beautiful Maldives. This experience awakened his interest in diving and in exploring the beautiful undersea world. So, he returned to diving and obtained his Open-Water certification in Mauritius later that same year. From that moment on, he has regularly accompanied the Big Blue crew to Qiandao Lake and the Philippines. Recently, he took another big step forward. In February 2011, he undertook and passed the Instructor Examination in Thailand. That means now he is a fully qualified dive instructor. Even though he is already quite capable, he is not satisfied to rest on these laurels and so he keeps striving to become an ever more skilled instructor!

  • PADI IDC Staff Instructor (IDCS-281539)
  • PADI Speciality Instructor
  • EFR Primary and Secondary Care Instructor

Joel Klammer
American

Joel grew up in the Great Lakes region of the USA and has been diving since he was 18 years old. He obtained his NAUI Divemaster and Assistant Instructor certifications at age 23 while living in Chicago, taking students diving in the cold and murky rock quarries of Wisconsin.

From there he moved to Hong Kong for the next 12 years where he obtained his PADI Assistant Instructor and NAUI Instructor certification. He's enjoyed taking groups of students to the Philippines, Thailand, and now China, for the past 15 years.

He's worked as a commercial diver, collects antique diving helmets, and enjoys technical diving and studying the physiological effects of diving.

In 2007, he obtained his PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor, EFR Instructor and Speciality Instructor.

  • NAUI Instructor (#46749)
  • PADI IDC Staff Instructor (IDCS-465407)
  • PADI Speciality Instructor
  • EFR Primary and Secondary Care Instructor
  • EFR Care For Children Instructor
  • DAN O2 Provider Instructor

Eric Davis
American

Eric has been a scuba diver for almost twenty years. He has logged thousands of dives at sites in N. America, S. America, Asia and Europe. Diving is one of his great pleasures in life. He is often quoted as saying, "All it takes to brighten any bad day is a dive."

In addition to recreational diving, Eric also enjoys technical diving. He has been a cave diver for years and has extensively explored the cave systems of Mayan Mexico and Florida.

Eric has been a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor for more than ten years. His focus as an instructor is on safety and comprehensively teaching his students all they need to know to flourish as divers. He welcomes all to come and experience the wonderful world of diving.

  • PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI-156988)
  • PADI Speciality Instructor
  • EFR Primary and Secondary Care Instructor
  • EFR Care For Children Instructor

Hanamura Naoko ( Hana )
Japanese

Hana was born in and grew up in Shizuoka of Japan, a beautiful city located between Fuji Mountain and Izu peninsula. Her first trip to China was in 1995 where she started studying Chinese from 1996 in Nankai University in Tianjin. Today Hana's Chinese is very fluent.

Her first Scuba experience was swimming with a school of big sharks, although she was surrounded by these 2/3 meter long sharks from the beginning to the end, she wasn't scared but these intrigued her. In 2005, Hana went back to Japan and became an Open water diver, where she has been diving on Japan's beautiful reefs, and later South East Asia.

Due to her love for Scuba diving and hope to share this happiness with friends, Hana went back to Japan once again and obtained her Divemaster rating in 2007. All she wants to do now is become an Instructor, and invite all her friends to explore and share this amazing underwater world with.

  • PADI Dive Master (DM-823147)
  • EFR Primary and Secondary Care Instructor
  • EFR Care For Children Instructor

Bengt Hermansson
Swedish

Has been in the ocean with kayaking and swimming all life, but the first scuba diving experience was during a vacation in Malaysia. Bengt enjoys all aspects of diving from macro, big sharks, wrecks and as well cavern. His diving highlight was a wreck penetration in Coron (Philliphine).

As a proffesssional diving instructur it is a pleasure to see the big smile of a novise diver after their first new experiences, the most important is to make the diving experience to a safe, fun enjoyment moment and to respect the aquatic life.

