Dive The World
About Us - Your Dive Buddies
You sometimes tell us that you find the online booking process a bit impersonal so we'd like to introduce ourselves and give you opportunity to put a face to the name you've been corresponding with.
Like you, we are all enthusiastic about diving and the underwater environment but we also realise that your valuable vacation time should be as much fun as possible. Therefore we take the time and hassle out of finding you the best value trips and diving experiences available.
Dive Buddy (in alphabetical order):
Azad Osman
Nationality: Swedish/Lebanese
Dive The World position: Sales staff, responsible for Thailand and Malaysia bookings, and even some minor IT fixes for the sales office in Phuket. Azad is the first person that you might get in touch by phone or Skype.
Bio data: An ex-telecom engineer that used to dive in Swedish waters but discovered that there are fish in other places too; no need to spend 45 minutes gearing up for a 20 minute dive. So Azad stopped diving in Sweden and become a dive instructor in Thailand many years ago. For liveaboards in Thailand and local dive sites in Phuket, he is the man you want to ask, as he has more than 4,000 dives in those areas, and knows most of the boats and dive operators. If he's not diving then he's online, or playing with Photoshop and taking photos on land or underwater.
Language skills: Swedish, English, Arabic, Thai and French (conversational).
You can contact Azad at Azad@Dive-The-World.com
Detlef Sarrazin (Beef)
Nationality: Holding on to German traveling documents
Dive The World position: The latest addition to the sales and enquiries gang that makes all your dreams come true if possible, and if not he will die trying in front of his computer. Apart from that he also responsible for the artistic outcome of the Dive The World's merchandise, as if he doesn't have enough to do already.
Bio data: Being an avionics engineer by trade, Beef has been lying in front of mantis shrimp holes across the Andaman Sea since 1996. Teaching and guiding people for the past 11 years, his extensive knowledge encompasses the area of the world from Hin Daeng / Hin Muang to Phi Phi Islands, around Phuket, Similan Islands and all the way up to Myanmar.
Language skills: German and English (her Queen's English, that is).
You can contact Beef at Beef@Dive-The-World.com
Daniel Galt
Nationality: Scottish
Dive The World position: When not checking out the local dive sites for macro critters on his day off, he can be found chained to his sales desk at Dive The World, helping you choose the best liveaboard for your diving adventure in the Maldives and Australia.
Bio data: Having taken time off work for a diving holiday to Australia in 2004, Daniel stopped in Thailand on the way home to do a liveaboard in the Similans and has never left. A tec Instructor, he is happiest with a twin set or CCR diving the WWII wrecks in the Gulf of Thailand although admits that any kind of diving in 28 degrees water is better than Stoney Cove or Dosthill.
Language skills: English and conversational Glaswegian.
You can contact Danny at Danny@Dive-The-World.com
Diego Bianchi
Nationality: Italian
Dive The World position: Key person responsible for our accounts and managing our PADI Centre in Phuket. Regularly complains that he spends most of his time answering internal email but his Italian temperament means he always has a cheerful face.
Bio data: An accountant that made his way underwater and became an instructor. Diego has worked since 2000 in the diving industry in Phuket and is a popular and respected member of the local community. Diego has logged over 1,500 dives guiding and leading liveaboard vacation trips to the Similan Islands and other destinations. When he escapes from the office you will find Diego on a liveaboard enjoying the diving.
Language skills: Italian, French, English, Thai and Spanish (conversational).
You can contact Diego at Diego@Dive-The-World.com
Enrico Toso
Nationality: Italian
Dive The World position: Enrico is a member of our sales team. Although he does deal with some English language enquiries, he is the primary Dive The World contact for Italian enquiries. Enrico has also been a great help on keeping the Italian versions of our websites up to date.
Bio data: Enrico was "Made in Italy" few years ago. He is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer who wanted to find a way out of the boring life that his studies were offering to him, but now he has found Dive The World instead! He has passed through dives in South Africa and Maldives, and jobs on liveaboards around the Similans Islands, Phuket and Myanmar. He can't stay too far from the sea, and if not wet, he is probably helping you on booking your next diving holiday or playing tennis with Beef.
Language skills: Italian and English.
You can contact Enrico at Enrico@Dive-The-World.com
Gavin Macaulay
Nationality: Born UK, though likes to think he comes from Ireland
Dive The World position: Is responsible for keeping in touch with all Dive The World's operators making sure we have as much of our information accurate and complete as practical. Looks into new diving destinations and also does a lot of the flowery writing you read on the site. Also spends too many hours downloading music from the internet and can be seen sitting at his PC playing air-drums with his headphones on.
Bio data: Gavin is a devoutly warm-weather recreational diver who having done his open water in Australia ten years ago has since dived throughout Asia as well as in Europe, the Red Sea, the Pacific and South Africa. A qualified PADI Divemaster he is proud never to have worked a day as a DM preferring to dive for fun. He lives and occasionally works in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
Language skills: English, French - fluent once, now not so, Spanish - again peaked at schoolboy level. Currently getting to grips with Bahasa Malaysia.
