In our weekly series of ‘Ladies Day’ features, we are celebrating the incredible women who work with us at Emperor Divers.
We are sharing their stories and telling you more about them, their lives and the work they do. Some may be familiar faces from our boats and dive centres, a familiar voice or name from our reservations team or perhaps someone from ‘behind the scenes’.
This week we speak to a person who is very much front and centre for guests who have joined us in the Maldives, dive guide Katy Schweigler.
And Katy has a fascinating story as someone who came the long way around before finally being able to make a passion her profession.
It would probably be wrong to say there is a ‘typical’ way into finding a job as a dive guide.
Some might set out to do it from a young age, some might stumble across it and others might live an entirely different life before being able to change track.
Katy Schweigler definitely falls into the latter category having already carved herself a successful career in a very different field before being able to carry out her dream on liveaboards – recently Emperor Voyager.
“I’m from Germany and have two grown up kids,” she explains.
“I learned diving when I was 18 years old on a backpacker trip to Thailand. After a few years out of the water it became a family hobby and also my kids are divers.
“I’m a trained nurse and worked for years in a big hospital in south Germany. Later on I worked in the pharmaceutical and the medical-technical industry for global companies.
“But diving was always my passion.
“In the years before I became a professional, I worked weekends at my local dive centre in the store or helping on dive shows. Then the time came, the kids were growing up and stable in life, so I was able to change my own life.
“I did my instructor course in Germany and have worked since full-time in the dive industry ever since.”
And we think it’s fair to say Katy has no regrets about making the change. But what makes life on a liveaboard so good?
“To be surrounded by the ocean,” she says.
“I wake up before sunrise and enjoy how the day slowly starts. After waking up our guests we start with the first dive briefing.
“There is nothing better than having a dive before breakfast. And this is how the day continues.
“In the breaks between dives there is time for office and organisational tasks and socialising with the guests. It makes me happy to see the people happy – sometimes there are tears of joy after a great dive with amazing encounters.
“I like to see guests enjoying themselves, in the water during the dive, but also on the boat, when the group finds nicely together.
“Also, the teamwork is amazing. On the boat we live and work together over months so it is like a family.”
Having seen the world of diving from both the point of view of the diver and the guide (she highlights an encounter with grey reef sharks at Villingili Kandu as a favourite – “it was one of the most memorable dives I ever did. It was so unexpected”) she certainly has the bigger picture on things.
Which is why it is unsurprising her best tip to divers follows the same outlook.
“Don’t focus on something specific in a dive, you miss may other things which happen around you. The ocean is unpredictable, always be ready for something unexpected – even if you think you have seen already everything.”
That sounds like excellent advice to us.
Next week sees the end of our Ladies Day series. And, to coincide with PADI Womens Day, we’ll have some very special news of a new launch. Don’t miss out.
If you would like to join Katy and her Emperor family to explore the Maldives, you can find out more by looking at our itineraries or by contacting our brilliant customer service team on [email protected]