With his long hair and full beard, Padoy Fajermo can easily be mistaken as Aquaman whenever he is underwater. More than the physical features, there are two things that Padoy and Aquaman share: their love for the ocean and being perfectly at home under the sea. It was only a matter of time that diving eventually became Padoy’s passion.
Padoy’s diving journey started from humble beginnings. Born in a small town in Capiz, he moved to Batangas to work with resort boats. Fortunately, many supportive friends have seen his potential. They led him to be a professional wind-surfing athlete of the Philippine team. Soon, with his expanding network in the water sports industry, he was introduced to diving. Since then, it has been 25 years of diving experience for Padoy and over 15 years as a dive professional.
“Dahil sa diving, na-experience ko ang dagat bilang kahanga-hangang sanctuario. Ang pagtuturo ng diving ang personal way ko para ma-share ang experience na un sa iba.”, Padoy reveals.
“Because of diving, I get to experience the sea as a magnificent sanctuary. Teaching others how to dive is my own personal way of sharing that experience to others.” (English Translation)
He desires to help all his students see the beauty of the ocean. As a dive instructor, he makes an effort to know each one and win their trust in return. For him, reaching to them in this personalized approach is the most effective way for his students to overcome individual challenges and ultimately be comfortable underwater.
Padoy adds, “Unang-una, diving is a state of mind. Ung mga feeling ng takot at pag-aalala, madalas yan ang hadlang para lubos na ma experience ang dakilang dagat.”
“Diving is first and foremost a state of mind. Fear and anxiety are common barriers from wholly experiencing the splendor of the sea.” (English Translation)
With his unique coaching style, he could relate to all people from different backgrounds. It is no wonder that Padoy is a known dive professional and the preferred dive instructor among even the rich and famous.
“At the end of the day, the more students na natulungan ko magkaroon ng magandang diving experience, mas maraming tao akong na-inspire para alagaan ang kalikasan. Para sakin, naniniwala ako na yan ang purpose ko sa mundo.”, he says.
“At the end of the day, the more students I help to have a wonderful diving experience, the more people will be inspired to care for the environment. That, I believe, is my purpose on earth.” (English Translation)
Padoy Fajermo may not be a superhero but he is truly a guardian of the sea.
