Improving Diver Safety and Education: The opinions of a Pro

An Interview with Daniele Pontis, Instructor and Dive Centre Owner

What kind of dive industry do we, as passionate technical divers, truly desire? How can we create an industry that unites us in our love for the underwater world and preserves that world for generations to come? How can we ensure that the next generation of divers values education and responsible practices?

To answer these questions, I reached out to Daniele Pontis, owner of Bluforia, a dive centre nestled in the small idyllic seaside village of Cala Gonone. Over the past three years, I have had the immense privilege of working closely with Daniele, witnessing first hand his unwavering commitment to providing quality education to students.

He is not only a diver or a dive center owner; he is also a visionary, constantly seeking new horizons and challenging his own status quo. His extensive experience and profound knowledge have made him a trusted mentor to divers from all walks of life, including somehow (even if I’m almost a decade his senior) yours truly.

In our interview, Daniele shares his understanding of the challenges faced by industry professionals, and offers his ideas for the necessary, transformative changes needed to prepare the next generation of divers for technical diving.

We discuss the impacts of rushed and insufficient training in technical diving, how to improve training quality, who should take tech training, the role of human factors and the importance of diver apprenticeship and mentor programs. Here’s what the man had to say.

Photo by Stratis Kas

Act One: Diving Training in the Fast Lane

KAS: Let’s begin with a key question: What inspired you to establish Bluforia diving center in Cala Gonone, Sardinia, and how does it reflect your vision for the scuba diving industry?

Pontis: The versatility of the territory—territory that supports technical, recreational, and, of course, even true exploration diving. The territory offers unique opportunities through its rare geological variety. This is where my vision of the industry shines through. As far as I’m concerned, the variety of scenarios in this area helps develop skills and improve techniques that are foundational—both for divers and instructors. Our location is an ideal place to develop a contemporary way of teaching and diving.

Based on your experience, what are the consequences of rushed training in technical diving? How do they impact the maturation of divers throughout the certification process?

Well, there are two perspectives in identifying the consequences of “too fast,” “superficial,” and “unaware” training. Firstly, an evident one: inability due to lack of knowledge and skills that haven’t matured or been fully grasped. Or, even worse, were never taught so, therefore, were never learned.

The second consequence is inadequately trained divers who cannot [but try to] hide their incompetence. This latter scenario creates the most dangerous situations. These individuals have only superficial knowledge and skills, so they feel inadequate because they are. But they also feel the need to mask their incompetencies. And that’s where the problem arises. Even if capable and responsible professionals recognize the problem, they cannot address it if the student is unwilling to accept help or to engage in further learning.

Can you give a couple of examples related to cave diving and rebreather diving?

The most evident one is the lack of adequate general comfort in the underwater environment.

Nowadays, we often encounter technical divers who have an almost total lack of comfort in the water due to poor control of their body, mind, and even their equipment. They lack not just mastery but even basic control of their buoyancy, trim, propulsion, and, more importantly, breathing. But above all, they don’t know how to handle the equipment they are diving with. I mean anything from seemingly insignificant equipment parts to very critical ones, like their rebreathers. Just to be clear, I’m not only talking about divers but also instructors! And that’s the point.

We try to create a “change” in this industry by promoting individuals as examples [of excellence]—individuals that sometimes have significant problems with the quality of their diving. Their talent lies in promoting and selling specific equipment or training programs, but they lack the capacity to dive proficiently as any exemplary diver should. Certainly they may have other talents, but those are not diving or teaching. Teaching is a very delicate matter and carries immense responsibility.

Photo by Mariona Yepes Daviu

Based on your experience, how can training programs in cave and rebreather diving be improved to address the issues of rushed training and ensure the maturation of divers throughout the certification process?

We should all take a step back. Do we want technical diving to be for “everyone?” Is that realistic? Let’s assume yes. That doesn’t mean anyone can teach it.

Teaching is not for everyone. Often when I talk to great legends of diving—explorers and important divers—they acknowledge their unwillingness and inability to teach! Well, if they, with all their experience, can recognize and admit they lack this talent, why should we be afraid to admit that the majority of divers are not prepared or capable teachers?

