April 17, 2017

Meet Szilvia Gogh of Miss Scuba in Redondo Beach

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Szilvia Gogh.

Szilvia Gogh started scuba diving when she was 13 years old (quite some years ago), as a member of a dive club in, in Budapest, Hungary.

As a diver, she competed in orienteering diving for several years. Orienteering consists of finding buoys in low visibility lakes with the use of a compass and a distance counting device, kind of like a treasure hunt.

It was a long journey from being a competitive orienteering diver in Hungary to become a PADI Course Director. It was an exhilarating accomplishment for her because she was the youngest female Course Director world-wide ever excepted for this highly respected program. She is still the only female Hungarian Course Director.

Since she started diving, she has logged 5000+ dives. Since she started teaching she has certified over 1300 divers from beginner to dive professionals including special training for LAPD, Sheriffs and Fire Department.

As a PADI Course Director, and expert in navigating underwater, she serves as a trainer for new divers and for very experienced, such as the LAPD Search & Rescue Dive Instructors.

Szilvia’s life is about creativity, inspiration, travel and survival. She was recently inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame and named as a PADI Ambassador.

She works front of the camera as an adventure show host as well as a Stunt Women in blockbuster Hollywood movies and TV series. She provides Water Safety and trains talents to breath underwater when works behind the scenes.

She is founder of Miss-Scuba.com

I was pretty young when I knew that I wanted be a scuba instructor.

I grew up in Hungary, which was still under communist during my childhood.

I was 13 years old when I started competing in a sport called “orienteering diving,” which takes place in lakes with almost no visibility. The object of the spot is to find predetermined destinations using a compass, map and a distance accounting Device. Plenty of my colleagues were superior swimmers, so I worked diligently to develop my navigational skills. In clear water my competitors could outswim me, but in bad visibility I would usually excel because of my ability to be fairly precise with my compass.

The military sponsored us, provided that we worked hard. I trained 4-5 times a week and spent every weekend and summer camping by the lakes and rivers of Hungary with my teammates. I had about 500 logged dives in murky waters before I first saw an ocean. this occurred one summer when our team visited Corfu for a dive trip (after the iron curtain fell). I was 18 years old. I remember the first dive in the clear ocean water with a multitude of critters. Afterwards, while standing on the beach I decided that I wanted to live in a place with an ocean and sandy beaches where it is summer all year round. The summer part was the most important as I passionately hated cold after spending my childhood in the harsh Budapest winters.

After I declared this to my friends, they suggested me to watch the Jacques Cousteau movies because it is much less dangerous they said than actually scuba diving. But I did not want to just watch his movies. I wanted to make my own.

When I told my mother that I will be a scuba instructor, she said that is a great hobby but I should pick a real job. So, I went to the University of Engineering in Budapest where I majored in marketing and management.

During the last semester of my studies we all had to work for a company and write a thesis. So, I moved to Malta and completed my dive master course while studying to speak English. I ended up writing my thesis about financial planning in seasonable markets (yup! scuba diving for the holiday crowd). Later when I Graduated I went right back to Malta to complete my Instructor course and work as a scuba instructor.

The stunt thing came later when I lived in California, but in my whole life I was somewhat of a tomboy, jumping off cliffs, ice diving, cave diving…

What was the deciding factor in making your decision? Were there other options? How did you weigh them? There are always other options, the question is what is important to you and what makes one happy? For some – money is important. For me, traveling the world while getting paid was my ideal dream. After college, I could have worked for a big multinational company and make good money, as many of my classmates did. but I wanted to see the world. and for that I was willing to leave my friends and family behind and head into the unknown. I figured if it did not work, I could always go home and try something else.

The more people told me that I could not just go and live in exotic places and making a living with my passion (scuba diving!), the more determined I became to show them that I could do anything I put my mind to.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I grew up in a landlocked country, Hungary with lakes and rivers. It for sure was not the pretty fish and reefs that attracted me to diving at first. I know it sounds silly, but it was the peace and quiet. Nobody talked to me, nobody told me what to do and after some minutes underwater I would always feel relaxed. Breathing underwater was (and in many ways it still is) my meditation.

