Margaret Kidd - Managing Director
Margaret is the longest serving member of the New Zealand Dive Industry, having been involved in the dive industry since 1969. Later that same year she learnt to dive, when a 42 year old woman surprised all the "Ex-Navy" Instructors by booking onto a Dive course (the first women to do so with the company). Margaret was told she was learning to dive as her buddy that night! She has loved it ever since. Considered a "Second Mum" to staff, many customers, and of course our shop dog "Baxta"!
Malcolm Kidd - Instructor / Managing Director
Since his first snorkel at the Poor Knights at the age of five, Malcolm has loved this sport. He completed the NZUA Dive Course in 1982 (at age 11), was "volunteered" to fill dive cylinders during school holidays from age twelve, and worked part-time every school holiday from thereon in. He started working full time in November 1989, and when Guy retired, he took over the business. With Margaret's help, Malcolm has expanded the company into the brand new Megastore at 97 Wairau Road. His favourite dives are "Evil Trench" in Kadavu (Fiji), and Sail Rock in the Hauraki Gulf.
Guy Kidd (Retired)
Guy started snorkelling on the Mahia Peninsula at age five. He joined the RNZ Navy at age 16 and become a fulltime member of the dive team shortly after. Having distinguished himself in the Navy Dive Team, he left to complete a major commercial diving project and helped start "Diver Services" in the late 1960's on Aucklands North Shore. He then started Dive Centre Ltd in 1971 and quickly became something of a legend in the industry for his professional diver training, dedication to his customers, and passion for the sport. (As well as the infamous "Dive Centre Bus" trips to the Poor Knights that people still talk about 20 years later! He retired in 2000 but is still diving and fishing almost every week!
Helen Anderson - Office
Our beloved financial controller has worked with us over two different times now! She first started with us in 1987 and ran our office until 1997, then left to go to the IT industry, but luckily for us returned in 2002 and still makes sure the financial operations run smoothly for us!
Duane Lidgard - Service Technician
Duane is our fulltime Service Technician. He started work for us in 2002. With a background in Marine engineering he is now considered something of an expert in equipment servicing and is contacted by other stores as well as importers to do work from all around the country. Whether it is a dive regulator, BCD, computer or even an LPG Cabinet heater that needs servicing, he is the man for the job!
Richard O'Callaghan - Instructor / Customer Service
Richard was introduced to Scuba in England at age 10 by his uncle who was in the Royal Navy. He "upgraded" to a PADI certification in Indonesia in 1997 and became a PADI Instructor in April 2002. Now a PADI Master Instrutor, he loves diving the Poor Knights every chance he can get, and is a passionate "Eco-Diver"!
Matt Shortall - Instructor / Customer Service
Matt used to teach so many courses for us, it could have been said he had two part-time jobs! Well, now he's joined us fulltime! Matt first learnt to dive in October 1998 and spent a few years just enjoying diving. He progressed up to Rescue Diver in January 2004 and quickly went on to Divemaster in June 2004. After becoming an Instructor he has been "bitten by the bug" and is doing all kinds of courses, from Openwater to Rescue, Enriched Air, Night and Wreck Specialties. He became a PADI Master Instructor on 17th June 2008!
Milton Slako - Cylinder Testing
Milton has taken over management of our ISO 9002 IANZ Cylinder Test Laboratory. He is responsible for all Scuba, BA, LPG, and CNG Cylinder testing as well as maintianing our ISO 9002 accreditation to IANZ (International Accreditation New Zealand) and the ERMA (Environmental Risk Management Authourity). When he isn't testing your cylinders, he is playing Golf (very well)!
Rick Bryce
Rick was a bit of a legend around the Auckland dive scene, as he has helped on many courses, organised many, many trips and was always there with advice and a crayfish for those in need over the 14 years that he was with us.
Ricked died on Friday 9th April 2010.
He will be sorely missed by us and all his dive buddies.
Our deepest sympathy goes to his family and to his partner Antonetta.
History
