Question I - Show us an activity you enjoy doing. Tell us how you think it contributes to your per-sonal and professional devel-

opment.

By: Pedro Mendes

TrekkingI enjoy trekking, espe-cially surrounded by

beautiful nature

My favorite activities

SkiI love skiing. Being in

contact with the mountain is a refreshing experi-

ence

JoggingIt helps me to stay fit and

healthy

Scuba diving is my favorite activity.

• Advanced open water PADI certified• Cavern diver, drift diver, deep diver, night diver,

underwater navigator and wreck diver specialties• More than 70 logged dives• My next objectives are rescue diver and dive master

certifications

Scuba diving contributes to my personal and professional development in several ways. I will show you how on the next slides.

Scuba Diving

Meeting new peopleI met several new and interesting people with different backgrounds and nationalities through scuba diving.

It is also the perfect activity to strengthen the friendship with some lifelong friends who share the same hobby. Last year I met a friend whom I have not seen for more than a year while scuba diving at Belize.

After a long day spent in open water it will be easy for you to enjoy and connect with the friends you met during the dive. It is also the perfect opportunity to network.

Visit new placesScuba diving is the perfect reason to get to know better several different places and to experience the local culture. Scuba diving led me to the fol-lowing countries:

• Belize• South of Mexico• Sri Lanka• Indonesia (Bali and Gili)• Thailand (Kho Phi Phi)• USA (Florida)• Brazil (Bonito)• Argentinean Patagonia

Vast amount of nature beneath the seaSomething that always fascinates me when I scuba dive is the way marine life behaves around you. They do not seem to pay attention, which is completely dif-ferent from being in a forest where the animals run away from you. This creates the perfect opportunity to watch and ob-serve.

The beauty and the colors under water are breathtaking and diving on a coral reef in good condition is an amazing ex-perience.

Every dive is unique and you never know what you will see. Even the same dive spot during different times of day may have completely different marine life.

Underwater mysteriesBeing underwater makes you feel an explorer, going to parts of the planet where others cannot go.

Many secrets are hidden underwater such as wrecks, statues and astonish-ing formations. At Cancun I visited MUSA (Underwater Museum of Art) with more than 500 sculptures and in Brazil I saw 80m stalagmites at Bonito.

Last year I did several dives with a group exploring an artificial lake at the Argentinean Patagonia. We found several bicycles and a car lying un-derwater among other interesting arti-facts.

Protect marine life

Diving on a coral reef under bad con-ditions makes you realize the scale of human impact on the planet. You will also learn a lot about different types of marine life and their habits.

Seeing marine creatures such as tur-tles and dolphins very close by as they swim and proceed with their normal daily tasks is a unique experi-ence and you will realize it can never be copied in a show. This motivates you to do not seek spectacles where these same animals are being held captive.

Stay fitScuba diving is also a great activity to exercise the body and stay healthy. After a long dive you can feel the strengthening benefits of a typical workout such as running or biking but with lower impact and without the sweating.

When we dive resistance is all around us and we use all our body, except for the arms. We will mainly exercise: quads, hamstrings, calves, an-kles, hip flexors, core and shoulders. This is very similar to aerobic activities done at the gym. Al-though intensity is not the same, dives usually last much longer. A deep dive might last for 30 min-utes, while a shallow one might extend for over an hour.

Master non-verbal communicationSince verbal communication underwater is not possible a scuba diver will develop non-verbal communication through several hand signals and body language.

There are several standard signals to be used for situa-tions, such as: going up, ok, cold, ear problems and for marine live.

During night dives communi-cation is more complicated and flashlights must be used.

Keep calm and zen outWhile scuba diving you transport yourself out of normal life and into a peaceful and relaxing environment, while exploring things you have never seen before. It is the perfect opportunity to relax after a stresfull week at work!

In order to make your air last you start paying attention to your breathing pattern and movements - breathing slowly and moving deliberately. This is very similar to yoga classes.

Even though you must always scuba dive with a buddy it is an experience that you enjoy by yourself. When you are there, it is just you and the marine life. Be-sides the sound of your own breath it is complete silent bringing absolute peace and tranquility that you cannot find anywhere else.

Thank you!