The Dive! team

Meet our crew, our greatest asset. There are ten of us here year-round, joined by 25 more over the summer season.

Aussie Malcolm
Owner and Director

Aussie is the Man on the Hill, up on Dolphin Place - he watches the boats go in and out and listens in on the radio. Not seen on an every day basis, he still has a finger in the pie. When not in Tutukaka, he is off on his boat somewhere on the other side of the world.

Jeroen Jongejans
Owner and Director

Jeroen is “Boss” but he still fills tanks and answers phones. Mr Perpetual Positive Energy, Jeroen has lived on the Tutukaka Coast, running dive operations, for nearly thirty years (so he’s almost a local!). Sinking the HMNZS Tui and Waikato just off the coast was Jeroen’s idea, and wreck divers have been thanking him ever since. Jeroen is a committed lobbyist for World Heritage Status for the Poor Knights and an advocate for Marine Reserves and National Parks around New Zealand. Sustainability is his passion; a bit of a hippy really!

Luke Howe
Supervising Skipper/Instructor/Photographer

All skippers and boat crew report to Luke. He has been around longer than any of us, but still manages to win the coveted “Sexiest Skipper” crown every year. Luke is in charge of operations and pretty much everything that happens on the water. His briefings are legendary, his jokes memorable, and his knowledge of the islands unsurpassed.

Kate Malcolm
Manager, Sales and Marketing/Instructor

Kate does the advertising, marketing and media relations (and this website!) as well as sales, bookings and handling general enquiries. Kate mans the phone and the emails, keeps the Poor Knights Dive Centre well stocked and ship-shape, and does all those boring office-y things (like invoices, general administration) and domestic and offshore trade. She also writes Vis!, the Dive! Tutukaka email newsletter. In her spare time, and if she’s been good, they even let her go diving. Kate started at Dive! in 2002.

Monique Stoneman
Shore Base Administration

Mon moved up here with her man, and is charged with 2IC shore side - so emails, bookings, group deals, rosters, arranging crewing, and keeping Kate in line. Nicknamed Monsta, she has the answers to any of your PADI questions.

Evan Barclay
Divemaster/Offshore Master/Skipper/Marine Engineer

Another Northland boy, Evan joined Dive! in 2006 and has proven he can fix just about anything. Evan’s well-known for his entertaining briefings and his invaluable boat experience. Engines just seem to love the man.

Sam Baker
Skipper/Instructor

Sam is our boomerang man. Born and bred in Whangarei, Sam went to work in Port Douglas but (lucky for us!) decided Northland was home and he’s been with us since 2006. Sam dreams of finding a new species, and having it named after him. A ‘Sambakera’ nudibranch? Watch this space!

Darren Spratt
Skipper/Instructor

Darren and Jo worked with us, and did crewing for a couple of seasons before heading to Port Douglas and working on the Great Barrier Reef. We thought it was time he came home and convinced him to get his skipper ticket and work the Poor Knights. You could say he was Head Hunted!

Russ Briars Skipper/Divemaster
Russ is a local lad, born and bred. He started washing wetsuits after school, and owned all the opportunities presented to him. We are exceptionally proud of Russ, he has the “X” Factor and the attitude to really go places. He is now a crewing divemaster and a skipper. As his dad said, “Not bad for a boy born in the bush on the Barrier.” When he is not working, he goes spearfishing and pig hunting. (He is Kate’s favourite.)

Tamra Gibson – Instructor
Tam has done it all for Dive! She has worked in the shop, on the boats and training. She may well be answering your booking inquiry, and then taking you diving at the Islands!

Dawn Grey - Instructor
Dawn is one of our longest serving instructors, and has worked every Dive! season since 2002. One of the family, Dawn has stayed put this winter instead of running away to the sun or the snow. Dawn is small but mighty, and we love her. You may get to chat with her on the phone or via email too, before she takes you to her favourite place and shows you the fishes..

Laurent Benard - Instructor
Laurent is from France, and we’re happy he’s decided to stay with us. His passion for teaching is unfounded; he loves passing a spark on to others. Aonh, aonh, aonh - he is our delightful resident Gallic poet - he loves to make love to the sea.

Evan Brown  - Skipper/Instructor
When Evan is not working with us, he’s traveling the globe with his wife Emily. Nice life!

Ben Cameron Saul - Skipper/Instructor
Ben started as a wash boy way back in the pre-Dive! days and has worked his way up to being the skipper in charge of Calypso.  Ben is M.I.A. this winter, working on a super yacht somewhere… (he is also Kate’s favourite)

Tris Jongejans - Skipper/Instructor
Ben and Tris grew up together on the Tutukaka Coast; they are best mates and their pranks on each other are legendary. Tris also skippers and is one of the most regular of our wreck divers. His passion for shipwrecks is unsurpassed, and he knows every inch of both the Tui and the Waikato.

Teschna Christie - Instructor
Tesch has been with us for a couple of years, and has the biggest smile, and has a secret talent for dress designing.

Shayni Hawkins - Divemaster
Shayni started off on Perfect Day, and has been working as a Divemaster, on the dive boats, always ready with a smile, she is the Queen of back flips off the top of the boat!

Kieran Pullman - Divemaster
Kieran is best mates with Russ, and has been with us since he was washing wetsuits as well. He can answer just about any question about the Tutukaka Coast - his family have been here for generations. He and Russ are usually off on a mission somewhere, and simply love the buzz of sharing their backyard.

Stephen Helmstalk -Staff Instructor
Originally from the UK, now here in Tutukaka, has a penchant for teaching, and a strange affliction for SideMount diving….watch this space.

Lots of our crew scuba in for a season, then find they simply can’t leave…

James “Hemi” Micallef is from Malta and his day is always “awesome”. He just loves diving!
Laura Harron is partnered with Hemi, Irish, and that twinkle in her eye is very real.
Emily Tomchin and Evan Brown arrive each season, and are Americans with scientific backgrounds, they love the Poor Knights want to settle here on the Tutukaka Coast.
Kayla and Pete are a great team, and we are looking forward to having them back next season.

We don’t do “goodbyes” round here; we just say “see you later.”