I imagine you also agree that not all students are suited to technical diving, right?

I totally agree. That’s exactly what I mean.

If we would strive to approach technical diving training with professional ethics and honesty toward the student, we would not allow the industry to produce inadequate instructors. And that’s the point: there can’t be technical diving for everyone if it’s taught by [just] anyone.

In the past, you’ve mentioned the importance of incorporating human factors considerations into scuba diving training. Could you elaborate on that?

Well, why would anyone exclude human factors? If they do, we have a big problem! I know that this [instructors ignoring human factors] is happening, and it is one of the biggest problems in diving teaching.

[Ed. note: “According to human factors specialist Gareth Lock, a human factors-centered approach seeks to understand and address why divers, instructors, and other key players behave the way they do. A psychologically safe environment is also a key component of Lock’s human factors approach: an environment where divers feel comfortable talking about their behaviors and mistakes, no matter their authority level.” See: What Are Human Factors?]

In what sense exactly?

It’s simple. Emulation. The Superhero Syndrome. This is our fault, though, because we have created and continue to create “superheroes.” And, we don’t know how to identify divers who only want to emulate without learning the necessary capabilities, mental strength, or training experience to be just like these idols they so admire. Quality training alone is not enough if it is not supported by personal experience, but above all, by the inner focus to control all these emotions. The superhero syndrome is extremely widespread nowadays because superheroes seem to set the benchmark for many.

Photo by Stratis Kas

Understandable. It seems that social media has not helped but also increased this need to be seen and to imitate, as you mentioned, like the superheroes of the industry.

Certainly. It doesn’t help. But it’s very important to accept personal responsibility. Egocentrism, further facilitated by a stage like social media, is creating disasters. Many people don’t really understand what they see online. They just want to emulate something presented to them, often without any confirmation that it’s correct. As a consequence, it’s difficult to hold social media audiences accountable when they need to be. These messages are turning into marketing campaigns. And it’s a real shame, because most of those idolized individuals have great abilities and qualities, so they could convey a better message.

What innovative solutions have you developed or implemented at your dive center to address the challenges of rushed training and promote a comprehensive and effective learning experience for divers?

The simplest thing I did was to protect our dive center from market influences and economic captivity. Here [at Bluforia], we accept or reject candidate students and stop (or don’t even start) a training program when we consider the candidate’s experience or attitude inadequate. We have decided to teach while respecting all base standards and procedures—but we also provide them with knowledge and in-depth insights that guarantee a unique program for each person. Essentially, we actually do what everyone claims to do.

Ideally yes. But, well… So what about your opinion on the role of mentorship and apprenticeship programs in improving the training process for technical divers, and what benefits can they bring to the industry in general if they become more the norm?

Personally, I have been promoting mentorship for a long time, and I find it to be the most effective and comprehensive way to learn. However, it is idealistic to think that it can be used as the sole training option. Firstly, not everyone can dedicate themselves full-time, and secondly, we are professionals who make our living with this profession. Selling courses is our main, if not only, livelihood. Therefore, we need to be even more effective, responsible, and aware when communicating our know-how and experience, and try to ensure that it is received and interpreted the way that we intend it to be.

Could you share some thoughts on the importance of continuous training and skill development for divers?

Continuous training is still everyone’s dream. But we know that it is not always possible; and, in some ways, I believe training opportunities are still lacking. I am certain that when students have access to the best (and a wide variety of) instructors—when they expose themselves to new scenarios and philosophies—they can enhance and enrich their diving training. So, I believe that continuous training is incomparably critical, even if training opportunities are still limited.

How do you see the future of the diving industry, especially in terms of training and safety, and what initiatives or advancements do you believe will shape the industry in the future?

I see it as very uncertain. What has happened in recent years is a general decline in training. Technical diving is becoming “hybridized.” It is no longer seen as a conscious path or an in-depth expansion of our real skills. In the past, the same happened to deep diving—a “recreational” attitude compromised training and diminished the minimum abilities of a diver. But now—and this is something I never thought would happen—there is an evident loosening of the skills required to enroll in a technical or cave class.