You can contact Gavin at Gavin@Dive-The-World.com
Ingo Siewert
Nationality: German
Dive The World position: Sales Team Manager. Ingo's language skills have been instrumental in getting the German version of our website available for the visitor. His extensive knowledge of the region and long hair make him popular with divers, both on-line enquirers and those walking into our shop in Phuket.
Bio data: Ingo is one of the most experienced divers in the company, who still can't wait for his next dive. He has been diving in the Asia-Pacific region as a professional Divemaster and Cruise Director on liveaboard dive vacations in Burma, Thailand and Indonesia since 1999. He knows where to look to find what you want. If you are looking for the vacation destination for something special he's the expert at finding it...
Language skills: German and English.
You can contact Ingo at Ingo@Dive-The-World.com
Charlene Diane
Nationality: Malaysian
Dive The World position: Sales Staff, responsible for finding out all there is to know about our new diving destinations and helping you avoid any pitfalls. Also keeps the Malaysian office in order.
Bio data: A native of Sabah, Charlene has always had dream places like Sipadan and Layang Layang on her doorstep. She discovered diving in 2000 and has been keen to spend plenty of time underwater ever since. With a background in tourism, she knows all there is to know about her home state and was welcomed on board the good ship Dive The World in early 2008. When not helping you book your trip, Charlene can be found playing with her dogs, playing with her blog, or belting out some cheesy tune in a karaoke bar.
Language skills: English and Bahasa Malaysia.
You can contact Lyn at CustomerService@Dive-The-World.com
Noon Ruethaiwan
Nationality: Thai
Dive The World position: Noon has great experience in diving as she's been working as a tour leader on a liveaboard for the past five high seasons, then in the low season she would be teaching from Open Water to Divemaster. Noon is now taking a break from tour leading and with her experience she's ideal to have around the shop as she can give valuable answers to questions for our entire customer base, whether for courses, Phuket daytrips in or Similan liveaboards.
Bio data: Noon was born in Phetchaburi and has always lived by the sea. She fell head-over-heels in love with diving since her Open Water course, and once she become diving a professional and moved to Phuket, she found her natural home in the Similan Islands marine world.
Language skills: English and Thai.
You can contact Noon at Noon@Dive-The-World.com
Sheldon Hey
Nationality: Born UK, though South Africa is now home
Dive The World position: General Manager and Web-wiz. The founder and inspiration behind the Dive The World concept. Very much the (search) engine room of the business, Sheldon gets things done and likes to stay one step ahead of the rest - to such an extent that he's normally left by the time anyone else arrives.
Bio data: Sheldon is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer - which means he's wasted more money than most on PADI cards. Diving in northern and southern Africa, South East Asia and the South Pacific, his passions are for adventure, adrenaline, (very amateur) underwater photography and environmental issues. Having dived with Great Whites, Tiger Sharks and Zambezis, as well as Mandarinfish, Blue-ringed Octopus, and Pygmy Seahorses, he enjoys the big, the bad and the ugly, as well as the minute and magnificent. His current dream is to get the time to dive with hammerhead sharks. "I feel it's important that those with a passion for marine conversation do try all they can to protect that environment. After all, we can't expect others that are not interested or don't know to do anything about it".
Language skills: English and all the Thai he would ever want to speak. Also html and java script (written, not spoken).
You can contact Sheldon at Sheldon@dive-the-world.com
Miss Pornsri Wichitsopha
Nationality: Thai
Dive The World position: A vital link between east and west - Sri has been working on the administration and management of the sales and accounts function for a number of years. Sri manages to maintain a smile even when the rest of us are frowning - an occasional event, even here in paradise.
Bio data: Sri completed her PADI Open Water Diver course a few years ago. She's visited most of Phuket's top dive sites and the Similan Islands several times, though we do still think she'd rather go shopping.
Language skills: Thai and English
You can contact Sri at Sri@Dive-The-World.com
Victoria Rolinson
Nationality: British
Dive The World position: Responsible for the management accounts and any other financial issues that raise their ugly heads from time to time.
Bio data: Vicky has been an accountant for the past 14 years, but decided to leave the London 'rat race' in 2006 to go traveling. After spending time in Australasia and SE Asia, she decided that Thailand was the place to settle. She did her first ever open water dive in January 2007, and so taken was she with the underwater experience that she had gained her PADI Divemaster within the year. Whilst she now spends a lot of her time in the office, she looks forward to her days off when she is able to go out and dive the local Phuket dive sites and the Similan Islands.
Language skills: English, limited French, and just about enough Thai to get by.
You can contact Vicky at Vicky@Dive-The-World.com
ScubaZoo - Official Image Supplier
SCUBAZOO is a team of professional underwater cameramen based in Sabah, Malaysia. They have filmed and photographed marine life throughout the world, particularly in South East Asia.
Their photographic work has featured widely in various diving magazines and publications and can be enjoyed in their own book: 'SIPADAN, MABUL, KAPALAI - SABAH'S UNDERWATER TREASURE'. Their underwater film work has including projects with the National Geographic, BBC and Discovery Channel. Many of the images featured on the Dive The World websites have been kindly supplied by Scubazoo.
If you want to know more about Scubazoo or to take an underwater photography / videography course under their expert guidance, please visit their website at www.scubazoo.com .
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