More women becoming diving guides
HOLDING a degree in International Relations was not an obstacle for 28-year-old diving guide Leona Devera Raimon to start a career in a different field from what she had learnt at a university.
Graduating from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Leona who saw the opportunity to build a steady career as a diver, followed her instincts to turn her new hobby into a paycheck.
“Everything started after one of my sisters got her diving certificate. I saw the confidence level of my sister raised after she was certified as a diver.
“Her activities were also focussed more on diving. Her conversations among friends were not about girl stuff anymore but mostly about underwater species. It was something interesting to me and I quietly dreamt of becoming a certified diver,” said Leona in an interview with The Borneo Post.
Knowing that the Department of Human Resource Development (JPSM) under the Ministry of Resource Development and Information Technology was offering diving courses to Sabahan youth, Leona who was supposed to accept an office job at one of the shopping centres in Kota Kinabalu, registered herself for the course.
She rejected the 9-5 job as she preferred an outdoor career.
“October 2014 was the best month of my life when I started my course with JPSM. Right after completing the course, I worked as an in-house diving guide at an exclusive five star dive resort at Layang-Layang Island.
“Today, I have been 10 months with this company, Avillion Layang Layang Island Resort. I never regret my decision to turn down my previous job offer because I really enjoy diving,” said Leona.
Located 300km northwest of Kota Kinabalu, Layang Layang Island is part of the disputed Spratly Islands. The island is a true diver’s paradise.
The Dusun girl from Ranau said her experience exchanging information and stories with divers from all over the world was another reason for her falling in love with her career.
Apart from that, Leona feels blessed with the opportunity to know more about marine life and learn about the various species of fish.
However, every career has its challenges. As a woman diver, Leona feels the stereotype from some people around her who believe men are more suitable for the job.
“When you hear the words diving guide, the stereotypical assumption is that most of them are men. I admit this career is dominated by men but it is very sad when people are not giving you the confidence because of your gender.
“To me, I accept it with an open mind and positiveness. As long as I deliver my service just like the other male guides, I am happy with it. I hope more people will give women the trust to guide them while diving because there is no difference between male and female diving guides,” she said.
Another challenge that the diving industry is facing at the moment is the current decrease in tourist arrivals to the state.
Leona said when tourism players suffer from the current situation, their staff would also feel the pinch.
As a diving guide, Leona said such situation did not mean that their career was dying but it was time to find other ways to keep surviving.
With the current trend of young locals going scuba diving for leisure, Leona said diving guides were benefiting from it because of the bookings that kept coming.
As divers, their scope of work is not limited to guiding only but can be developed into underwater photography and commercial diving.
“I think women in Sabah should consider this career because our tourism industry will recover really soon and demand will increase because we are famous for our underwater tourism.
“The government is always there to help in terms of giving free courses as long as we are ready to try new things,” she said.
Leona is planning to level up her certificate from dive master to instructor, and hoping for more opportunities in the future.
As she encourages more women to make diving as a career, Leona also shares the most important preparation to become a quality diver.
To Leona, having mental and physical strength is the basic preparation before committing to the job.
Diving, she said, is easy. However, being a diving guide is a responsibility because he or she needs to know the risks of bringing tourists underwater.
“I consider myself as someone who is very new in this industry, but I have learnt a lot. As a guide, the safety of our tourists is the main priority.
“Each day, I learn new things and I am ready to learn more,” she added.
Another woman diver, Marilyn Semoring shares her 14 years’ experience as a diving guide.
The 35-year-old mother of one said her career started as a hobby, and today she is a diving instructor for Borneo Divers.
“I was a cashier back then, but looking at the opportunity to improve my living standard through diving, I decided to register with JPSM for the course.
“Being a women diver makes me proud of my achievement. Although the job is still dominated by men, I can see more women taking up diving classes and applying for jobs as diving guides. It is a healthy and positive development in the industry.
“Mixing with people who come from various countries gives me the opportunity to learn different languages and cultures. It also opens my mind to be a better diver,” she said.
Marilyn said the most memorable experience in her diving career was when she witnessed a whale shark at Mamutik Island 13 years ago.
It was the first and the last of her seeing the giant fish.
“When you are attached to the water, you get excited to see marine life. Most divers will be happy to share their experiences, especially when they see rare species of fish.
“It is something that I cannot explain to those who are not divers, but the feeling is understood by all divers.
“Being a diver does not require you to be a great swimmer. As long as you have the passion and confidence, it is enough as a starter,” she said.