The Full Story...

About The IDC with Walter

some of our candidates comments

Patricia

I’d like to share feedback for my IDC with Walter Schmit. In short, I’m so thankful that I chose him as my Course Director at Devocean Divers.

I initially connected with Walter with my interest in joining an IDC and becoming an instructor, but also explained my apprehension due to my poor Divemaster training. After further talking with him and the Devocean manager, Dorianne Cuenoud, I gained trust that they could sufficiently coach me through the IDC and IE. Sure enough, they let me come to Malapascua a couple weeks early so that Walter could first fill the gaps from my previous training.

From there, we went straight into the IDC Prep, EFRI and the IDC itself. It was a VERY intense few weeks for me, especially given my background. However, Walter went above and beyond in providing the knowledge and support to ensure that I would succeed. He led a fantastic and well-organized IDC, along with his Staff Instructor candidate Albert Duran Blanch, and fostered a cohesive group of seven who supported and learned from one another. By the time the IE came around in mid-February, I was armed with confidence and the skills needed, and passed to become certified as a PADI OWSI.

Walter leaves the lasting impression of being the type of instructor in which I aspire to be as I start my career. He is deeply knowledgeable, excited to share that knowledge with his students, incredibly patient, and will not sugarcoat the truth when providing guidance; he is dedicated to seeing his students succeed. I can’t thank him and the team at Devocean enough, for an experience that truly changed my life.

Patricia Borja

OWSI #444406

18th April 2020

Amy

I had such a great time training with Walter. He’s incredibly professional and brings a lot to his work. He has many years of experience in the industry which allows him to bring a lot of different and inventive techniques into his training; choosing the best of what he has seen and tried throughout the years. He commands respect and maintains strict control over whomever he is teaching, whilst also managing to be friendly and not take himself too seriously. He is incredibly passionate about his work and follows the PADI standards to the letter, which is one of the major things that attracted me to learn with him in the first place. Why train with someone if they don’t have respect for the certifying organisation? He takes the time with each and every student to make sure that they have all the information that they need and brings in extra guidance from his experience.

I can really recommend Walter if you’re looking for someone to work really hard with and who will use all his skills and expertise to get the best out of you. He is in the business due to his passion for diving and he aspires to create great divers.

Amy, Arnold

PADI MSDT #485300

16th March 2020

2022 India

During our idc at Temple Adventures

GURU S.

Hi,

I'm Guru #509695, I recently did my Instructor Development Course with Walter Schmit at Temple Adventures. It was one of the best experience I had. And I learnt a lot from our course director Walter. Thank you Walter for your hardwork in supporting us through this instructor development course. Thank you PADI for conducting the IE even through this tough pandemic time.

Thank you.

PRIYAMVADA TIWARI

Dear whoever it concerns,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Course Director Mr. Walter Schmit for his stellar and extremely involved IDC program, which concluded with a successful Instructor Exam on 30th Jan, this year.

Walter went above and beyond teaching us how to think and act as prudent PADI instructors. He was extremely encouraging throughout. He would tirelessly conduct engaging workshops nearly every day of the IDC right from 7 am to 8 pm. The dry runs prior to in-water sessions specifically helped us organise concepts very effectively. He would patiently debrief us with respect to every activity and the improvement in our teaching approach was evident every single day. Apart from the fact that all of us cleared our IE in the first attempt, we also had a lot to learn from Walter's years of experience and expertise in training divers of every level.

I just certified my first Open Water course yesterday and the teaching methods and tricks taught by Walter proved to be extremely effective! Resulting in my student (Shriditha Gambhira) being extremely comfortable in water and wanting to pursue continuing education programs over the next month.

Overall, I feel extremely grateful for doing my IDC under Walter and I can't imagine having done it under any other Course Director!

Thanks a lot for letting me share this feedback!

Best regards,

Priyamvada

SANTOSH S

First of all, I would like to whole heartedly thank you for making our IE happen in spite of this pandemic too.

