Back in 2011, I headed to Cebu to accompany my Busan friend, Jan Lee. Our first stop: the Seahorse Dive, which was a Scuba Diving School in Mactan. It was the first time I met its owner, Kyung Hyuk Kwon (or more commonly known as Charlie Kwon to Cebu’s locals). At that time, Jan was to undergo training under Charlie’s supervision to become a licensed scuba instructor.

Charlie Kwon

I was really curious how he ended up here in the Philippines. So during my recent visit to Cebu this year, I dropped by at Charlie’s diving school again to catch up with him.

Charlie was working for a distributing company in Korea for 6 years when he suddenly contemplated on the idea of relocating to Cebu, Philippines to try something out: putting up a scuba diving center.

From the beginning, his family and relatives were skeptical about the idea. Also, since he was already married, moving to a new country will obviously be a major adjustment. It was a series of weighing pros and cons, until finally, in 2008, Charlie completely lost interest in his job, and took a leap of faith — he took the bold choice and moved to the Philippines to begin a new life.

One of Charlie’s students having a close encounter with… Nemo!

Even during that time, Cebu was already jampacked with a wide array of diving schools so Charlie had a lot on his plate, marketing his business. He initially started a rental shop for scuba tanks, subsequently observed other diving centers, and gradually purchased other equipment until he was able to make his facility fully-operational.

Seahorse Dive’s edge over other schools is Charlie’s ability to lecture in his native tongue. Cebu is popular for visiting Koreans who want to avail affordable scuba diving lessons. Hence, for those who have limited English usage and comprehension, the courses at Seahorse Dive are taught and explained in Korean.

Charlie explaining how to use scuba diving equipment

While I was talking to Charlie, I saw some of his Korean students passing by. Some were young teenagers who were probably on a school vacation. Some were old couples enjoying a break from their stressful work life in Korea. Charlie says that he has encountered all kinds of age groups, all walks of life.

Some Koreans taking a groupfie underwater

“For Koreans, Cebu is a suitable place for leisure because it’s just four hours away from Korea, and my school is just 15 minutes away from the airport,” Charlie explains. Currently, Seahorse Dive Center teaches recreational diving courses such as open water diving and rescue diving, as well as technical diving courses like Nitrox diving, decompression diving and trimix diving.

Basic scuba diving lessons are simulated first in a swimming pool

I asked Charlie if there are great diving spots in his homeland. He immediately mentioned Jeju Island’s colorful sea floor and rich marine life. “Jeju Island was hailed in 2011 as part of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Many will easily say it’s because of Jeju’s beauty on top but people should also explore its hidden beauty underneath.”

Meeting someone who has overcome unchartered and unfamiliar waters is truly inspiring. Charlie’s life is just one of the many stories of Koreans who bravely chased their passion and followed their dreams in spite of risks and uncertainties along the way.

A large school of fish revolving around some divers

To know more about the courses at Seahorse Dive, visit any of the following:
Website: www.seahorsedive.co.kr
Facebook:씨홀스다이브 / Seahorse Dive

By Marius Oczon for the Korea Blog