What drove me to become a PADI Instructor and eventually a Course Director essentially were the people around me constantly saying “You cannot do that,” when I declared to them that I want to live and teach scuba diving in a place where there is no winter (always sunny), there are palm trees and ocean. My reply always was: Just watch me!

Mind you, when I was a child, Hungary was still under communist regime. That meant a few things: I had to learn Russian as a second language (there was no choice in school to take any other foreign language). Also, we could not have traveled to the West until the “Wall fell” in 1990 (when I was 14 years old) so most of my friends and family have not experienced other cultures nor visited faraway places. I remember, my grandpa used to say “Just watch the Jacques Cousteau movies. That is so much less dangerous than breathing underwater.” But I did not want to watch his movies. I yearned for writing my own story, directing my own movie and fulfilling my destiny.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Miss Scuba was designed to bring women together from all over the world who share enthusiasm about diving, travel and adventure. Miss Scuba is more than a group of women that travel the world together to explore the most exotic places and best dive sites. Miss Scuba is more than a fantastic resource where women share incredible adventures and helpful tips about travel, hot new products and exciting destinations. What Miss Scuba is, is a culture of its own; an expression of free will, untamed souls, a rebellion against mediocrity and the yearning for finding adventure and excitement in life. From all of our girls in over 20 countries and on every continent; We are Miss Scuba.

Women appreciate luxurious things in life and will opt for a beach front villa over camping at the beach -given the choice.

Women love bonding with other women during yoga retreats, cooking classes, wine tasting, spa… (without man disruption and wining).

Women are physically active, sporty and adventurous (some more than others).

Women make good money these days at their jobs and do not depend on man.

I see great opportunities in female dive travel that offers more than just diving.

With my company www.miss-scuba.com I have organized some women only and some “female friendly” trips in the past that encompassed several adventures in a luxurious environment. “Female friendly” simply means that single woman can join us without the fear of being harassed, but boyfriends, husbands of our girls are welcome to join.

During one girls only trip we rented a villa in Cancun with a maid. We did yoga in the mornings on our roof top to watch the sun rise before breakfast. We dove the Cenotes as well as Cozumel. Each day warm food and wine awaited us upon our return.

Another Miss Scuba trip we visited the Bahamas; took a shark feeding class with Cristina Zenato, did cavern, wreck and shark dives + yoga at nights.
http://miss-scuba.com/ugg_unexso_vicki.html
http://miss-scuba.com/ugg_unexso.html

We took a trip with several girlfriends to Costa Rica where we surfed, white water rafted, zip lined, scuba dived and used bicycles to get around the area.

One year we started our journey in Italy, where we visited “must see” things in Rome and Florence, followed by olive and wine sampling in the Chianti region. After a week of indulgence, we flew over to Malta for a week of diving and sight-seeing medieval architectures.

I also see (now that I am a mother) great opportunities in adventure travel with the whole family. There are already two women I know whom are doing a wonderful job educating our youth: Annie Crawley and Margo’s Sea Camp. But of course, there is always room for more.

Challenges facing women in diving: The biggest challenge is time management. And that is also the key. My commitment to myself this year is to find balance between scuba diving professionally, my baby, my family, yoga, travel, www.miss-scuba.com, my jewelry company and “me time”.

Miss Scuba is clearly positioned as more than just a community of women but really a culture of its own. How can we create a similar culture in scuba diving and produce more equality and opportunities for women?

The opportunities are there, people just do not see it, because they are too busy with watching TV and reading magazines about other people’s life instead of making their own story or simply just do not have the self-confidence.

The hardest thing I see is that women in particular dream about faraway places to visit and adventures things to do yet they do not do it. People (women) need to get off the couch and go to places and do things while they have their health. If it was easy, everybody could do it.

Some women are driven to do it by themselves. Others need someone to follow.

