About Us
THE TEAM & OUR MISSION
Meet the Scuba Dive Online team who will mentor you through your PADI IDC journey. Each of us are award winning PADI Course Directors (the highest rating in diving) and collectively we have taught more than 15,000 PADI students divers. Additionally, we each have more than 20 years of teaching professional level diving. Having worked at some incredible dive centres around the world, we have a wealth of knowledge and experience of teaching in different environments. Who better to be your mentor!
Our mission is to help you to become the best PADI professional you can be, by enhancing your online diver eLearning experience, to improve your understanding of in-water training and to offer you authentic dive travel recommendations. Are you ready to take on new adventures and become part of our global diving community?
OUR UNIQUE TEAM
Tim Hunt – Tim, originally from Canada, has been a PADI Course Director for 15 years and has taught in Thailand, Grand Cayman and North America. Having worked directly for PADI as a Territory Director, Tim has been able to make connections with industry leaders, dive professionals and PADI dive centres across Asia Pacific and is excited to share these unique experiences with Scuba Dive Online students. As a PADI Examiner, Tim is certainly up-to-date with training standards, quality management and teaching approaches for professional level divers.
Currently part of the ‘Pro Team’ at Ban’s & Assava Diving Resorts, his knowledge of PADI systems and diving programs, combined with his passion for the business of diving, will give you an unrivalled diving education. While his focus is training PADI professionals and helping PADI members grow their perosnal businesses, Tim enjoys teaching all levels of diver from Open Water Diver to PADI Instructor.
Natalie Hunt – Natalie, originally from Australia, is one of the most experienced PADI Course Directors in the world. With 23 years of teaching diving, her knowledge and entertaining approach to diver education will keep you hooked and wanting to learn more. Natalie most enjoys working with children and teaching divers with disabilities. In addition, she enjoys the challenge of planning and executing tec dives, sidemount dives and self-reliant dives.
Natalie is truly a global citizen having dived and worked in Thailand, Grand Cayman, British Virgin Islands, Egypt, Canada and Australia. She currently manages Assava Dive Resort and teaches Instructor Development Courses (IDC) on Koh Tao, but loves to keep her hand in teaching beginner courses too. She is truly a ‘Jill of all trades’ when it comes to diving and is one of the most inspired, motivated and active dive instructors on the planet!
Monique Richards – Monique, originally from the UK, became a PADI Instructor in 2003 and has worked full time in the diving industry ever since. She is a PADI Course Director on Koh Phangan, Thailand and has dived and worked in exotic locations which include Thailand, Egypt, Australia, India, Greece, Malaysia, Fiji and Mexico. Beyond her experience in diver training, Monique brings a wealth of knowledge with respect to dive retail, sales and management. She is one of the founders of Scuba Dive Online and a main face you’ll see teaching the IDC online sessions.
Noteably, Monique is passionate about the underwater environment and is part of a team (which includes Tim and Natalie) of marine conservationists who regularly transplant and monitor corals as part of an underwater reef conservation project. She teaches her courses with a larger goal in mind, which is to create true ambassadors for our ocean planet.
Neil Richards – Neil, originally from the UK, became a PADI Instructor in 2003 and remains passionate about diving. He has dived and worked in some of the best diving locations in the world, including Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, Fiji, Mexico and Egypt.
Neil is a PADI Course Director based at Ban’s Diving Resort on Koh Toa, Thailand, and loves to travel to our hand-picked PADI 5 Star IDC partner centres around the world to complete the in-water section of the IDC. Additionally, he worked as the PADI Regional Manager for Thailand for 7 years and is also a PADI examiner. Who better to mentor you through your IDC!
Neil is keen on sports and fitness, and often organizes events such as sunset beach volleyball games, hiking the viewpoints of Koh Tao, wakeboading and even ariel trapeze!
