Born in the capital city of the Maldives,
Male, Hussain Sendi Rasheed has been the forefront of the diving industry in
the country. Being the first PADI Instructor Trainer in the Maldives, with the
certification, he brought upon a change which revolutionized the Maldivian
tourism industry on the island nation.
Ever since his first dive in the Victory
wreck, three days after it sank in 1981, it can be said he has not got his feet
out of the water. Becoming a PADI dive master in 1986, an instructor in 1993
and a course director in the start of the new century, the year 2000, he has
certainly been a busy man.
Seeing as he has been a mentor to over
literally a thousand divers, he is a person who enjoys educating and passing
down his skill and love for the ocean to the next generation. When asked about
why he does so, he has said, "It is the satisfaction that they will become
environmental ambassadors. So, for the professionals, they will become the ambassador
trainers. I enjoy every moment, on all levels, and have so many good memories."
Being an advisor and the former dean of
Faculty of Marine Studies and Water Sports at Villa college, it allows him to
engage with budding environmental ambassadors and allow them to pursue PADI
courses within Villa College diploma and degree courses.
Aside from actively engaging in mentoring
divers, he is the executive director for the DiveOceanus group and oversees
five PADI dive centers across 4 different atolls in the Maldives directly
taking care of 40 diving professionals.
The underwater cabinet meeting which was
held to highlight the impact of climate change in the year 2009 was created and
organized by Sendi. This, along with his continuous opposition for shark finning
and sale of shark souvenirs such as jaws and teeth, and his support for the
2010 legislation which provided protection for the sharks clearly shows his
love for the ocean and all its creatures.
He has also been the operations manager
for a dive which lasted 24 hours, which involved a staggering 350 divers. In
addition, he also held the Dive for Diabetic, which included 300 divers, to
raise awareness about diabetes.
Sendi has received the Maldives Tourism
award, as well as the Presidential award both major acknowledgements which
recognize his contribution and ongoing dedication in his almost 4-decade
career.
A true
thalassophile to the end, Sendi shows no sign of being away from the water
anytime soon. With his love for capturing the ocean through the lens of his
camera, no one was thinking otherwise.
Sendi is one of the leading pioneers, from Maldives in the diving industry who will be inducted to the 2019
International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (ISDHF) on Friday, 11th January 2019.
Please login to Comment