One area where I see opportunities is female motivational speakers who share their stories how they overcome obstacles to eventually “live their dreams,” or a TV show with the female version of Steve Irwin…

OUR UPCOMING TRIP:

Women’s Water Sports Weekend and Dive Day in La Jolla, California
by Gretchen M. Ashton, CFT, SFT, SFN, SSC, NBFE

Szilvia Gogh, founder of Miss-Scuba™, has partnered with Gretchen M. Ashton of ScubaFit®, Isabelle “Izzy” Tihanyi and her partner and twin sister Caroline “Coco” of Surf Diva®, the annual PADI Women’s Dive Day 2017, and Ocean Adventures Dive Company to create a celebration of the female spirit and finding excitement in life.

Event Information: The fun-filled weekend in the spectacular vacation destination of La Jolla, California, July 14, 15 and 16, 2017, is hosted by these leading ladies of adventure, and is about watersports, wellness and friendship. Activities include scuba diving or free diving and snorkeling; surfing; stand-up paddling; a SurfWalking™ workout; yoga on the beach, a picnic lunch and a relaxing dinner at Fabio’s Italian Restaurant. Accommodations are arranged at Hotel La Jolla with breakfast included for Saturday and Sunday. This luxurious weekend is only $599 based on double occupancy. There is an optional single supplement, and for gals living nearby that do not need the hotel, the cost is $249. For more information and to reserve a spot visit www.miss-scuba.com, email: [email protected] or call: (818) 359-8236 with questions.

Meet the Hosts: Szilvia’s life is about creativity, inspiration, travel and survival. She was recently inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame and was the youngest female in the world to become a PADI Course Director. Featured by PADI for the 2016 Women’s Dive Day, she has been teaching scuba diving from beginners to dive instructors for over nearly two decades in Malta, UK, Thailand and now in California. She also works in front of the camera as an adventure show host and stunt women in movies and television. She provides water safety and trains talent to breath underwater when working behind the scenes. Szilvia is a photojournalist taking pictures of faces and places above and below the water for numerous international travel, scuba, lifestyle and adventure publications. She openly shares her personal story as a breast cancer survivor through feature stories and short films. She takes great pride in designing and creating unique, one of a kind jewelry inspired by the ocean and creatures living in it for her Gogh Jewelry Design. Each hand-crafted piece reflects the artist’s sense of mystery and individuality, and beckons the free spirit in every self-made woman. Read more about Szilvia and her adventures at www.szilviagogh.com.

Gretchen started ScubaFit® to inspire scuba divers and water sports enthusiasts toward fitness. She is an advanced scuba diver, nitrox diver, paddler, sailor and fitness professional. She is registered with the National Board of Fitness Examiners, is an International Sports Sciences Association Preferred Education Provider and Elite Trainer with credentials in personal training, fitness therapy, nutrition, strength and conditioning. As a lifetime drug-free strength athlete Gretchen set 21 World and American records and is the second woman inducted into the AAU Power Lifting Hall of Fame. Gretchen is founder of ScubaFit LLC, and developed the ScubaFit®, FitDiver®, DiveFit® and SurfWalking™ exercise programs. She co-authored the PADI ScubaFit® Diver Distinctive Specialty, designed FitDiver® mobile fitness apps and publishes FitDiver® Magazine. She shares her fitness message with the diving community as a mentor with Water Women Inc., through public speaking at dive shows and for dive clubs and dive medicine conferences. She is the dive fitness editor or contributor for many dive publications and websites including California Diver, Florida Diver, Scuba Diving Resource, Scuba Diving Life, Alert Diver and her FitDiver® blog. Gretchen has been featured in the training section of Scuba Diving Magazine, as a guest on Jill Heinerth’s Into the Planet Blog, interviewed by PADI® as part of their Women in Diving series 2015, recognized in the President’s Council of Physical Fitness and Sports newsletter for inspiring and innovative accomplishments in fitness and in the Margaritaville Key West website culinary column. For more information about fitness for watersports visit www.scubafit.com.

