Meet the people that make it happen
Above and below the water
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Mike Painting
Manager, PADI IDC Staff Instructor
Mike, from Birmingham, England, learned to dive at an early age. He soon realised that a cold flooded quarry in the middle of the country was not as glamorous as he was led to believe, following his DSD experiences in St Lucia and Grand Cayman. He was however hooked and his love of the ocean led him to a Master of Oceanography (MSci) at the University of Southampton. He also set upon completing his Divemaster and Instructor course at Stoney Cove, Leicestershire, England. Soon he was in charge of the dive school there, as well as teaching everything from Discover Scuba to IDCs. After frequenting the Caymans so often with his family, he began to think of Grand Cayman as a second home and his plan to find a way to the island eventually came to fruition. The only reason he would leave Paradise now is to go home and teach dry suit courses and watch his beloved Aston Villa every Saturday.
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Peggy Sinclair
PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
After having worked in London for 10+ years, Peg decided there was more to life than sitting behind a desk. A spur of the moment decision decided it all. Flights were booked and she traded in the high-heels and suits for flip-flops and bikinis and moved to Mexico, to do a six month Marine Conservation and Dive Master internship. She loved it so much that she completed her Instructor training and stayed for another three years. Needing a change of scenery but wanting to stay in the warm Caribbean, she moved to Grand Cayman in 2017 and soon after joined the Lobster Pot team in June 2018, where she would manage the retail store as well as continuing to guide and teach, and practice her love for underwater photography every now and then too.
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Steve Stride
Boat Captain, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
Our Ex-Military man who moved from the air to the sea. Steve, hailing from the south of England, completed 23 years Air Force service before relocating to South East Asia where he earned his Dive Master and PADI Instructor qualifications. He then spent the next 4 years exploring the waters of Indonesia, introducing many new divers to this underwater world that he has come to love. Always looking for a new challenge, Steve moved to Cayman to gain his boat coxswain license. The transition was complete!! He joined the Lobster Pot team in June 2017 as our Captain and maintenance man. With a smile on his face, you'll find him ready to welcome you aboard our beautiful dive boat Larry.
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Paul Ledwith
PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
Despite being surrounded by freezing cold waters, Paul began his diving career in his home country of Ireland. Even the dry suit diving didn't dampen his love for the underwater world and he quickly became heavily involved within the Sub Aqua Club in his university, University College Dublin. After finishing his degree in computer science he felt it was time to leave the rain behind and head towards a warmer future. While adventuring Central America he landed on a small island off the coast of Honduras called Utila. Here he began his divemaster training and later his IDC with Underwater Vision. After 3 months he returned to Europe to work a short stint in Rhodes, Greece. At the end of the Mediterranean dive season, it was time to return to the Caribbean. Paul joined the Lobster Pot team in late 2018.
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Charlotte Higgs
PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor
Hailing from North London, Charlotte moved to the USA at 18 years old to get a break from city life. Upon moving to the Michigan Lakes she started work as a lifeguard, and even though she had a passion for the water, Michigan was quite the way from home and she moved back to the Capital. Not yet ready for "dry employment" she became a swimming instructor for children with special needs, and realised that she had a passion for teaching. It did not take her long to get itchy feet and with her keen interest in scuba diving, she chased career in the wonderful underwater world. After a short flight from London to Cozumel, she achieved both her Divemaster and Open Water Scuba Instructor qualifications. Charlotte joined our team in mid 2018 and has settled in perfectly.