Master Instructor
Ben did his Open Water Diver course in Honduras back in 2010, got immediately hooked, and quickly decided that this was going to be his life. After a season as a Divemaster in Utila, Ben came back to the UK to become an Instructor.
In the UK, Ben successfully ran Scuba Leeds for 6 years, joined by his partner Susie in 2021. In 2022, seeking a change of pace and warmer waters, they both decided to make the move to Malta. Together they look after New Dimension Scuba and love it. Ben is loving immersing himself back into the resort lifestyle and diving in warm blue water every day.
As a PADI Master Instructor and PADI Tec 50 instructor, Ben enjoys teaching a whole range of courses, from complete beginners to technical divers and professionals.
Ben is patient and knowledgeable, with years of experience teaching. He has a keen eye for marine life and loves showing off his favourite dive sites here in Malta. He enjoys learning the history of Malta and sharing his knowledge of the island with his divers.
Team interview
What made you start diving?
It was an opportunistic accident, really. In my mid-20s, I was getting bored of my current job, but had no idea what I actually wanted to do with my life. I saved up some cash and went travelling around Central America, with no specific goal in mind. In Honduras, I decided to give diving a go. It was something I'd always fancied, but never really thought too much about... and I instantly and absolutely loved it. I abandoned the rest of my travel plans then and there, scrapped my return flight, stayed and worked my way up to Divemaster, and never looked back!
What do you like about Malta?
After diving primarily in the British quarries for 5 years, the sheer vibrancy and variety of dive sites is incredible. I've been here for 4 dive seasons now and there are still loads more to explore, so I'm excited to see what else there is to offer!
What are your favourite dive sites here in Malta?
The Um El Faroud at Zurrieq is an amazing wreck. There is so much to explore with the swim-throughs and penetrations, and usually lots of marine life along the way. My favourite part of the wreck? Visiting the engines of this huge wreck!
What are your strengths as a scuba instructor?
My patience. I'm always happy to take the time to overcome nervousness, difficulties with certain techniques, language barriers, and so on. My experience helps me come up with different methods of teaching, so if one approach hasn't worked for a certain student, I'll stay calm and reassuring, and work with them to tackle the problem in a different way.
What do you like to do on your days off?
In peak season, when the dive centre is really busy, the answer is easy, and I'm sure the other instructors will agree: sleep!! But when we have a bit more time on our hands I like rock climbing, running, snorkelling, and swimming. My partner Susannah and I spend a lot of our days off walking and exploring the many varied and interesting places around Malta. I'm also a massive geek at heart... current video game obsession is Pokémon Go!
Describe yourself in 2 words
Outdoorsy geek