Simba McKinnon

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD:
2020

QUALIFICATIONS: Customer Service Expert

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: I jumped into the swimming pool at 3 months and had a little freak out. Still deciding if scuba is for me

I WORK AT SCUBA WORLD BECAUSE: I love greeting people at the door and receiving a pat. Not to mention the crumbs that magically fall from the kitchen when the staff are preparing food for the dive charter!

Simba

Jasmin Gawlista

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD: 2024

QUALIFICATIONS: Advanced Open Water

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 100

DIVING SINCE: 2011

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: Agincourt reef

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: Elphinstone in Egypt Red Sea

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: The feeling of weightlessness and the peace under the water is incredible. With every dive you discover something new, that you haven’t seen before.
When you go diving, you always get to know new people and sometimes contacts and friendships are formed all over the world.

WHY I ENJOY WORKING AT SCUBA WORLD (what makes Scuba World special): Scuba World is an authentic, honest diving centre. Everyone welcomes you with open arms. Good training and safety is the highest priority. The team consists of many different personalities, which makes it special.

Jasmin

Matt

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD: 2022

QUALIFICATIONS: SSI Dive Master

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 160

DIVING SINCE: 2017

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: Flat Rock – North Straddie

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: I am looking forward to my first overseas diving holiday

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: I scuba dive to experience the ocean in a different way to what most people experience it because I’ve always been interested by the Marine Ecosystems present on reefs and wrecks.

WHY I ENJOY WORKING AT SCUBA WORLD (what makes Scuba World special): I enjoy working at Scuba World because of the team and how friendly and professional everyone is towards each other and customers while still having fun and keeping everyone safe!

Matt

Chris Toshach

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD: 2023

QUALIFICATIONS: Coxswain , Master 24m NC, Open Water Diver

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 50

DIVING SINCE: 1985

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: LIHOU ATOLL marine park (350nm east of Cairns)

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: LIHOU ATOLL marine park (350nm east of Cairns)

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: Its always an eyes wide open adventure expect the unexpected

WHY I ENJOY WORKING AT SCUBA WORLD (what makes Scuba World special): Local family operated business with happy crew giving their customers the Xfactor diving experience.

Chris

Cam

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD: 2022

QUALIFICATIONS: SSI AOW Instructor

SSI EXPERIENCE POINTS: 478 (22 off GOLD)

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 3000+

DIVING SINCE: 2017

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: Lonsdale Wall, Port Phillip Bay

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: Cenote Dos Ojos, Quintana Roo

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: The ocean, like all great works of art, will outlive us. And the diver whose job is to gaze into the ocean, must face eternity, or the lack of it, each dive.

WHY I ENJOY WORKING AT SCUBA WORLD (what makes Scuba World special): The excellence in leadership and depth in experience, as well as the many members drinking the kool-aid.

Cam

David Ryan

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD: 2023

QUALIFICATIONS: Dive Master

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 250

DIVING SINCE: 2022

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: Opsrey Reef – Fairy Grotto or North Horn, honestly any dive at Osprey reef is spectacular. Massive walls, lots of swim throughs and nooks and crannies galore to explore. Just loved it!

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: I havent dived over seas yet, but remote Papua New Guinea really piques my interest. Id like to explore where most people don’t get to.

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: Observing nature underwater, close up, is not something I can do very often. Watching the dynamics, inter-relationships and personality expressions of the different types organisms, personally I find just fascinating. Being apart of someone’s elses enjoyable experience of this and potentially helping them to have a better one, helps me want to get out and be a dive guide.

David

Leila Barnsley

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD: 2020

QUALIFICATIONS: Advanced Open Water Instructor & Ecology Instructor

SSI EXPERIENCE POINTS: 976 (GOLD Instructor)

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 3500+

DIVING SINCE: 2014

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: Great Detached Reef (GBR)

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: Gordon’s Rock (Galápagos Islands)

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: You never know what you are going to find underwater. It is a completely different world under the surface. There is always something new on every dive and there are so many amazing opportunities to learn more knowledge and skills.

Leila

Scott Thorburn

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD: 2019

QUALIFICATIONS: Dive Master

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 300+

DIVING SINCE: 2004

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: Mudjimba Island, Mooloolaba (Old woman island)

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: Bali

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: It’s the one place I can go to relax and calm my mind.

Scott

Steve Bowtell

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD: 2011

QUALIFICATIONS: Open Water Instructor

SSI EXPERIENCE POINTS: 70

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 1000+

DIVING SINCE: 2010

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: Osprey Reef, Queensland

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: Truk Lagoon, Micronesia

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: It’s rewarding and challenging. I also feel a great sense accomplishment!

Steve

Tim Denyer

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD: 2021

QUALIFICATIONS: Open Water Instructor

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 430+

DIVING SINCE: 2020

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: Cathedrals – Far North Queensland

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: Cathedrals – Far North Queensland

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: I love the wildlife! You can always find something new.

Tim

Chris Maxwell

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD:2019

QUALIFICATIONS: Advanced Open Water Instructor

SSI EXPERIENCE POINTS: 1800 (PLATINUM Instructor)

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 1500+

DIVING SINCE: 2010

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: ex-HMAS Brisbane

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: I dive because marine life has always fascinated me. I love encounters with sharks and manta rays. I also enjoy instructing new divers and introducing them to scuba life.

Chris

Mike McKinnon

OWNER/GENERAL MANAGER

Mike is one of only seven active SSI Instructor Certifiers in Australia. This is the highest professional level you can achieve through the SSI system. Having dived in over 14 different countries and certified well over 800 people from Open Water level through to Instructors, Mike has a wealth of knowledge that puts him at the top of his profession.

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD:

2003

QUALIFICATIONS: SSI Instructor Certifier, Coxswain (Skipper), XR Instructor

SSI EXPERIENCE POINTS: 5720 (PLATINUM Pro 5000 Instructor)

NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 3000+

DIVING SINCE: 1997

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: Da Phat, Great Detached (GBR)

FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: San Francisco Maru – Truk Lagoon

I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: Every time you venture underwater, you never know what you might see! 70% of the world is water – why not explore it. My favourite quote is: ‘From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free’. Jacques Yves Cousteau.

WHY I ENJOY WORKING AT SCUBA WORLD (what makes Scuba World special): I started washing wetsuits at the age of 14 when my dad was running the show. After many years of blood sweat and tears (and a lot of non-paid ‘family business’ hours) I can honestly say I do this job for the love of it. Teaching someone to dive and seeing them progress through to Dive Master or Instructor and become absolutely addicted to the underwater world is a huge privilege. Seeing people smile after a dive and all the wonderful people I have met over the years is fantastic.

Simba McKinnon

Simba

Jasmin Gawlista

Jasmin

Matt

Matt

Chris Toshach

Chris

Cam

Cam

David Ryan

David

Leila Barnsley

Leila

Scott Thorburn

Scott

Steve Bowtell

Steve

Tim Denyer

Tim

Chris Maxwell

Chris

Mike McKinnon

OWNER/GENERAL MANAGER

YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD:

Mike

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