Testimonials

Becoming a Technical Diving Instructor. Very rewarding experience. Learning from Jeff has been a high point in my career as a diver. From rescue diver to tech deep instructor and full cave diver, I've made a point of working with the most experienced instructors I could find. No one else has stood out in their dedication to making me understand not just techniques, but the reasons for them as Jeff has.

Jeff teaches to extremely high standards and will not compromise those standards for any reason. It's a trait I became to admire as you do truly earn your dive certification with Jeff. If your skills aren't too those standards expected, then it's back into the water until they are. This approach hones your skills, develops your knowledge to the point you become confident in your ability to execute your technical dives within your safe limitations.

He really makes you think about the details, developing your dive awareness, and most importantly, stresses the importance of maintaining focus on your task at hand, your environment, and your teammates. This, in my mind, is what has benefitted me the most as a diver. Training with Jeff has not only made me a better diver, but also made me a better dive instructor as well. I'm proud when i say I became a Technical Diving Instructor with Jeff Glenn.

I have a feeling he'll be teaching me to dive a rebreather or trimix, if not both in the near future. Looking forward to being able to do some exploration a little deeper on Trimix and maybe a little longer when i start my CCR training on either the JJ-CCR or the SF2 rebreathers with Jeff. No that I have a solid foundation of skills that jeff helped develop, I feel I'm confident and ready for more challenges and exciting diving that this training will bring.

Chris

Hi,

I'm a blogger, traveller and a fitness enthusiast who's been an athlete and an adventure seeker all my life. I came to Thailand 4 years ago and did my first open water course and fell in love with diving and especially koh tao.  Ever since then I started doing research on diving and wanted to explore more specialties in it. While doing so I stumbled upon tech dive, it sounded interesting and very challenging which I'm always after so I put that in my list. Now fast forwarding the story a little, 4 years later I'm a certified tech 40 diver but let me tell you something,  it was not easy and I did not see what I was getting into even though I was prepared for the challenge.

When I started the course, I had about 45 dives, so you know I' wasn't a seasoned diver yet but that's exactly why I got into tech diving because not only do tech divers go beyond recreational limits but they r perfectionists and my sole goal was to achieve that perfectionism as a diver or if not MERELY become a better diver in terms of technic, form and awareness etc.  that's all I wanted, just wanted to try it!

Enter: Jeffrey Glenn!!  You see Jeff around, you automatically want to respect him. Such as his professionalism and the way he carries himself. That's first impression.  Second, I had also heard he is one of the most experienced diver and an instructor on the island of koh tao and beyond. Third, would be my personal experience with him and the course..

As we started our sessions in the pool and shallow water, I was miserable and like a fish out of water. Prior to this anything I had tried had come easy, if not never a struggle. It's a 4 day course and 3 days later, I was still not used to the wing, the trim, nor the twin sets. I would do my skills underwater but failed miserably with my buoyancy. Jeff would say stay at my level in front of me maintaining the trim. But no, I often saw the top of Jeff, sides of Jeff, his fins and sometimes below Jeff often knocking him in his face with my twinsets. I could not even imagine how much I probably pressed his buttons but the level of patience he showed was out of this world for me. Because I have been under a lot of coaches in various sports and training for different things and I know how teaching is personally as well but never had I seen work ethic like Jeff showed. After each single dive for the first four days when we swam back, I wanted to give up as I hated everything about diving by then and sometimes even wondering why am I putting myself through this and Jeff would knock me in my face with honest criticism, no sugar coating what so ever. But back those criticisms with positive feedback and that he would get me through this course. You could clearly see that he is not giving up on you even though you are and the way he talks to you and assures you of his belief in you just wants to make you put all the trust in him which is what I did after crying like a wuss out of frustration when every single dive was done. And I am glad I didn’t give up, we extended my course for 3 more days as he suggested and miraculously, I was getting better, I had stopped fighting the wing and started controlling, more than anything I had started enjoying diving with twinsets maintaining the trim and just staring at an object in one place for minutes.  I loved actually planning my dives, holding those deco stops, being aware of everything that is happening around me, (although not completely there yet) and more than anything just to know that tech diving is much safer than recreational as we do proper off gassing and get rid off all the nitrogen from our body.

Finally, on my last day Jeff said I made it through the course.. I thought I would be in tears but no I wanted more! From just trying the course to hating it, I had actually ended up with falling in love with challenge and wanted to grow in it. Tech diving is definitely not for everyone but if you want to something challenging then you must go for it. And there is No-one better to train under other than Jeff he says: " if you made it, you have definitely earned it"  no short cut!

I'm yet to find out which one I like the most,  whether it being coached under Jeff or the it being, challenges and amazement of technical diving :)

Swetha Devraj

American.

