When considering a dive centre with whom to complete your professional level diver training, you have to ask yourself “who will teach me?”

At Downbelow’s IDC Course Asia all levels of diver training is taken very seriously.

When it comes to professional dive instructor courses we have a dedicated team – our GoPro IDC GoPro Team – a highly qualified team of PADI Course Directors and PADI Instructors, with decades of experience between them in many specialized fields.

The GoPro IDC Team teaches, guides and offers advice to all candidates. Meet the GoPro IDC Team…

Downbelow Managing Director & resident PADI Course Director, Richard Swann, is already into his second decade of instructor training and heads the GoPro IDC Team of Instructors during our Instructor Development Courses in Borneo.

He plays a pivotal role in the success of every candidate on our IDC by apply his wealth of knowledge and experience in all facets of the instructor training.

As a PADI Course Director, Richard holds the most respected professional rating in recreational SCUBA diving and counts amongst the dive industry’s most influential opinion leaders and role models.

Richard’s Instructor Trainer Qualifications

PADI Course Director, Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer CPR / Primary & Secondary Care w/AED Adult / Child / Infant, Atlantis/Dolphin Rebreather Instructor Trainer, Deep Diver Speciality Instructor Trainer, Digital Underwater Photography Instructor Trainer, Diver Propulsion Vehicle Instructor Trainer, Dry Suit Instructor Trainer, EFR Trainer, Emergency Oxygen Provider Instructor Trainer, Enriched Air Nitrox Speciality Instructor Trainer, Fish Identification Trainer, Night Diver Speciality Instructor Trainer, Search & Recovery Speciality Instructor Trainer, Tec Rec Gas Blender Instructor Trainer, Underwater Navigator Instructor Trainer, Underwater Videographer Instructor Trainer, Wreck Speciality Instructor Trainer

Richard’s PADI Speciality Instructor Qualifications

Atlantis/Dolphin Rebreather Instructor, AWARE Coral Reef Conservation Sp Instructor, Boat Instructor, Care for Children w/AED Instructor, Deep Diver Instructor, Digital Underwater Photography Instructor, Diver Propulsion Vehicle Instructor, Drift Diver Instructor, Dry Suit Instructor, EFR Instructor, Emergency Oxygen Provider Instructor, Enriched Air Instructor, Fish Identification Instructor, Medic First Aid Instructor, Night Diver Instructor, Peak Performance Buoyancy Instructor, Project Aware Instructor, Ray Rebreather Instructor, Search & Recovery Instructor, Tec Rec Gas Blender Instructor, Underwater Navigator Instructor, Underwater Photographer Instructor, Underwater Videographer Instructor, Wreck Instructor

PADI Course Director Joseph Chung has been breathing under water since 1981 and has certified more than 1,600 students since qualifying as a professional diving instructor in 1989 and for 18 years was the Head of Training at the Borneo Divers Training Institute in Sabah, Malaysia.

He received his PADI Course Director Training from the (sea)horses mouth at the PADI headquarters in California in 1994 and today Mr. Joe, as he is fondly known, runs his own company, Borneo Unlimited Marine Sports in Semporna, often joining us at Downbelow for Instructor Development Courses IDC.

Joseph is also a trainer for Emergency First Response (Primary First Aid and Secondary Care) for Adults and Care for Children and a member of the Professional Association of Diving Instructor.

Other than being an accomplished diver, Mr. Joe is also a Master of Business Administration in Sports Management, alumni of the European Business School in Cambridge, England. Also included on his resume is Dive Resort Manager and Dive Retail Outlet Manager and memberships of the Malaysia Institute of Management, Malaysia Institute of Human resources Management, and Cambridge Association of Managers.

Mr. Joe has a wealth of experience diving in Sabah and was one of the first diving instructors at Sipadan back in the 1980s. He continues to pioneer the industry.

Joanne, a PADI Master Instructor, has been a PADI Instructor for last 11 years and have collaborated with Richard and Joseph on Instructor Development Courses IDC since 2005.

Mapping out professional diving programs for Downbelow, Joanne is usually the person prospective candidates and students communicate with for a tailored program.

As a Director of Downbelow, Master Instructor Joanne brings the Business of Diving knowledge to the Instructor Development Courses IDC and benefit candidates who can draw on her ongoing experience running a busy dive company.

Joanne has the ability to recognize individuals’ strengths and weaknesses, and put together custom, value-for-money professional diving programs, creation the foundation for Downbelow’s well-run internships and dive instructor training courses.

Joanne’s Instructor Trainer Qualifications

PADI Master Instructor

Joanne’s PADI Speciality Instructor Qualifications

Emergency First Response Instructor CPR / Primary & Secondary Care w/AED Adult / Child / Infant, Boat Instructor, Deep Diver Instructor, Drift Diver Instructor, Enriched Air Instructor, Underwater Photographer Instructor, Underwater Videographer Instructor, Peak Performance Buoyancy Instructor, Project Aware Instructor, AWARE Coral Reef Conservation Instructor

James, our PADI IDC Staff Instructor, teaches courses from Discover SCUBA Diving through to assisting on our Instructor Development Courses IDC in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Feedback about James always highlights his friendly and supportive ability to guide students through courses, which garners him respect and is the forms the foundations of many a strong friendship he has forged with Instructor Development Course candidates.

James’ Instructor Trainer Qualifications

PADI IDC Staff Instructor

James’ PADI Speciality Instructor Qualifications

Underwater Navigator Instructor, Wreck Instructor, Deep Instructor, Digital Underwater Photography Instructor, Enriched Air Instructor, Night Diver Instructor, Care for Children Instructor, AWARE Coral Reef Conservation Instructor, Project AWARE Instructor, Peak Performance Buoyancy Instructor.

PADI IDC Staff Instructor Alvin continues teaching courses from Discover Scuba through to assisting on Instructor Courses.

Alvin is a hardworking and dedicated individual with a pleasant disposition, easily making friends while conducting courses with a high degree of precision and quality.

Alvin’s Instructor Trainer Qualifications

PADI IDC Staff Instructor

Alvin’s PADI Speciality Instructor Qualifications

Diver Propulsion Vehicle Instructor, Search & Recovery Instructor, Emergency Oxygen Provider Instructor, Enriched Air Nitrox Instructor and Digital Underwater Photography Instructor.