About Us
Thresher Shark Divers
is based on Bounty Beach, Malapascua Island, just off the north tip of
Cebu in the Philippines. We are located right in the middle of this picture
perfect white sandy beach near to Cocobana Resort.
 We
like to keep things small so that your dive experience is as personalized
as possible. You won't be packed into a huge dive shop, just one insignificant
diver among many. We keep groups as small as we can, usually no more than
4 per group. In addition, we try to be flexible and will do our best to
accommodate the dive sites YOU want to go to. We will go diving even if
it is just you on the boat.
We are the first and only PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center on Malapascua and have been certified to teach PADI courses all the way up to Instructor level. As a PADI 5 Star Dive Center you know that we adhere to the high standards of PADI.
Why Us?
Fun!
You as the customer are the most important thing to us and
we treat you as such. We try to ensure that you will have the best time
of your life on your vacation in Malapascua! We think the diving here
is amazing and we want to show you the best of what we have. We think
you will have the most fun with us quite simply because everyone here
- from the owners to the boat staff - love diving and we all dive on a
regular basis. The staff are always laughing and joking with each other
and with the customers, which makes the boat a fun place to be.
And the fun doesn't end with diving. The dive shop is right
on the beach, and is a relaxing place to hang out if you are not diving.
There is almost always someone around for for a chat, or just relax and
do nothing. Our bar is a great place for an après-dive beer and is usually filled with customers for Happy Hour. The restaurant is open all day for meals and snacks.
Boutique diving without the price!
When you dive with us, everything is made as easy as possible. All you need to do is unpack your equipment on arrival and we will do the rest. We carry it to the boat, set it up and will help you into your scuba unit. Our staff will even put your fins on for you if you want! After the dive, don't even think about walking your kit back to the shop, the TSD team will do that all for you. Apart from the obvious safety issues associated with heavy exertion and lifting after diving, we believe that you are on holiday and should have the hard work done by someone else. They will also rinse your kit at the end of the day.
 Our
boats
Our biggest boat, "Amy", is a Philippine style banka.
We built it with divers in mind, and are proud to say, it is one of the
fastest and most comfortable dive boats on the island. We will get you
to the dive sites as quickly as possible, so you can spend more time in
the water! Maximum capacity is 20 divers.
"Esther" is our brand new banka, built in April 2008, slightly smaller than Amy with max capacity of 15 divers.
Our smallest banka, "Rosie," takes up to 8 divers. Rosie may also be your first contact with Thresher Shark Divers as it is often the boat that will do your pickup on arrival.
We also have
two flat-bottomed boats, Big Jim and Little Jim, for small groups, classes
and close dive sites.
Resorts on Malapascua
Because we do not own our own resort, we will not bind you
into a resort with rooms that might not suit you. We have several
resorts that we use regularly, but if you prefer something different we
are more than happy to help you find accommodation you will like. We will also
show you the best the island has to offer in terms of food, as there is
some great evening dining.
New Dive Shop
In 2007 we moved into our new premises, a large, spacious facility, with plenty of space in the equipment
room, a large rinse area, an air conditioned classroom and a retail area.
Located upstairs, nestling amongst the palm trees is the Pub Upstairs and Oscar's Restaurant. See some photos.
Our Staff
Andrea and Trevor: Thresher Shark Divers
was started and is run by Andrea and Trevor. Both from the UK, they share
an infectious passion for diving. They have a wide range of diving experience
and spent considerable time teaching and working in Thailand and Honduras.
They previous owned a scuba diving school in San
Francisco but got tired of teaching in cold water, so they left for the
tropics in search of somewhere to open their next dive shop. Originally
they came to Malapascua for two weeks to see the thresher sharks, but
they liked it so much they stayed. They were managers at another dive
shop for a while before finally deciding that they loved the diving so
much, they wanted to make it their permanent home. They have finally found
their perfect island paradise!
As the only dive shop owners on Malapascua Island that dive
regularly in Malapascua, they feel they can offer something special and
unique to their customers. Because they are often in the water
and see things through customers' eyes, they get a different perspective
on the way the shop is run: Thresher Shark Divers caters more for you,
the customer's benefit, because we can see firsthand what it is you need.
They have a love for the underwater world that is obvious to see. What
better qualification to be your hosts and your tour guides of what they
believe is truly some of the best diving in the world!
Instructors
Our PADI diving instructors have been though a rigorous
training program and have many years of teaching experience with hundreds
of students. We take great pride in teaching students of any level and
you can be assured of a professional, safe and fun diving course. Diving
lessons are almost always taught one-on-one, so you will get individual
attention and diving instruction will go at your own pace. Our instructors
have a wide range of diving and teaching experience, so you will be in
good hands. If you are not taking a class, you will probably still meet them when you arrive or during your stay with us as they are familiar faces in the restaurant and Pub Upstairs during the day and in the early evening.
Mike is a Master Instructor and has a wide range of experience teaching in both the cold waters of the UK and in tropical locations. Before he came to the Philippines he owned his own PADI 5 Star Dive Center in Turkey and acted as Head Instructor. He has a wealth of experience and you can learn untold amounts from him. Mike can teach 22 PADI specialty courses. He will be very involved with your courses, all the way up to Instructor level.
Gareth is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and can teach can teach Nitrox, Digital Underwater Photography, Deep, Wreck, Night, Search and Recovery, Peak Performance Buoyancy and TSD's Thresher Shark Diver Specialty. A master at multitasking, he is also our executive chef in charge of the restaurant, and good for a beer come the end of the day.
Charlie is a Master Scuba Diver Trainer, and can teach 13 specialties. As well as teaching and guiding, she is the dive shop manager and you will get to know her bright smiley face very well. She will be able to help you with all administrative details, problems, questions etc.
Dive guides
Botchoy, Je-ann, Tata, Gibb and Erwin are our
Filipino dive guides. They have been diving Malapascua's fantastic dive
sites for a long time and have completed several thousand dives here between them. They know all the dive sites very well and can
show you many things you have probably never seen before. If there is
something you want to see, just ask. With their laser eyes, they can spot things you would never
have seen! Previous divers, including some professional photographers,
have called them the best dive guides they have ever had! If you are looking
for something special, just ask, and they will find!
Boat crew
Senen, Jerry and Dodong are our boat captains. The crew consist of Ondo, Edgar, Minok, Gino, and Ronnel as well as a regular crew of part time staff to help out wherever they are needed. Together they make a great team, they are very friendly
and will help you however they can.
Shop staff
Jeramie is our shop secretary and Dave will often be in the shop with her. They
will look after all you needs in the dive shop. Jun-Jun and Andy are our compressor team and general handymen. You will recognize
Jun-Jun by the big smile on his face all the time.
Madeline and Roa are the girls at The Pub Upstairs to look after all your cocktail requirements. Charlie is our chef from Cebu and his team in the kitchen will look after all your culinary needs.
Oscar
Last but definitely not least is Oscar, our dive shop mascot
and most popular member of staff
... and our newest addition, Sally Monster, our tiny bundle of fluff...
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