Meet The Dive Team At Local Dive Thailand
A happy dive team makes for happy guests. Sir Richard Branson is famed for saying that you “should train your staff so that they could leave, but treat them well enough so they don’t” and that is the motto we work with here at Local Dive Thailand. We might be a large, tour leading scuba diving agency but we know the value of quality staff. Some of our dive team have been with us since we first started operating. Many have been diving in Phuket & Thailand their whole lives, there is no substitute for that level of experience & knowledge.
Why Dive With Us?
As with everything situation in life, prevention is better than cure. Scuba Diving is a fun and exhilarating experience but we must of course make sure that every aspect is carried out safely. There’s no need to balance safety and a fun experience, they work perfectly well together.
Our team have been there, done that, got the t-shirt. We’ve learnt from others great ideas and their mistakes. We like to think that we have a perfect balance of fun, enthusiasm and safety. So here they are:
Supawee Yodnum (Pu) Dive Master
Pu has been with the company from the start and is also a co-owner. A very experienced PADI Dive Master and tourleader. Pu is always smiling and makes sure our guests are entertained and everything runs smoothly on the day. We have many repeat guests from all over the world who come back every year to enjoy the scuba diving in Phuket with Pu.
Special thanks to our DM Pu, made us feel like VIPs, this lady loves her dive sites and you can tell! Always great to dive with true passionate pros! Will come back. Soumeya M – TA Member
Dokmai Chada (Born) Tour Leader/PADI MSDT & SSI Instructor
Super organised and super friendly, Born is the consummate multi-tasker and considered the leader of our dive team. An experienced instructor with a wealth of knowledge that she’s always happy to pass on to her students and certified diver guests. Born is a tireless worker who keeps everybody on their toes and helps keep the whole team running smoothly and deliver a great days diving in Phuket.
Special mention for Born (I hope I spelt that correctly) who made my day awesome. I felt in very safe hands and that I was clearly with someone who loves sea life and is passionate about making your experience as good as it can be – I couldn’t ask for better (and have never had a better dive lead!) Darren B – TA Member
Supachai Thaijinda (Tang) PADI Dive Master
Tang joined us a couple of years back as a Dive Master trainee. His friendly and willing demeanour soon made us realise we had to find a more fitting role. Tang now is responsible for local marketing but also helps out in the office and on the boat. You won’t see him on the boat very often except when he’s requested from his many previous happy guests.
My girlfriend and myself went on a one day trip with Local Dive Thailand with a group of about 20. We were the only two to go snorkelling while everyone else dived and were concerned if we were going to be able to still see coral and fish. The entire time we were with Tang who was fantastic. He stayed with us the entire trip, he’s English was really good and even followed us around taking photos. Later on the trip he helped spot numerous marine life such as turtles, lion fish and other animals. Darren B – TA Member
Phil Rogers Tour Leader & PADI/SSI Staff Instructor
Phil first plied his trade in the frigid waters in the UK and has since picked up extensive experience teaching all kinds of PADI courses. A very capable tour leader and instructor, keeps the boat running smoothly and teaches a very high standard of courses from beginner to professional level.
On the actual day, the driver was punctual, in fact the first time I’ve ever experienced in Thailand. And the rest of the day was fun fun and all fun! Phil was my instructor and safety is definitely his utmost priority. Throughout the dives he constantly checking on us even though we are pretty comfortable ourselves underwater. Thumbs up for that! Jason T – TA Member
Mood Guide, Occasional Tour Leader & PADI MSDT Instructor
Mood has been diving for about 300 years it seems. No one knows the dive sites around Phuket and the Similan islands better than him. A very patient and thorough instructor but his years of experience in just about every aspect of the Phuket dive industry dictates that he takes on various roles at Local Dive Thailand. Instructor, guide, tour leader, organising the annual boat maintenance and generally keeping an eye day to day running.
