The Wicked TeamAmanda – she is fresh to Wicked Diving this season, but she plunged in feet-first! Right away she adopted the Jaya – our schooner and has been preening and coddling her ever since. Her passion for the Jaya shows, and vice versa! After they first season on the Similan Islands, she has now taken the Jaya on a massive expediton from Thailand to Komodo National Park, Indonesia. For the sumemr of 2011 she is running our Komodo Liveaboard trips.
Where are you from?
Born & brought up in Bristol, England; then lived in Scotland for 6 years, I’ve lived the nomadic life around Africa and Nepal for a while and am now settling in Thailand!
What languages do you speak?
Um, English! I can speak a little bit of French, and I’m learning Thai & Indonesian 🙂
How long have you been diving?
Since July 2008.
What got you started?
Did cage diving with great whites in South Africa and loved it, so planned to get a certification at some point. Then I made it to Thailand, there were lots of people offering dive courses, and it seemed as good a place as any!
Where did you do your Open Water course? Who was your instructor?
Koh Tao, Thailand. My instructor was this crazy Hawaiian guy called Mr Rick Rickert, and I loved the course so much I signed up for the advanced. And then the rescue. And then the divemaster…
Why the Similan Islands and Khao Lak? What brought you here?
Came across from Koh Tao as a fundiver, went out on a trip to the Similans and was hooked, so I came back across to work at the first chance I got!
What’s your favourite divesite in the Similans? Why?
Richelieu Rock – macro-mania! So many cool things all on one dive, teeny boxfish the size of your fingernail, massive barracuda, ornate ghost pipefish, cuttlefish…it’s impossible to only do one dive there, you always want to go again!
Favourite fish?
Batfish! Curious, funky shaped, friendly, beautiful. And I’m a sucker for a whaleshark, they’re so graceful and awe-inspiring.
Favourite music at the moment?
Depends on my mood – when I’m working I like peaceful, chilled out & classical; on the boat anything upbeat and funky works! Am currently hooked on the new ‘Train’ album, Cinematic Orchestra, and a South African band called ‘Watershed’.
Hammock or Lounge Chair? Why?
Hammock, definitely. If only there was a way to get in and out of them more gracefully!
Favourite food?
Raspberries! But not too many here unfortunately. Otherwise, pineapple! Mmmmm. Cold or hot, fresh, out of a tin, or even on pizza (much to my colleagues’ disgust!). And cheese and jam sandwiches. With good Scottish cheddar and thick, seedy raspberry jam. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it!
Item or equipment you must have on every dive? Lucky charm maybe?
Torch! Invaluable for searching out funky little things. And my camera when I can, I love photography.
Most memorable dive trip?
A dive in Koh Tao, east coast of Thailand, South West Pinnacle – we had a few problems, so got into the water later than the other groups, so everyone else was already off round the rest of the divesite. Only me and 3 guests, making our way down the buoyline slowly, and w were greeted by a 4 metre whaleshark, we just sat and held onto the line for 40 minutes while it swam round and around us, so beautiful, every so often it would stop and make eye contact, and we’d have ‘a moment’. Indescribable! Then we finished off the dive with a massive school of fusiliers, some barracuda and squid, I’ve never had such happy divers, it was their first whale shark and we spent 10 minutes high fiving on the surface before we’d calmed down enough to swim back to the boat!
Other interests, activities, hobbies or addictions?
Travelling! I’m an addict, can’t get enough of exploring new countries and cultures. Am a huge fan of safaris too, and all that’s connected, animals, conservation projects…
I love cooking, especially for other people, nothing quite like a big dinner party with all your mates. Am very into crazy adrenaline sports (skydiving, gorge swinging, microlighting, white water rafting etc), one of the bonuses of traveling is that all the different countries have something new to experience! Not quite so crazy, but my favourite is ice skating, although there’s not so much of that in Thailand!
More mellow activities – I collect a different bracelet from every country I visit (although now I have too many for one arm so I have to rotate them!) I’m an avid reader, and I get through shedloads of books because I read so fast. In my previous life I play the violin, but boats and salt water make that a bit tricky right now!
