We are celebrating at The Go Pro Family this month. PADI has awarded our Course Director, Angel Navarro, Platinum status for his contributions to professional training and educational excellence during 2021. That alone is a great achievement, but we are celebrating even more this year because it marks the fifteenth consecutive year, he has achieved this status!
“Something I never envisaged”
In reminiscing about his career, Angel says “Fifteen years as a Platinum Course Director is something that I never envisaged when I started my career as a PADI Pro. Training future PADI dive instructors is both a great honor and responsibility and I feel lucky to be in this position.” Angel has worked as an instructor around the globe, and he credits his success to variety of work and continual development. “We are always striving to improve our courses and programs, and we never stop learning new things. I am fortunate to have a great team of passionate professionals around me, and our students benefit from our diverse backgrounds and strengths.”
Besides being a PADI Course Director for the past fifteen years, Angel is also a PADI TecRec Instructor Trainer, Full Cave Instructor Trainer, and Instructor Trainer for Disabled Divers’ International.
“When I was starting out in the field of instructor development, I had two of the best mentors and role models in Bent Posejpal and Andy Philips” reveals Angel. “What is cool about being an active Course Director for 15 years is seeing our own alumni progress their careers as PADI professionals. Many are now successful Course Directors themselves.” Angel added. One of these ex-students is our other Course Director Jo, who is now in her ninth consecutive year as a Platinum Course Director.
Looking forward
We are looking forward to another successful year teaching IDCs this year. The last couple of years has been a wild ride for the scuba industry, but we are happy to see that the world still has an appetite for scuba diving. Now more than ever we are seeing a demand for new PADI Instructors.
Congratulations Angel!
The Go Pro Family is Course Directors Angel Navarro (from Spain) and Jo Armitage (from the UK), and their team of pros. Together, they have personally trained almost 900 PADI Instructors, and have issued over 4000 professional-level certifications. Currently celebrating their tenth year based in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, The Go Pro Family offers professional-level scuba training as well as technical, cave diving and freediving.