Previous love affair with the island (Koh Tao) made it the obvious choice for IDC.

The course is intensive, challenging and fun but ultimately satisfying.

Lunch is great too Jeff takes you personally under his wing as a dive educator, for the 10 days of idc you feel like you are his only focus in and out of the classroom.

Its as if he is doing the course again himself, making you feel more than confident!

Jeff is personable, professional but most of all fun. The course leaves you feeling hungry and ready to teach. I also made some great friends through my IDC...

After training as a plumber & gas fitter in Scotland I decided to see a bit of the world for a few months and take some time out from toilets, kitchens, bathrooms and boilers…so in 2009 I travelled with two friends to Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. 8 months would surely be enough to get the travelling scene out my system. How wrong was I. After returning home in late 2009 and securing a good job and buying a house I could not get the travelling events out of my head. Koh tao in particular. One of the best places we stumbled upon on our travels. The best mainly due to the diving experience, after completing my Open Water & advanced courses I just wanted more and more.

So unfortunately or not so as it turns out, due to the recession back home I found myself out of work and sitting at home, then it came to me. “Get yourself back to the Island”, I thought and give diving a shot. So off I went alone into the unknown.

After completing my Divemaster course and working leading certified divers around the local dive sights I realised I was completely taken by the underwater world and the tropical island lifestyle. So the decision was made to become and instructor and I was advised by reliable people to conduct the Instructor Training Course with Jeff Glenn.

November 1st 2011 we started the instructor course, and it was the start of long tiring days in the classroom and in the water although looking back very, very enjoyable days…The training Jeff provided was second to none, I had obviously been advised well. Jeff made sure we were over prepared for any coursework and assessments that were to be taken over the two week course. If there was any questions or queries about anything that was a little more complicated Jeff took the time to sit down and explain everything in great detail until what you thought was complicated soon became second nature…Anytime night or day Jeff was available to be consulted. It became very obvious that Jeff’s teaching skills were of the highest standard, Jeff being a teacher back home in Australia was plain to see.

On November 16th the big day had arrived, the three day instructor evaluation had arrived and everyone very nervous. Although due to Jeff’s preparation over the previous weeks in became clear that we were all over prepared for the evaluation and all passed with flying colours. The training over the two weeks looking back was conducted to the highest standard and I could not have asked for any more from the course directors, 100% value for money…

As I write this testimonial for Jeff I have just finished an 8 person open water course….one of many I have taught since qualifying as an Instructor. The satisfaction you receive from the people you take into the underwater world for the first time is indescribable….simply amazing. I have a lot of people to thank for where I am today, and without doubt Jeff is one of them. I would, and have recommend anyone thinking of conducting the course to get in touch with Jeff….Not only was Jeff an awesome mentor but a guy I can now call a good mate…

Thanks Jeff for helping me on the way to live my dream……Tec Diving next???? I think so!

Before my Divemaster and IDC with jeff Glenn, I did everything from being a rigger in Perth, a climber in London, a pub crawl tour guide in Amsterdam, Hostel Manager in Milan and a Barman in Greece.

I used to live in Koh Phi Phi island and while living there i decided to come to Koh Tao for a holiday, really enjoyed the lifestyle and people here so i decided to stay.

Best thing i liked about the course was the variety in the lessons, since there was a lot to learn the way it was set up was half the day would be in water while the other half of the day in classroom might be organized to cover a few different area's so that nothing ever got to stale and it was easy to stay interested in the content. The teaching methods and allowing for classroom discussions also was a big part in making it a enjoyable and effective experience.

I'd recommend anyone to do their training with Jeff as he puts the time and effort in and customizes his teaching methods that best suit the student. He even took time out of his day before the course took place to make sure that we all felt comfortable starting the course and was fully up to speed and confident in our own abilities. The main reason i would say people should do their training with jeff is unlike so many other people that seem to be in the industry as long as Jeff, Jeff is still passionate about his job and diving. So having a combination of passion, skill, experience and being relatable with the students makes him the ideal teacher.

Jeff's best attributes as an dive educator is definitly in his honesty, if he thinks that there's something you need to work at he will up front tell you and then guide you in the best way forward to change and learn for the better. Whether its something educational such as needing to improve on physics or something more personal related like working on confidence in group situations.

I’ve benefited a lot from my training. The methods that were used helped me to fly though my instructor examination with flying colors. I haven't had trouble finding work after my course and i learnt so much through the teaching techniques that we learnt and observed throughout the course that I actually find myself sometimes mimicking certain attributes with my own students as they work so effectively.

