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1995 – Scandinavian Divers: A Dream Takes Shape

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Photo Gallery & Story

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Scuba diving has been my passion since I was 22. I earned my first certificate in the very week man landed on the moon — and from that moment, the ocean became my second home.

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In 1995, that lifelong passion turned into a new beginning in Thailand. After months of preparation, I started teaching scuba diving, and Scandinavian Divers took its first breath of life.

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The first photo shows our tiny booking office — simple, modest, and filled with excitement. Soon after came our rented liveaboard, Daranee, and with it the beautiful rhythm of sea life at the Similan Islands.

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As our reputation grew, we took a big step forward. We rented a long-neglected warehouse near Bangla Road and transformed it into a full dive centre — stripped, cleaned, rebuilt, and reborn. Along one wall we built twenty bunk beds for guests arriving the night before our five-day cruises, or for those needing a night’s rest before flying home.

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When everything was ready, nine Buddhist monks came to bless the new centre — a powerful and peaceful moment, their saffron robes glowing beneath our company logo. Hanging above them was something personal: a nearly life-size whale shark I crafted by hand, a symbol of the gentle giants our guests so often encountered at sea.

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Inside, our Thai staff handled bookings in front of large Similan maps, and rows of new equipment filled the racks — wetsuits, BCDs, regulators, fins — everything ready for our expeditions aboard Daranee.

These were pioneering years, filled with long days, deep friendships, and a sense of purpose that grew with every cruise.

One proud moment came when the entire Board of PADI International visited our centre. After their inspection, Scandinavian Divers was awarded the prestigious status of PADI Five-Star Instructor Development Center — the highest level in professional scuba training.

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Looking back, those early years remain among the happiest and most formative of my life at sea.

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