Alex Arnold – Alex, originally from the UK, became a PADI Instructor in 2000 and has been dedicated to the diving industry, both as an instructor and dive centre owner. Thailand, Egypt, Malaysia, and The Maldives are just a few of the beautiful countries he as dived and worked in.
In 2007, Alex, along with his wife Rachel, became the proud owner of PADI 5 Star IDC resort “Sail Rock Divers” on the island of Koh Phangan in Thailand. Running the most successful PADI IDC resort on Koh Phangan takes up quite a lot of his time. However, he still manages to find the time to travel with Scuba Dive Online to some of our other exotic destinations.
Alex also runs a photography company and enjoys taking underwater shots as well as portraiture.
Kai Steinbeck – Kai, originally from Australia became a PADI Instructor back in 1994. He has worked in the Caribbean, Indonesia, Cost Rica and the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea Australia.
Kai worked as an instructor for many years teaching Open water up to Divemaster programmes in Cairns. He became a trip director on liveaboards and eventually also became a skipper. He has the prestigious Platinum Course Director rating and teaches IDCs both in the Dominican Republic and Sunshine Coast of Australia.
Kai’s vast teaching experience gives him a great foundation to pass on to his candidate, not only in diving but also marine life knowledge, conservation as well as business solutions for managing dive companies.
FOUR WAYS WE WILL SUPPORT YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY TO BECOMING A PADI PROFESSIONAL
1.Unique, Enhanced eLearning and LIVE online presentations – Our PADI eLearning courses feature video, study materials, and real-time knowledge assessments. Once your elearning is complete, join us LIVE online for teaching workshops, tailored to your course and schedule worldwide.
For PADI Divemaster Courses, we offer complimentary LIVE online dive theory presentations and consultation sessions, to fully prepare you for the practical part of your PADI Divemaster course at one of our hand-picked PADI 5 Star IDC partner centres worldwide.
For PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC), we offer a unique “hybrid” half online and half in-water option, saving you both time and money. All the PADI IDC classroom curriculum workshops can be delivered to you with our IDC LIVE online workshops (7 days, 3 hours per day), fully preparing you for your in-water section at one of our many PADI 5 Star IDC partner centre destinations.
For PADI Recreational courses, if you decide to take the eLearning option, we offer a free online presentation to prepare you for your course at one of our chosen partner destinations. Less time in a classroom on your holiday and more time underwater. If you need to complete recreational courses before becoming a PADI Pro, this is a great option to get to know your Scuba Dive Online team.
2. International Partnered Facilities – Dive with confidence at our recommended PADI 5 Star IDC partner centres. Our Scuba Dive Online team, with extensive experience worldwide, carefully select our partner centres based on their outstanding reputation and performance. We’ve either worked directly at these centres or closely alongside them. Our chosen destinations promise world-class experiences. If you’ve already chosen a dive centre, fantastic! But if you’d like to meet your instructor or inspect the facility before committing, we can arrange a face-to-face online meeting.
Our global network, chosen through our worldwide experiences, allows us to offer tailored recommendations for diving and accommodation in various countries. Currently, we are partnered with dive centres in Thailand, Dominican Republic, The Maldives, Philippines, and Mexico. Wherever you’re considering for your diver training, count on the Scuba Dive Online team for expert assistance.
3.Dive equipment expert consultation – As a certified diver, there is nothing better than having your own personal set of equipment. The Scuba Dive Online team offers equipment recommendations from masks and snorkels to complete sets with BCD, regulator, and computer. We will share our preferred brands and explain our choices to help you decide.
4. Dive career expert consultation – PADI Course Directors, such as the Scuba Dive Online team, are dedicated to supporting PADI professionals in their pursuit of dive industry employment. Drawing from our own vast experience of teaching around the world, we offer complimentary LIVE career consultation to all of our Pro level candidates. During these consults, we provide guidance on job hunting, writing CVs, mastering interview techniques, and build connections with fellow pro-level candidates worldwide through engaging Q and A sessions.