Overall, I felt it was a fantastic course, well scheduled, and can’t recommend Jeff as a Course Director enough, definitely owe him a beer! Haha its probably more like 50 beers!

Dear Jeff,

I would like to say thank you for all the support you have given me in the last 6 months.

Your expert advice and help in preparing me for the Dive Master program and Diving instructor examinations has made me a much more confident person.

I am happy and ecstatic to tell you I got the position of Open Water Instructor at a very well known diving school due to your time and effort you put into me.

The school itself and facilities are outstanding and I know that I will be very happy here. I look forward to enrolling in the Master Scuba Diver Trainer internship with you in the near future to further my education and gain more experience.

I appreciate everything you have done and the time you have taken to invest in my future, not only are you a mentor to me but a friend i know i can rely upon.

My name is Ashley, I’m 23 years old and I’m from Northern Ireland. I graduated from University in June 2010 with a one way ticket booked to set off on the trip of a lifetime, first stop... Koh Tao. My plan had accounted for 3 days on the island but that quickly turned into a month, a great month! Of everywhere else I have travelled, Koh Tao provides everything you could ever need and want while still retaining its beauty and charm. Prior to this trip I had gained my Open Water certification and was keen to get back in the water. A few fun dives in beautiful Koh Tao left me wanting a lot more and as my travels progressed, the decision was easily made to complete the Dive Master course which I undertook in Indonesia before heading off to Australia. Although I travelled extensively throughout Asia and Australia, my heart always lay with Koh Tao and I found myself back there in June 2011.
A catch up with a friend led to a chance meeting with Course Director Jeff. I had always dreamed of working as a dive instructor but for someone from a little village in the countryside, it never seemed realistic. Within minutes of being introduced to Jeff, I knew it was possible and I could not wait to start. Picking apples in the outback of Australia meant I had not been able to dive for a few months so I was keen to do some extra preparation before the start of the course. Jeff made himself fully available to help me with any problems I was having with theory, provide past paper exams and to practise skills. I never hesitated to call Jeff with a query as it was obvious he was always happy to help.

2nd August 2011, first day of my IDC and I was nervous. “Morning Instructor” was Jeff’s greeting to me on the first morning and the butterflies disappeared. My IDC group was made up of 3 girls and 5 boys, all of whom I am still in regular contact with and some of the best friends I have ever made. Despite a substantial curriculum to work through, the structure of the course was one of its best aspects. Days were split between being in the classroom and being in the water, therefore preventing monotony. On a more individual level, Jeff was consistently a fair assessor both in classroom and water presentations, even if I had not gained top marks, the feedback he provided was so clear and concise that I was confident I would always improve.

Relating topics to real life for ease of understanding, encouraging and involving all members of the group, and having fun were techniques we were advised to apply to our teaching styles, all traits Jeff naturally demonstrated when working with my group. Once completing the IDC it was onto the 2 day Instructor Exams (IE), now it was down to each candidate to put into practice everything we had been taught. One thing that set Jeff apart from other Course Directors was how he still supported us throughout each step of the IE and was always waiting until each of us had finished each section. Since successfully completing the IDC and subsequent IE, I immediately gained employment on Koh Tao. It was only natural to be a bit nervous before teaching my first solo course but the training I had received during the IDC ensured I was more than able and prepared. Now 4 months on, I am ever growing in confidence and can happily say I am living out my dream. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending both Koh Tao, as the place to complete an IDC, and Jeff as Course Director. Life on the paradise island of Koh Tao, world class diving, and a top trainer in Jeff... what more could you ask for!

Before coming to Koh Tao I spent two years working as an English Language teacher. I decided I wanted a change of pace and looked into doing my Dive Master and Instructor. My friend did their Dive Master training on Koh Tao a couple of years ago and recommended it to me. I came out in October 2010 and did my Dive Master training and spent eight months working full time as a DM with the school I trained with. I met Jeff through my main instructor Mick and took my instructor course with Jeff in November 2011.

I really enjoyed the practical elements of the course. I enjoyed the skill circuits and open water presentations. They really prepared us well for the instructor exam. I would defiantly recommend doing an instructor course with Jeff. Jeff is an amazing instructor. Before we even started the course Jeff put in extra time with us going through theory and giving us practice tests he had created to do in our own time. He also completed extra skill circuits with us before the IDC. This really helped me during the course because I went in confident with my theory and skills and was aware of the areas that I needed to work on.

If you are looking into doing your IDC I would definitely recommend Jeff. He is a brilliant teacher. I found his classroom sessions very clear and easy to follow. He is very approachable and would put in extra time at the end of the day to answer questions. At the end of every day he’d check in with us and make sure everything was ok. I knew if I had any problems he’d be able to help. He is able to adapt his teaching style to fit the individual. He’s also great craic which definably made the course good fun!