Our CD was Mr. Walter and he is the best that we could ever ask for and we cannot ask for any better person. I personally learnt a lot of things from him throughout the course of this program. The way he teaches and handles the students was just amazing. We 100% learnt a lot of theories and practical but however we learnt even more from him like how to handle a student, how to stick to PADI standards and most importantly how to run courses in the most fun way possible by not breaking any standards and not compromising in the quality.

He emphasized the importance of following the standards and he was so so transparent and very easy approachable which made us so comfortable throughout the program. I wish, we will get a chance to travel with Walter a little more time, to learn much more from him.

Thank you.

Regards

Santhosh S

PADI OWSI #439877

2019 Philippines

During our Divemaster and Instructor courses at Devocean divers Malapascua

Henrik N.

Walter and Devocean provides dive experiences for life ...

Last week I came home after spending 5 weeks with Devocean at the very remote and wonderful Malapascua Island.
I did my IDC with in-house Course Director Walter Schmit and I also did Tech40, TechSidemount and the Dive Propulsion Vehicle speciality with him..These weeks have become some of the most treasured time of my life and will stand out in my memory for a very very long time. Walter was super professional, capable and caring and turned out to be a good friend as well.

During my time with Devocean I've met all the instructors and seen them all in acttion. They are all very professional and highly capable of what they do, extending hospitality and friendliness in a very high degree, which characterizes all of the Devocean staff.
The DIvemasters at Devocean are also very professional, humoristic and handsome guys that will go a long long way to satisfy the customers in their underwater adventures, extending courtesy and safety to everyone.
Also the girls in the office are always offering a beautiful smile and are very helpful with anything you might need.
Last but not least there is the sweet and beautiful manager Dorianne, that would turn herself inside out to make every experience for any customer the best dive experience of their life.

It is easily seen that Devocean is not only a dive shop that is doing an excellent job, but it is a big dive family that works well together in providing the customers with big satisfaction and memorable dive experiences for life.

So if you're a diver or you're planning to become one, then when visiting Malapascua make sure you go see Devocean and meet the team, check out their good offers and enjoy the amazing diving with the most capable, caring and devoted dive team on the island. And after that you can enjoy yourself contemplating your dives over a local beer in the bar among new friends on the beach during sunset. An amazing experience I myself enjoyed 5 weeks in a row and I will never forget it.

Date of experience: June 2019

IDO COHEN

Ido -DM Program- June 2019

Presenting, the Snorkel test! A evening full of humor, honoring (in a special way I suppose...) Whoever completes the Padi Divemaster course. For 6 weeks, I was lucky to perform over 70 dives, in one of the most diverse dive sites in the world. Assisting in Open water, Advance and Rescue courses (best actor of the month or what?!). Discover Scuba diving (Never drink out of your nose!), Skin dive course (that’s a thing apparently) and Leading certified divers (I thank the sun and the moon for my Navigation abilities). Mapping dives, Search and Recovery workshop, buddy equipment exchange (love you James Michael), Naked dive (hope you still love me Bjorn Bernard Sularte) and much more. Among the amazing friends in the Devocean and many other dive shops, I found some more underwater; Thresher sharks, White tip reef sharks, Mandarin fish, Sea horses, Pygmys and Pegasus, Moray eels, Sea snakes, Cattle fish, Squids, Octopuses, Frog fish, Scorpion fish, file fish, Cowrie and even a giant black Sting ray and a spotted Eagle ray. Thanks to all the people who made this course so professional, fun and enjoyable, Walter Dorianne & Jay.

Remember the golden rule - No ###penetration### before certification! Never stop breathing - Under water and in life. In the Blue We Connect !

Thomas BILLON

Hello my name is Thomas Billon #448500 I just finish my IDC with Walter Schmit. I had a really good experience with I'm and all Devocean.

Walter is a good Course Director / Instructor and was there for us at any time, was amazing.

Thanks for al

Thomas Billon

IDC December 2019