Off The Bottom Diving was started by Nic Buntmann, a South African dive professional with a passion for the water. 

Nic is an Independent IANTD and PADI IDC Staff Instructor, TDI and IANTD Technical Diver and ISC Tiburon Rebreather Diver based in Edmonton, Alberta where he offers one on one and small group SCUBA courses across Western Canada. Nic also travels frequently to the Caribbean with dive groups and offers courses whilst on these warm water adventures.

Nic has lived and travelled around the world and has taught SCUBA in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, Canada and the Caribbean. Nic partners with established dive businesses to facilitate training and focuses on making thinking divers early on in their training, using the principles of human factors in diving. 

Why OTB Diving? Off The Bottom is a concept that a large part of the global diving community has moved towards, where divers are encouraged to master buoyancy to not come into contact with the reefs and other underwater objects. OTB focuses on mastering buoyancy early on in training and teaches the required course skills with this in mind. While all course Standards are adhered to strictly, the courses become more simulated real-world diving than skills tests. This approach results in divers who are better equipped to dive in harmony with the environment early on and who develop the mindset and philosophies experienced divers generally gain at later stages in their SCUBA journeys.