Our Team
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Jurgen
Hailing from the land of Chocolate, Jurgen came to India in 2004 looking to add some spice to his life. This PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) and SSI Advanced Open Water Instructor (AOWI) backpacked throughout the country before docking in Havelock, where he gave birth to Scubalov. With more than 20 years’ experience and a background in engineering and economics, this left brained instructor is both a patient perfectionist and a great problem solver. If there is one thing Jurgen loves more than diving, it is passing on his love for diving. This master of Zen is known to possess calm as boundless as the deep ocean.
Mandira
Mandira is like a wave of happiness that washes over the dive shop every day. This PADI Rescue Diver and former aerial artist has traveled extensively all over the country exploring yoga and meditation in its various forms, and exudes a light-hearted vibe wherever she goes. Mamma Bear to two beautiful children and the Scubalov family, she always keeps a check on how everyone is doing. Despite her nurturing nature she is almost childlike in her wonder for the world, underwater and above it. She is Jurgen’s better half and co-conspirator in the creation of Scubalov, and mother to our conservation-based arm Earthsong.
Nigel
Escaped from Alice’s wonderland, we present to you our very own Cheshire cat. The playful twinkle in Nigel’s eyes and his famous mischief laden grin have the power to infect anybody and everybody with a tickle up their spine. This hardworking PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) reluctantly spent a few years in marketing before finally selling his mind and soul to the devil that is diving. He has been diving professionally since 2013 and is known for his quintessential playlists and his love for order and paperwork (which he expressly denies). His superpower is his keen eye for all things small underwater and the fascinating ability to befriend octopuses.
Saniel
Saniel is the pretty boy of the team. This young and enthusiastic lad is good looking and he owns it. His style changes with the season and his life is a desi hip-hop anthem. When his lifelong dream of joining the army was unfortunately cut short because he turned out to be too short, he chose to start scuba diving. He joined the Scubalov team in 2016 as boat crew and advanced to PADI Divemaster in 2019. Though the sea has offered him many rare sightings of the elusive Dugong, he would brush them aside in a split second for the chance to see his favourite badmash macchi, a.k.a. Sharks!
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Despite having a number for a name, this PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) and SSI Advanced Open Water Instructor (AOWI) considers math his mortal enemy. He has been scuba diving since 2012, but has been free diving since the tender age of seven, thus we have strong reason to believe that he is actually a merman with cleverly concealed gills. Hailing from Mayabunder, this strong Karen instructor will forgo no opportunity to take his shirt off and show off his six-pack abs. When he is not diving or pretending to practice Mixed Martial Arts, he spends his time counting the few strands of hair his face is able to produce.
Donald
You will never see anyone so sincere in his belief of magic and myth. When Donald tells you “true” accounts of mermaids and magical Burmese tattoos that make people immortal, it is possible for a split second that you might consider believing in them. This Karen PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) and SSI Advanced Open Water Instructor (AOWI) from Mayabunder trained on the island as a professional in 2012 and is one of the most hardworking people in the Scubalov team. Although the singing sirens in his stories might not really exist, he himself is an outstanding musician who rocks a good six string.
Karishma
It was when her job as a journalist took her to a landlocked city that Karishma fully realized her infatuation with the ocean and the agony of being away from it. Like a moth to a flame, this Bombayite was lured back to the sea, but with no intention to return this time. This PADI IDC Staff Instructor completed her training on the island itself in 2017. Blessed with awkward social skills and a strange taste in movies, she has always felt like an alien on land and more at home underwater. When she is not feeding her growing shark obsession, she thoroughly enjoys fooling animals by talking to them in their own tongue.
Dipesh
Dipesh is one of our most experienced and gentle PADI Divemasters with a charming pot belly that has earned him the affectionate nickname ‘Pet Phooli’ or Puffer fish amongst all at the dive shop. Having more than a decade of experience in the diving scene as a boat boy, he finally earned his break in 2017 by completing his PADI Divemaster Course at Scubalov. A man of the earth, this Havelock local is also a farmer, fisherman and hunter. When not diving he chooses to spend most of his time spoiling his little daughter silly or playing the tabla.
Rohit
Rohit has the special ability of hiding in plain sight disguised as a tree. Our very own Groot stands above the rest of us at 6’3 ft. This gentle giant got certified as a PADI Divemaster in 2018 after working as boat crew for three years. One of the most hardworking people in the dive shop, this Andaman local hails from the remote Nicobar Islands and survived the 2004 Tsunami. His thirst for knowledge about diving and the creatures underwater make him a patient and wise observer with always something interesting to share.
Shernaz
When she was little, Shernaz explored professions like veterinary science and archaeology in her daily imaginations. She was always a free soul and that is why after almost a decade of being trapped in the advertising world, she snapped out of her reverie and harnessed the beach baby inside her. Her decision to instead be connected to the diving world that had fascinated her for so long, led her to Scubalov for which she now holds office in Mumbai. This adventurous Advanced Open Water diver spends the rest of her time rescuing strays and planning new escapades.
Boat Crew
The boat boys form the backbone of our operation here on Havelock. They are the unsung heroes who shoulder some of the most challenging responsibilities behind the scene to ensure all of us have a seamless dive experience. The sheer strength and stamina they apply to their work often leaves us not only bewildered and wondering if they really are super human in disguise, but also immensely grateful. Most importantly these mischief mongers keep us all sane with their daily shenanigans and monkey business, never allowing a dull moment to prevail at the dive shop.