Since the course I’ve been teaching practically full time and loving it. It’s such an amazing thing to be able to teach people to dive. The satisfaction they get after completing a course is awesome. I love my job and as cheesy as it is I have Jeff to thank. I would defiantly recommend doing the instructor course with Jeff. I wouldn’t recommend anyone else.

My name is Tyron Coomer, i am from Cape Town South Africa. At the age of 18 i finished my schooling career and finished up my private pilots for helicopter and was taken by the whole flying industry. Before i started my commercial for helicopters i decided to go from 6000ft in the sky to below the waters. I wanted to do something different for fun while taking a break from the skies. Yet little did i know that this underwater world would suck me in all the way to making a lifestyle out of it!

I started my training in South Africa Cape Town with my open water, diving in waters of 13 degrees. Even in these conditions diving had captured my heart! I went straight through from obtaining my Open Water to Divemaster license, which is the 1st professional level of diving. I then worked at the university underwater club and from there ventured further into Africa where i did some more work as a Divemaster in Mozambique. From the 13 degrees of cold cape waters to the warm 25 degree waters in Mozambique, the diving made me fall even more in love seeing marine lives such as Whale Sharks, Manta rays, Leather back turtles, Eagle spotted rays and schools of Hammer head sharks !!!

After my adventure in mozam i headed back to SA where i then decided to come out to thailand with two other friends that had already chosen Koh Tao as the destination :) So the tickets were booked and the adventures began. My two friends that came with me were already instructors and i came hoping to work as a Divemaster. With no jobs we all arrived and started the process of handing out CV's and looking for work as a Divemaster. I struggled and my friends were pretty set, so i decided i would become an instructor here in Koh Tao. The hunt began to as where i should do my IDC...

After a lot of searching and looking around a friend on the island referred me to Jeff. I then met up with Jeff for a beer and we began to chat. After our chat , I left knowing that this is where i want to be! I could see Jeff had a great knowledge of diving and was very experienced in working with people. My two friends from South Africa agreed with me and we all thought that Jeff is the most experienced, helpful, and friendly. The next day i signed up for the IDC with Jeff and met the rest of the people that were on the course with him. They were all great people and we all got introduced and the process began of grooming our group to become Instructors. As the course began we grew closer and closer to jeff. we did not just see him as our trainer but more of a friend but still keeping the seriousness and high standard of training in play. I had never seen such a level of professionalism in all my life while maintaining the the social and fun side to training all in one. Through out the IDC i witnessed how jeff had an amazing level of patience through his attempts in always making sure the group were on the same page at all times.

To be frank, I was the one in the group who required the most attention. At one stage during the course I thought to myself that i should sit out this IDC and join in on the next one. Jeff assured me that he would not let me attend the IE if i was not completely ready. I put all of my trust in Jeff and whenever we encountered problems related to physics, RDP, Skills and Environment or Presentations, Jeff would patiently take time out of his evening to answer our questions. Whenever needed, Jeff would sacrifice his own time for some extra one-on-one review. To me, this was the thing I found most important with the relationship between the Course Director and Students. After i gave Jeff a few more grey hairs and learnt through him how to become a lot more organized and we came to the final days before the IE jeff had spent so much time and effort with me in assuring i would be ready for the IE, i could even take two off days before the IE. Our group all entered the IDC really really confident and were a little stressed but had faith in our trainer Jeff. Throughout the IE we all passed with flying colors and were even asked by our evaluators who our Course Director was, where we all were very very proud to answer jeff.

I was then an instructor!!! :) and proud to be taught by jeff as he really bettered me in many ways example: More interactive, being more organized and how to better things that i did with not telling me im wrong or trying to teach me his 'style' but telling me what i did that was good and then how to maybe just better it a little by giving me lots of suggestions from his great knowledge to choose from and then helped me just make everything gel :)

I am now working as a instructor and have not been back to the skys to fly and do my comercial for helicopters as this is now my passion. I work at a very nice dive resort and i have been complimented on the way i interact with people how i teach and train.... all i can say is that i have one person to thank for all this and that's Jeff.

I wanted to thank you for everything you did to help me in my pursue to be a dive professional. I was lucky to have you as my course director when I was doing my Divemaster, IDC and part of my MSDT courses. You took the time to help me master the skills and knowledge needed to be a good Instructor and I really appreciate that.

I wasn't really that interested to be a dive instructor in the first place. It was thanks to you and your inspiration that made me decide to go the extra mile. I hope one day I will make it to where you are, a Course Director and inspire other people like how you inspired me during my dive professional career.

Xiang Min Alexis. IDC Staff - 290176