PADI Course Director · Singapore
Ying Kai
Co-founder of The Submersibles, PADI Course Director since 2025. The person responsible for shaping every instructor who trains here.
Meet Your Course Director
From competitive swimmer to Course Director — 25 years shaping dive professionals.
Ying Kai's journey into the underwater world began in 1999 while pursuing Mechanical Engineering at NUS — a competitive swimmer finding a new arena beneath the surface. By 2001 he earned his PADI Instructor certification, and in 2006 co-founded The Submersibles with a clear vision: build a dive community where conservation and education are inseparable.
Over 25 years, he has logged more than 5,000 dives across Southeast Asia and the Maldives, issued over 650 certifications from entry-level to professional, and in 2025 became a PADI Course Director — the culmination of decades spent not just teaching diving, but shaping the instructors who will teach the next generation.
After thousands of dives and decades of teaching, I’ve learned that the best instructors aren’t made in a classroom — they’re shaped through patient mentorship, honest feedback, and real experience in the water. That’s what we do here.
His vision: “I’m committed to shaping a global community of divers who are not only skilled underwater but also dedicated to the preservation of the marine environment.”
Credentials
- PADI Course Director (2025)
- PADI Master Instructor
- 650+ Certifications Issued
- 5,000+ Logged Dives
- Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer
- PADI Swim School Instructor Trainer
- 25+ Years Diving Experience
Conservation Leadership
- 40+ Dive Against Debris events organized
- Coral restoration with WWF & TMSI
- Featured in The Straits Times & Zaobao
- PADI AWARE integrated into all courses
Ying Kai leads coral reef restoration projects in partnership with WWF-Singapore and the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI), combining hands-on conservation with citizen science initiatives.
Teaching Specialties
As a former competitive swimmer and PADI Swim School Instructor Trainer, Ying Kai brings a unique understanding of movement in water that translates into precise, effective skill coaching.
The Teaching Team
Expert instructors, individual attention
Esther
Senior Instructor & Co-Founder
Esther co-founded The Submersibles in 2006 and has since issued over 500 certifications as a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer. A certified yoga teacher as well, she brings a calm, patient teaching style that helps nervous candidates find their confidence in the water. Her dual background in diving and mindfulness makes her especially effective at coaching candidates through high-pressure assessment scenarios — she creates the psychological safety that allows real learning to happen.
“The best teaching happens when your student feels safe enough to make mistakes. I create that space — in the classroom, in the pool, and in open water.”
Our Credentials
Why Choose The Submersibles
Institutional credentials that set us apart.
PADI 5-Star IDC Center
One of Singapore's select PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Centres
Since 2006
Nearly two decades of continuous operation training dive professionals
40+ Conservation Events
Dive Against Debris cleanups organized, with data contributed to PADI AWARE globally
4:1 Student Ratio
Maximum four candidates per Course Director for personalised attention
PADI Insurance
Full PADI Insurance coverage for all students and crew during training
Ready to Start Your Instructor Journey?
Join a program built on mentorship, conservation values, and a career community that stays active long after certification.