Did a fun dive with a local Dive Thailand. Dive master Mood was great. They arranged a pick up and drop off from my hotel. Great thing about them is they have their own boat. Great day Blueflash – TA Member
Sophii Enina Kjaer PADI MSDT Instructor
Sophii is a very experienced and easy going instructor from Denmark. She can teach a wide range of PADI courses in Danish, English, Swedish and Norwegian. Sophii knows the the local Phuket diving sites inside out and is responsible for many special finds. A key member of our dive team who takes on the majority of our entry level PADI courses. You won’t find her here between May and October but always returns for the busy season.
My friend and I came to Phuket to do an open water scuba diving course and could not be happier with our time there. Our trainer, Sophi, was great; funny, patient and very much invested in our development. Our trips out to the dive sites were so memorable, the boat ride itself very enjoyable (with delicious food and a post-dive beer), and the diving magnificentSilvenna – TA Member
Stephen Rothwell PADI OWSI Instructor
Stephen is a relatively new member to the team but has been doing some great work, especially with entry level courses. Steve got stuck in Phuket during covid and decided to take his PADI Dive Master and then Instructor courses. He immediately received great customer feedback so we decided to take him on. Fun and patient just like the rest of our team
This is the perfect training centre and Phuket perfect location to learn to dive, i initially booked onto a discovery dive but enjoyed it so much i upgraded to Open Water Dive course
This was under the tuition of Stephen Rothwell, a young man but with with years if experience
Very professional and made our dives feel safe and secure, highly recommended.Jeff Croft – TA Member
Thipnapa Mueangsut ‘Nikki’ PADI Dive Master/Snorkel Guide
Nikki is one our official Thai government tour guides but is also an excellent snorkel guide and now fully fledged PADI Dive Master. A very enthusiastic and fun guide who is always smiling. Nikki joined our dive team over three years ago now and we hope she stay with us for much longer
After we finished with our open water course we did one day of fun diving going to the Phi Phi islands and Shark Point where we saw a beautiful underwater world including the beautiful Leopard shark. All thanks to the great eyes of our wonderful guide Nikki. I can’t express enough how these guys take care of you and highly recommend diving or snorkeling with Local Dive. We will be back that’s for sure!Katie H – TA Member
The Crew On MV Kepsub
Behind The Scenes
Vince Callaghan PADI Master Instructor/Tech Instructor
Vince is not very often spotted outside of our Chalong dive centre, he’s responsible for all safety aspects of the company including the never ending task of keeping our equipment in A1 condition. His background in mine safety and firefighting allows everyone of our employees and guests to trust our boat and equipment 100%. A very experienced Instructor who will don his recreational scuba equipment only to teach the best Dive Master course in Phuket which he’s been doing for almost 20 years! Many instructors working in Phuket have Vince to thank for their first step on the professional ladder.
Justin Hartrey PADI MSDT Instructor
Justin has been in Phuket for 13 years, a very experienced instructor and guide but can only really be described as a desk diver nowadays. Responsible for page content, photos and social media, you will occasionally see him on the boat taking photos and sticking a camera in your face. He’s been working in and around the Phuket liveaboard scene for a long time and will guarantee to find a trip that suits your needs and will very often go up to the Similan Islands with you.
Justin, our dive guide, was great finding and identifying various marine live. He was very attentive and flexible with our idiosyncrasies and made sure we had a great diving experience. trial_and_error_555 – TA Member
The Big Boss
Ruethaiwan Callaghan (Noon) PADI MSDT Instructor/Tour Leader/Guide
Noon will probably be your first contact at Local Dive Thailand. Even though running an established and successful dive company is a full time job, Noon tries to answer as many emails as she can and replies to our (all very good) tripadvisor reviews. Noon has vast experience in the dive business and has at stages taken on every possible role. Giving her a unique insight into what divers want and expect from a dive centre and boat operator.
I contacted Noon a month before our trip and she was extremely prompt in all her replies. She provided us with all the details required (price, Dive sites, Dive times etc). You can expect a reply in less than an hour(even at 1am, wow!)948538 – TA Member