Bengt's keywords are "When life get pressure, just go diving"

  • PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI-282280)
  • EFR Primary and Secondary Care Instructor
  • EFR Care For Children Instructor

Siegfried Ruhland
German

Siegfried learnt swimming in the cold rivers of Germany when he was 6 years old. After working in several countries he discovered scuba diving in 2005. Year by year he continued his diving education and reached the level of open water scuba instructor in 2009.

Comparing diving in lakes or in the sea his favourite is clearly the Philippines, the water is warmer and he really enjoys to see the big varaities of aquatic life from macro to big. His hobby is therefore naturally under water photography.

Beside his job in a big German company in Shanghai he is looking forward to become a successful instructor by teaching people to enable them to be a SAFE diver and to respect the aquatic life.

  • PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI-498017)
  • PADI Speciality Instructor
  • EFR Primary and Secondary Care Instructor
  • EFR Care For Children Instructor

Mark Burns
British

Mark has been an avid scuba diver ever since he walked into Big Blue with his wife a number of years ago. He did his open water through rescue diver training with Big Blue then spent the 2009 summer season in Bali working as a Divemaster. In January 2010 he returned to Bali with his wife for the IDC/IE and became a PADI Instructor. He has now attained the rating of IDC Staff Instructor which means he is able to train PADI instructors alongside a Course Director. Mark is a passionate educator and is able to conduct 10 specialty courses, with more to follow.

Mark enjoys all aspects of diving, from night time wreck explorations to high speed drifts. However, he is particularly fond of muck diving for the weird and wonderful species that hide away in seemingly uninhabitable places. His diving highlight so far was a fantastic encounter with a mimic octopus in Puri Jati with his wife. It gave an amazing 5 minute display showing everything from flounder and lionfish to sea snake C wonderful!

As a professional teacher trainer (in the real world), his approach to diver training is very systematic and standards orientated, but with the emphasis on fun and enjoyment. Indeed, over the past 12 months Mark has received no fewer than 5 certificates of excellence from PADI in recognition of quality teaching. Ever the optimist, he hopes to make it all the way to the top of the PADI ladder and become a Course Director in the future.

  • PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (IDCS-257172)
  • PADI Speciality Instructor
  • EFR Primary and Secondary Care Instructor
  • EFR Care For Children Instructor

Weiwei Qian
Chinese

Weiwei has been a scuba diver for two years. She did her open water course with Big Blue on a chilly November weekend, then immediately signed up for her advanced course in the Philippines also with Big Blue. In 2009 she spent a wonderful summer working as a Divemaster in Bali. She became a PADI instructor in January 2010 by completing the IDC/IE with her husband, once again in Bali.

She enjoys all aspects of the dive lifestyle, from sharing knowledge and experiences with other divers to helping nervous students take their first breaths underwater. As a fish identification and underwater naturalist specialty Instructor, she has become a bit of a fish 'nerd' and will happily point out the many diverse species encountered on tropical reefs.

After overcoming a fear of water herself, Weiwei has a very patient and understanding approach to teaching and is always willing to help even the most apprehensive of students.

  • PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI-257173)
  • PADI Speciality Instructor
  • EFR Primary and Secondary Care Instructor
  • EFR Care For Children Instructor

Mark Troxell
American

Mark, born and raised in western Pennsylvania, obtained his open water diver certification in the cold clear waters of southern California in 1977. In the 30+ plus years diving since then he's spent considerable time in the Caribbean, central and south America in places like schooling hammerheads in Mexico and virgin barrier reef in Belize, wrecks of Aruba, kelp forests off San Diego and altitude diving freshwater lakes and quarry's. Absolutely loves diving Asia, from the south China sea off Sanya to whale sharks and amazing macro dives in the Philippines.

Often found doing taichi during surface intervals.

Received his Open Water Instructor certification in 1998.

  • PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI-163085)
  • PADI Speciality Instructor
  • EFR Primary and Secondary Care Instructor

Authorization ( Click for large image )

China Underwater Association

NAUI Pro Scuba Center

SCUBAPRO Authorized Dealer

PADI Dive Center