Heidi Coope - Dive Trip
Co-Ordinator

PADI Divemaster

Heidi's adventure began in November 2014 when she traveled to Egypt with her then-new boyfriend, Stu, who had one request: she had to try scuba diving. Excited and a little nervous, she booked a 'try dive' and plunged into the underwater world. From that moment on, Heidi was completely hooked! The beauty and thrill of diving captured her heart, sparking a passion that continues to this day.

Heidi returned to the UK and successfully completed her PADI Open Water theory and Confined Water training. In 2015, she traveled back to Egypt to undertake her open water training dives. During that holiday, she also achieved her PADI Advanced Open Water certification!

She then completed her PADI Rescue Diver course whilst on her honeymoon in 2016 during another trip to Egypt.

Heidi has also completed various speciality courses back here in the UK, such as 'Dry Suit' and she is now actively engaged in her PADI Divemaster course, with InDepth Dive Club, and she is nearing successful completion after a great deal of hard work.

She particularly enjoyed her mapping projects and is a bit of a natural when it comes to taking care of students and being able to empathise with how they are feeling as they take to the water for their first dives. This makes Heidi something of a natural and the role of Divemaster suits her extremely well!

"I absolutely love seeing people, who have never dived before, having their first experience in the water! And learning new skills to make me a better diver is challenging me, and I do like a challenge!"

Heidi's Story

Heidi has an affinity with the Red Sea and Egypt. Her favourite dives are Daedalus reef, a formation that sits about 90 kilometres from Marsa Alam, the reef itself has a lighthouse to warn passing ships of the presence of this formation that poses a hazard to passing vessels. The lighthouse was constructed in 1863 and then rebuilt in 1931. Daedalus is renowned for having hammerhead sharks and many other pelagic species.

And the wreck of the SS Dunraven is another of her favourite dives. Sunk in 1876 after striking Beacon Rock, despite her crew's best efforts, the ship capsized and sank. She now makes for an epic dive. Lying upside down on the seabed, divers can penetrate the wreck at the stern and swim up through her superstructure, squeezing past her boilers and

Heidi Coope blue water scuba diving in Egypt.

emerging amidships where she is broken in two. This area is teeming with life as glassfish inhabit the wreck and swirl around you as you swim through them. A mesmerizing and enchanting dive!

Glassfish swirl around the divers as they make their way through the upturned wreck of the SS Dunraven.

Best Dive Ever...

For Heidi, it has to be Project Shark 2023. She had booked a private guide as she didn’t want to see sharks!

She ended up seeing so many on this dive it was incredible, whereas the main groups on the boat didn’t see any!

It was this dive that helped Heidi overcome her fear of the blue. Preferring to stay closer to the reef, in order to keep a visual reference, whereas being mid-water and having no visual reference whatsoever, just blue all around, can cause significant disorientation, especially if you're not used to it. Heidi become so comfortable in 'blue water' that the guides had to point out to her that there was nothing left to see as the sharks had all swum away!

Favourite Type of Diving...

Heidi is a 'squidge' diver. She loves the colour reefs and all the squidgy things that live there. She is also an avid underwater photography. Taking particular delight in the squidge when she has her camera and can engage in some underwater macro photography.

Scuba Santas

Heidi plays an intrinsic role within the annual Scuba Santas event. Helping organise the event itself, co-ordinating all of the companies that so very kindly support the event and provide the raffle prizes. She ensures that all the Santas are in the water on time and then co-ordinates all the volunteers that help make the event a success. An endless stream of mince pies and bacon butties are the order of the day, post dive!

BDMLR - British Divers Marine Life Rescue

Heidi is a fully qualified 'Marine Mammal Medic' and regularly volunteers for the organisation.

You can read more about the BDMLR by visiting their website, the link is below:

https://bdmlr.org.uk/

Heidi Coope in one of the scuba santas newspaper articles.

Beyond Scuba Diving

Beyond scuba diving, Heidi enjoys photography, camping, organising travel for friends, reading and going out for long walks with her dog. All of which she is also able to combine with scuba diving! Hence the reason she is such a good dive trip co-ordinator!

The Day Job

Heidi is the Deputy Operations manager for a well-known packaging company.

BACK to COMMITTEE PAGE >>