Meet The Crew
Meet the team that will be getting you started on your underwater adventures!
Xavier
Director, Instructor Trainer, Course Director
Xavier has been diving since the age of 8, Xavier’s love of diving and the sea comes from his father, whom as well was a diving instructor in the 60’s in France. Xavier is a NAUI Course Director, an NASDS Instructor Trainer, SSI Instructor certifier, and is a DAN Oxygen Provider and First Aid Instructor.
Xavier has taught Scuba extensively both in Australia and overseas. With well over 4000 certified Open Water divers trained in his career, Xavier is arguably one of the most experienced instructors of Scuba in Australia.
MELISSA
Melissa is a keen diver with both work and academic accreditations and experience in the tourism, travel, and communications industries.
She is kept busy by her 2 little boys and the mountain of paperwork that she must climb in order to keep Scuba Culture in line.
Madison
Specialty Open Water & XR Instructor
Madison learnt to dive with Scuba Culture 12 years ago at the tender age of 15 and has since progressed through to Open Water SCUBA Instructor.
He has dived extensively throughout Australia and you can now find him working in the shop, servicing equipment, guiding and teaching people to dive.
Store Manager
Position vacant.
David
Advanced Open Water Instructor
David is another graduate from The Gordon’s program, he is also now a SCUBA CULTURE Open Water Instructor who came through the 2009 Instructor course. David has gained valuable experience in the dive industry both in Western Australia on Ningaloo Reef and in falling off a dive vessel in Queensland.
David answers to the name of Rowdy due to his boisterous and loud mannerism. He has also discovered that one of the joys of being a Diving Instructor is that you never need to experience a Melbourne Winter again. He divides his time between Melbourne Summers and US Summers.
Chris
Dive Control Specialist/ Shop/ Free Diving Instructor
Otherwise known as “The Hammer”, Chris can usually be found leading dives in the Bay and assisting on courses. He is an avid Dive Traveller and relishes the opportunity to travel to destinations such as Palau, Santo, The Ponds, and the list goes on…..
As a Dive Control Specialist you will find Chris leading your dives or giving you a Refresher on your rusty Scuba skills.
Chris
Advanced Open Water Instructor
Chris’ introduction to diving was a shark dive at the Melbourne Aquarium. From this came a thirst for more and soon she was taking non-divers into the Aquarium herself! Having worked as a Dive Professional since 2006 and an Instructor in 2009, she is has done the majority of her diving in Melbourne so can give you a true insight into the wonders of our bay.
A woman of many talents and surprises, Chris’s other passion is ice skating, having represented Australia and travelled the world as part of the Ice Cadettes from 1986 through to 2008
Sue
Speciality Instructor/ Shop Staff
Sue started diving in 1993 and became a dive professional in 1999. Most of her diving has been in Melbourne, but other memorable locations include Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Queensland, Greece and Iceland.
When not in the water, she can be found developing software, playing badminton or tennis, or camping. Fun fact – fellow Scuba Culture instructor Chris J was one of Sue’s open water students.
Kate
Marine Biologist & Assistant Instructor
Dr.Kate Naughton isn’t just Australia’s leading marine invertebrate expert, she’s also part of our team of dive guides who guide you and bring you the joys of diving every week! Recently back from various marine discovery research expeditions, she is busting to share her discoveries with you!
Kate has a knack of being able to intrigue divers and focus them on some of the most interesting critters that inhabit our waters.
Mic
Specialty Instructor
Mic has been diving for around 10 years and has loved every minute of it, so much so that he just kept on going until he became a Specialty Open Water SCUBA Instructor. Mic’s diving has taken him not just under water but also to the opposite extreme above water, having recently led a Scuba Culture trip along the Kokoda Track.
You can find Mic teaching Open Water students as well as Navigation, Perfect Buoyancy and other specialty courses.
Nicola
Marine Biologist, Co-Founder of The Green Style Podcast,Plastic Oceans Australasia Ambassador
Nicola is a Marine Biologist and fellow ocean lover and is often found assisting with the guiding on our club dives. Frequently pointing out the most interesting marine animals, big and small, Nicola has a passion for the marine environment and demonstrates this as the Global Ocean Youth Ambassador for the Marine Stewardship Council & as Ambassador and Committee member for Plastic Oceans Australia.
David B
Assistant Instructor
Originally from the land of the long white cloud, Dave now dives with the Aussie’s and loves nothing more than helping people learn how to dive and guiding divers around the underwater sites. Dave has traveled extensively throughout Australia and the South Pacific for his diving.
Normally found in the IT world during his day job, Dave revels in his underwater pass time and side hustle.
San
Assistant Instructor
San became an Assistant Instructor with Scuba Culture 3 years ago. His passion for diving and the underwater world led him from being an Open Water diver through to his current professional diving level. Whether it is fresh water or salt water diving San is into it.
Otherwise found flying his drone over dive sites, San loves underwater and aerial photography – just SANsational!
Shane
Assistant Instructor
Shane first experienced diving in the mid 90’s whilst in the Army and has dived many locations around the world including the Great Barrier Reef, Mexico, Indonesia and more.
Shane has a passion for cave diving and is a GUE Instructor. He is a regular visitor to Mount Gambier for his own love of diving in fresh water holes and caves and so also runs our trips to South Australia in order to introduce Scuba Culture club members to the joy of wet rocks.
With his experience and passion for teaching, Shane hopes to inspire more people to discover the beauty of diving and the underwater world.
Amy
Instructor
Amy started diving in 2012 in Indonesia and mainly dived there recreationally for the next 6 years, gaining the ability to speak fluent Indonesian – she loves travelling and exploring new places,
ln 2018 she moved to the Cook Islands to become a Dive Instructor (PADI) and then worked there for 1 year. She returned to Melbourne for the arrival of the gorgeous Evana in February 2020.
After completing a SSI Instructor cross over, she has been teaching, guiding and working in the shop with Scuba Culture. Her friendly persona and infectious laughter will make you feel at ease, above and under water.
Dan C
Dive Master
Nikki is another star graduate from William Angliss Institute of TAFE. She is an Open Water Instructor and just loves getting in the water and showing people with wonders of the deep.
You can find her both above the water (in the shop) and under the water leading and teaching people.
She has dived extensively in Victoria, South Australia and QLD. She has also had the pleasure of diving in Vanuatu.