I booked a trip to Corfu specifically to learn to dive for my birthday. Having read the reviews and done some research I decided to learn to do my Padi Open Water diving course at Apollo Dive Centre. I stayed in Nissaki so I was literally a minute away from the dive centre. I had one of the most amazing weeks of my life here.

I went from someone who had not put her head under the water for 33 years due to getting caught and dragged down in a giant wave in the sea as a child, to someone who passed the Padi Open Water course and dove to 18.5 meters in four days. Without a shadow of a doubt I managed to do this because of Chris's patience with me, his kindness, expertise and sheer awesomeness as a teacher. He pushed me and was strong when I needed to be challenged and was patient and understanding when I needed that.

I fell in love with Corfu and with diving. I still have a long way to go but I intend diving now to be a lifelong learning and passion.

My experience with Apollo Dive Centre is of course subjective however there are some things that cannot be denied. Chris has the kind of energy that no matter what goes on for you, you feel absolutely safe with him (essential if you have kids or you are a first time diver). His knowledge and expertise demands nothing but respect, no matter what level you are at with diving (probably important to note if you are a reasonably experienced diver).

Whatever personality traits, fears, ego you have; they are magnified by the water and Chris has a very rare intuition that can see absolutely what you need and the kind of person that you are to get the best out of you. Maria’s beautiful, gentle personality complements Chris perfectly, helping hold it all together she works tirelessly to make sure you have everything you need.

I could rattle on about Apollo Dive Centre's professionalism, their absolute demand for safety and quality equipment and how they weave it altogether with a fantastic sense of humour to make it a really fun experience but I think many others in the previous reviews have done that. What I would say is this...... I paid 360 Euros for my course, what I walked away with; a life changing experience, new found confidence in abilities I didn’t know I had, insights into what I need to change within myself to become a better person, new friends and an unforgettable four days......that was PRICELESS!