When it comes to top-notch knowledge and personal experience, our team of expert diving holiday specialists is second to none. From Conde Nast Top Travel Specialists and expert adventure travellers, to an experienced PADI instructor and detail-oriented Divemaster, we've sourced a team passionate about the holidays they curate.
Rachel Gaw - The PADI Instructor
Rachel, an all-round adventurer and keen explorer, has over 13 years of diving experience under her belt. A qualified PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor with around five years of professional experience in the diving industry, she has come a long way since her introductory dive on a family holiday in the Red Sea. Her passion has since taken her to Thailand, the Bahamas and beyond. Her love of diving has even led her to Madagascar, where she spent three months taking part in a reef conservation programme and learning all about underwater surveying techniques.
After graduating, she underwent a three-month Divemaster internship in Gozo. Afterwards, she completed her PADI Instructor qualification, where she fell in love with the industry and moved to Mexico to work full time as an instructor. She's qualified everyone from young aspiring junior open water divers to divemasters on both the Pacific coast and the Caribbean Sea.
While living in Mexico, one of her favourite pastimes was diving in the cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula. 'Cenotes are freshwater caverns filled with crystal-clear water. The stalactite, stalagmite and column formations are simply out of this world! The sunshine pouring through cracks in the caverns creates an incredible light display, like an underwater aurora borealis!' While she doesn't work as an instructor now, she continues to travel and dive as much as possible. Some of her favourite recent trips include Egypt (where she dove the Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone), Indonesia (where she explored the shores of Bali, East Sumbawa and Komodo) and the Maldives.
Jamie Harrower – The Divemaster
Jamie, a Divemaster with wreck, deep and nitrox specialities, has five years of diving experience. From the Philippines and Indonesia to Costa Rica, he's had plenty of memorable underwater encounters.
One of his standout moments was sunrise diving at the Kimud Shoal in Malapascua. Thresher sharks emerged from the deep blue, their distinctive whip-like tails and elegant bodies moving effortlessly through the water. 'Their huge, childlike eyes made the whole encounter feel surreal and incredibly peaceful,' recounted Jamie.
His visit to a secret diving spot in Utila, Honduras, also made for a bucket list-worthy trip: 'A couple of nurse sharks became my best friends for the whole hour-long dive and one of their shark suckers became slightly overfamiliar, trying to attach itself to me multiple times.'
Tom Barber - The Family Specialist
Recently named one of Conde Nast Traveler's Top Travel Specialists for Family Travel, our founder, Tom Barber has an unpent passion for exploring all facets of the underwater world. From snorkelling the tranquil cenotes of Mexico to sitting cross-legged on the sandy bottom of the Bahamas, where bull sharks the size of small vehicles 'appeared out of the gloom to take lumps of meat from the chain mailed gloved hand of the guide.' Inhabiting the same space as these apex predators remains one of Tom's most memorable subaquatic moments, closely followed by what he describes as a 'life-affirming encounter' with the whale sharks that congregate off the coast of Belize.
Tom says his favourite dive destination remains the Maldives, where he always seems to luck out with mantas putting on particularly impressive dances as they somersault in the water column to filter feed. His twins experienced their first ever Discover Scuba Diving course at the tender age of ten at Soneva Fushi, where they cruised the house reef and instantly became hooked. And, true to his speciality in family travel, the one person Tom would love to dive with above all others is his wife.
'Diving is my favourite travel activity by a distance, but my wife is not, and sadly never will be, a diver. I've tried all sorts of persuasion because I believe diving together and reminiscing afterwards is a wonderfully bonding moment, but she remains a committed landlubber. It's one of the reasons I got the children doing it as early as possible.'
Like travel, diving is a hobby that craves mutuality. It's perfectly lovely on one's own, but seeing friends and family join in and get an equal thrill out of it is unlike anything else. That being said, it's not everyone's cup of tea, and recognising this from our own experiences, we have meticulously sought resorts that offer just as much above the surface as below to keep the whole family happy.
Andy Smith - The Adrenaline Junkie
A passionate traveller and adventurer, Andy is always searching for the next exhilarating experience. Whether it be trekking through the Himalayas or cruising through the Galapagos, he has a distinct zeal for going anywhere and everywhere and saying yes to every challenge that comes his way.
His most memorable dive was when he found himself encapsulated by a bait ball of sardines, so thick it went momentarily pitch black. Always in pursuit of mastering skills, he found his buoyancy control finally clicked on this dive and solidified his confidence underwater, making all the difference in enjoyment.
Andy's advice for someone about to embark on their first dive holiday is: 'Just do it! Spend the first ten minutes staying calm, watching how calm your divemaster is and how they move - and then enjoy the view!'
Steven Hsiao – The Marine Biologist
Steven's lifelong passion for marine life has taken him far and wide. With a Master's in Marine Biology and four years of experience in the Maldives working as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, he knows a thing or two about the deep blue.
Highlights along the way include earning his Advanced Open Water certification on California's Catalina Island, where he also worked as a Marine Educator and Aquarist, and spending time at a seal rehabilitation centre caring for rescued harbour and grey seals.
But when it comes to the open ocean, Steven's all about sharks. In South Africa, he worked with non-profit marine conservation organisations focused on great white shark research. Then, in the Bahamas, his work brought him face to face with tiger sharks, great hammerheads, lemon sharks and bull sharks.
'My favourite diving memory was exploring the underwater world of Kandooma Thila in the Maldives. It showcased the incredible diversity, beauty and energy of the ocean in a single location.'
Alesha Walton – The Asia and Australasia Specialist
Alesha heads up our Asia, Australasia and Original Diving team and brings over 14 years of experience in the travel industry. Later this year, she'll be learning to dive in the Maldives, training across a few of our favourite partner resorts, including Mirihi, Como Cocoa Island and Como Maalifushi.
'I've been to the Maldives before and loved it. The variety of marine life I saw was fantastic, and the corals were incredible. But I want to visit again from a dive perspective and experience a whole new side to the country,' shares Alesha.
She's most looking forward to spotting whale sharks and even chose Mirihi because these majestic creatures can be seen year-round. Having already encountered turtles, sea snakes and reef sharks there, mantas and pygmy seahorses are also high up on her must-see list. 'I've recently become obsessed with pygmy seahorses, but I've been told they'll be very difficult to spot - better saved for a future trip,' she adds.
No stranger to underwater adventure, Alesha has snorkelled in the Maldives, the Red Sea, Australia, Oman and beyond. She's also partial to a stand-up paddleboard or kayak.
Jacqui Brooks - The Indonesia Specialist
Recently named a Conde Nast Traveler 2026 Top Travel Specialist for Indonesia, Jacqui is an endless source of knowledge and passion when it comes to Asia and diving holidays.
'My favourite country for diving is Indonesia, due to the sheer variety of dive sites. You'll find world-class macro in Lembeh Straits, unbeatable biodiversity in Raja Ampat and mantas aplenty in Komodo. It's also one of my favourite countries on Earth, above the waves too. The Liberty Shipwreck in Tulamben, Bali, remains my favourite dive site to this day. It's an easy shore dive (so perfect if you've been out of the water a while) with plenty of swim-throughs, including a cathedral-like cargo hold.'
Though Indonesia holds her heart, Jacqui's most memorable underwater experience was on a dive holiday to Mafia Island, located just off the Tanzanian coast.
'Snorkelling with whale sharks just off the coast of Mafia was surreal - multiple whale sharks and minimal people! These gentle giants aggregate here from October to March and a morning spent swimming alongside them was a truly magical and serene experience.'
