Life gets in the way. It happens to all of us — the diving gets parked, the gear gathers dust in the garage, and before you know it two years have slipped past. This week I had the pleasure of helping Adam pick up exactly where he left off, stepping back into technical diving to complete his PADI Tec 50. And watching someone rediscover it after a break is one of the most rewarding things I get to do.
Two years out — and straight back in
Adam completed his PADI Tec 40 and 45 with Dive Systems a while back, then life did what life does and diving took a back seat for a couple of years. That's not a failure — it's just how it goes. Careers, families, everything else that fills a life. The important thing is he wanted to come back, and he was ready to.
Coming back after a long lay-off is its own challenge. The skills don't vanish, but the confidence needs rebuilding, and the muscle memory needs waking up. So we didn't rush. Over the week we ran a mixture of confidence-building dives alongside the skills needed for the Tec 50 certification — easing back in, rebuilding trust in the kit and in himself, before layering the course requirements on top. By the end he wasn't just certified; he was diving like someone who'd never been away.
A word on agencies
Now, I'll be honest — I don't often teach PADI. My own path and my preferences lie elsewhere, and regular readers know I've got agencies I favour. But here's the thing I keep coming back to: the agency on the card matters far less than the quality of the teaching behind it. Adam's pathway was PADI Tec, that's what he'd started and what he wanted to finish, so that's what we did — properly, and to the standard I'd hold any course to. A good instructor teaches the diver in front of them, using the methods that actually work, whatever the logo. Get that right and the rest is just paperwork. So if the PADI technical route is the one for you, don't let my TDI leanings put you off for a second — you can see the full range of PADI Tec courses offered at Dive Systems, then get in touch and we'll take you through it properly.
The diving
The best part of a week like this is the sites. We worked across some of Malta's finest wrecks — the Tug 2 right off Exiles, the P29 and Rozi at Ċirkewwa, the Karwela and Cominoland over in Gozo, and Gozo's newest wreck, the MT Hephaestus. A proper mix of depths and environments to build skills on — exactly the variety you want when you're finding your feet again.
And because it wasn't all work, we threw a few scooters into the mix for good measure. There's nothing like a DPV for reminding you why you fell in love with diving in the first place — the sheer fun of covering ground and flying over the reef takes you straight back to basics, in the best way.
Rounding Off the Week — the Inland Sea
We rounded off the week with a dive purely for the joy of it: the Inland Sea at Dwejra. This one wasn't about ticking a box — it was the dive where everything from the week came together. All the skills we'd rebuilt and sharpened, the confidence that had come flooding back, and the DPVs too, all put to use in one go. Kitting up in the little lagoon, scootering out through that 80-metre tunnel in the cliff, and emerging onto the wall in open blue — it doesn't get much better than that. A diver who two years ago wasn't sure he'd be back, flying through the Inland Sea tunnel on a scooter with a week's worth of new skills under his belt and a grin on his face. That's the good stuff.
Adam's week at a glance
Achieved: PADI Tec 50 — after a two-year break following Tec 40 & 45
Approach: confidence-building dives + course skills, no rushing
Sites: Tug 2 (Exiles) · P29 · Rozi · Karwela & Cominoland · MT Hephaestus · Inland Sea
Bonus: DPV scooter days for the pure fun of it
What's next for Adam
Best of all, he's not stopping here. Adam's well and truly back in the water and hungry for more — he's already got his sights set on stepping up to PADI Trimix 65 and adding Sidemount to his skillset. Watching someone go from unsure about coming back to actively planning their next courses, in the space of a week, is exactly why I love this job.
If you've had a break and you're wondering whether you've still got it — you have. It comes back faster than you think, with the right pace and the right support. Take the first step and get back in the water. You won't regret it.
Had time away from diving and thinking about getting back in? Whatever agency you trained with, tell me where you're at and we'll ease you back in properly.
Get Back In The Water