Isabelle “Izzy” Tihanyi, founder of Surf Diva, started surfing when she was eight years old. She is a competitive surfer and began teaching surfing while in college at the University of California, San Diego. Surf Diva brings together the things she loves most: the ocean and teaching. Her partner and twin sister, Caroline “Coco” also loves the ocean and has a business and communication background. What they say about Surf Diva: “It’s about fun, being together, and meeting so many cool people!” Surf Diva has introduced women of all ages to the sport and spirit of surfing in a fun and encouraging environment. From competitive coaching to lessons for the beginner, Surf Diva offers it all. Surf Diva has built a solid reputation for professional, educated, and passionate surfing instructors. The team boasts individuals with sideline careers such as firefighters, paramedics, nurses, teachers, lawyers, and snowboarders. Quoted “The Starbucks of surf schools” by Newsweek Magazine, Surf Diva Surf School is considered the pillar of women’s surfing and offers surfing and standup paddleboard (SUP) lessons year-round for women, men, and children. Located in La Jolla, California with operations also in Costa Rica, Surf Diva is actively involved in charities and outreach to support both the local community and to raise awareness to protect the environment. Surf Diva Surf School has been featured in many TV shows and on numerous local and national news stations including CNN, The Today Show, MTV, ESPN, MSNBC, KUSI and The Travel Channel, to name but a few. Surf Diva has also been featured in many magazine and newspapers including The New York Times, Vogue, Glamour, Cosmo, GQ, Newsweek, Oprah’s Magazine, and Condé Nast Travel Magazine. The Surf Diva Boutique was awarded #1 WOMEN’S RETAILER OF THE YEAR IN THE US 2013 by the Surfing Industry Manufacturing Association (SIMA). In 2005, the twins released the Nation’s Best Selling Surf book, “Surf Diva: A Girl’s Guide to Getting Good Waves.” For more information about Surf Diva visit: www.surfdiva.com.

Ocean Adventures Dive Company (OADC) was Voted 2014 Best Family Owned Dive Shop by the Argonaut Newspaper. The mission of OADC is to introduce people to diving, improve their skills and teach them about the aquatic environment and how divers become stewards of that realm. The OADC goal is to ensure every person they train becomes a competent, confident and safe diver. OADC is recognized by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) the world leader in scuba training, as both a 5 Star Instructor Development Facility and Green Star Award recipient for commitment to environmental conservation. PADI Five Star Dive Centers are progressive dive shops that provide a full range of PADI scuba diving education programs, equipment selection and experience opportunities, while encouraging aquatic environmental responsibility. The Green Star Award demonstrates a dedication to conservation across a wide range of business functions, including: water conservation, energy use, “Environmentally friendly” transportation practices, optimized waste management, use of sustainable materials, conservation leadership, paperless interactions with their PADI Regional Headquarters, donations to Project AWARE. OADC is also a Technical Diving Facility, offering scuba courses ranging from beginner to professional levels in both Recreational and Technical Diving and is the only Do It Right (DIR) technical diver training facility fully equipped with an in-house Trimix Blending Station in West Los Angeles. OADC proudly supports local law enforcement and fire departments. For more information about OADC visit: www.oceanadventuresdiveco.com.

PADI Women’s Dive Day:
This is the third year the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) is hosting an Annual Women’s Dive Day. For the past two years, divers from every corner of the globe have come together for PADI Women’s Dive Day to bond over their love of the ocean and a passion for diving. This growing tradition will continue July 15, 2017, further strengthening and supporting the female dive community through a day of fun, adventure and comradery. PADI Dive Centers and Resorts hosted more than 700 events in 77 countries last year for the second annual PADI Women’s Dive Day on July 16, 2016. Since the 2015 inaugural event, the celebration has continued to gain momentum as new and experienced divers gear up for everything from high tea on the high seas to shark dives and underwater cleanups.

What were you like growing up?
When I was about 4 years old, in kindergarden, the teacher asked everyone what did they want to become when they grew up. Of course some said fire fighter, pilot, doctor… When it was my turn, without any hesitation, I said “I want to be a boss, so nobody tells me what to do”. Even as a little girl, growing up in Hungary during the communist rule, I realized that you have to take charge of your life if you want to get anywhere.

My friends and I spent most of our days outside either biking, treating ants in our animal hospital or playing in nearby lakes. Every day we would come up with new adventures and exploration ideas. I was dirty a lot by the end of the day, but happy to organize my friends to complete all sorts of important missions.

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