The earth is 71% water of which 96% is in the oceans. These frothy, blue, serene yet mysterious water bodies are a universe in themselves, hiding precious gems and life in their heart. Deep down under the surface is a whole world to explore by enthusiasts and professionals.
PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) serves as the world’s largest ocean exploration and diver organization, operating in 186 countries and territories, with a global network of more than 6,600 dive centres and resorts and over 128,000 professional members worldwide. Issuing more than 1 million certifications each year, and with over 29 million certifications to date, PADI enables people around the world to seek adventure and save the ocean through underwater education, life-changing experiences and travel.
After working in various industries, with few being linked Andy Watson decided to become a PADI professional diver as this was where his passion lay. He started to work at a local dive centre and worked his way up the ranks to become the centre manager and safety diver.
Diving into Entrepreneurship
Andy was always interested in starting his own business and working for himself but never thought it would be possible and it happened by mistake. When the dive centre, he was working at, closed he was employed as an off-shore survival instructor and HUET (helicopter underwater escape training) safety diver trainer and assessor.
While in this role, he always knew his passion was in the diving industry. Five weeks before the UK went into Lockdown with Covid-19 Andy decided he needed to follow his passion and finished his notice period one week before the UK went into lockdown and started Aberdeen Diving Services (ADS) as a sole trader.
While fighting through Lockdowns as a HUET diver and survival instructor as well as diving equipment service technician ADS soon started to snowball. Within a year, ADS had become a limited company and it was all ‘go’ from there. The word was spreading Andy had got back into the industry and customers were sending equipment from across the country to be repaired and serviced. As lockdowns started to lift, he was able to start teaching PADI courses as an independent instructor. He was also able to secure the contracts to supply all three oil and gas training centres with their safety divers and instructor cover.
A Fantastic Run
ADS is unique in the way it acts and treats everyone as equal. The team is fantastic at what they do and the work environment is a relaxed and fun place to be. “We always say to everyone that comes to us there is no such thing as a stupid question. We strive on making training fun and enjoyable for everyone.
I feel I have the best staff on the planet and wouldn’t be where I am without them there to support me as much as I support them,” shares Andy.
ADS has now been running as a limited company since October 2020 and is now the go-to for all things diving related both recreational and commercial diving. In 2021, ADS was granted PADI Dive Centre approval and since then it has become the numero uno PADI dive centre in Scotland and collected 7 awards. In 2023, ADS was granted approval for a huge array of first aid training to be able to expand its already vast services.
In the 3 short years since he started the company, it has grown from Andy working in a cupboard to a 7-time award-winning business.
2021 / 2022 – Diving Retailer of the Year.
2022 / 2023 – Diving Specialist of the Year.
2022 – Best Training and Education Aberdeen
2022 – Best Training and Education Scotland
2022 – Scottish Enterprise Best Diver Equipment & Training Specialist
2023 – Business Awards UK – Best Small Local Business
2023 – M&A Today Global Award – Best Diver Equipment & Training Specialist – UK
2023 – Business Champion Awards – Bronze – SME Of The Year
Andy is also very strict about the safety measures they adopt at ADS. Due to one of their main sectors being oil and gas training, safety and security is always a thought in the back of his head. He has been lucky enough to be able to take what they are based on and expand into safety training for renewables and expand other areas of the company to be able to keep job security and client contracts.
They are always adapting to changes in the industry, from the oil and gas sector to the PADI diver training.
Making Work Fun
Andy’s work style is relaxed but holds the highest standard. He has seen businesses run in such a way that staff don’t enjoy the workplace and it becomes a “job”. He runs ADS in the complete opposite way and wants all his staff to enjoy their work. He has always followed the process that he would never ask anyone to do something he wouldn’t do himself and this brings the staff into a close-knit group.
For his staff, Andy hand-picks the roles they would play knowing their fit in the business. He has 100% trust in each staff member and lets them perform their role with full independence, authority and responsibility. They do each job how they feel best suits. “I show them how I would do a job but leave it as a suggestion. They are all very professional and know I trust them to do their job to the high standard ADS holds and don’t need me to tell them what to do, they also know they can always ask me for help if they aren’t sure,” says Andy.
Dealing with Challenges
Andy’s biggest personal challenge was, he never really knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his working life. Finally taking the leap from a secure full-time job to starting up on his own and not knowing where the next paycheck was coming from, especially in the middle of a pandemic was a daunting thought. But if he didn’t try, he would have never known. He overcame this with pure determination setting a goal and pushing for it, and when it was achieved, he would then set another goal, each goal bigger and better than the last. If he was to change one thing in his career, it would be to do it sooner. “I have had the dream for a long time and never thought I could make it a reality. If you want it, make it happen. I wish I had taken the leap to have my own business sooner,” he says.
Another challenge at a greater level was that of the industry itself. The biggest challenge to the dive industry in the NE for recreational divers was that there was no PADI dive centre for a number of years.
With ADS, Andy was able to fill this void and now divers are getting back into the sport all over again and he has been able to introduce the underwater world to many people. Luckily there will always be divers either recreational or commercial. The biggest challenge Andy’s team faces is that generally, divers think there isn’t anything to see in cold Scottish water compared to warmer holiday destinations. “We are lucky to be able to prove this wrong with dive sites on our doorstep that can be as good if not better than some in far warmer climates,” he shares.
Standing with the Oceans
Andy never lets his company goals outdo the world’s sustainability goals. Being a PADI dive centre, ADS is drawn towards the sea and they do their part by being part of the Project Awareness Programs. They ensure each time they are diving, they collect any rubbish they find in the dive. They are also big supporters of the ‘Our Seas’ coalition to bring back an inshore limit for fishing that will help recover habitats and productive, resilient fisheries in the UK. They also support and sell Outline 95 which is an Eco-friendly, Sustainable Fashion clothing range.
Limitless Dreams
With the opening of their new premises, Andy’s team will be able to stretch their wings and learn new skills they may have never thought they would learn. They will be offering a huge array of courses from diving and first aid to oil and gas. “The dive team are wanting to start to run dive trips and this is something we will be offering in the next year to bring all our students together. We are also going to be running our bubbles and BBQ night where this is an open invitation to all divers from any agency to join us on a social evening,” shares Andy.
Word of Experience
To budding professional diving enthusiasts, Andy says:
If you have a passion follow it!
It’s one of the scariest moves I have made in my life but has fast become something I would have never imagined and wouldn’t change.
There will be many sleepless nights, blood, sweat and tears but it will all be worth it when you are doing what you love and doing it for yourself your way.
Being a few years in and being able to look back and say ‘I have done that’ is one of the greatest achievements in my life.
Quote: “Never get old and look back and think what if?”
