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Thepeople youwill actuallydive with
A small centre means the person who answers your message is usually the person who fits your equipment and leads your dive.
Seven people run The Scuba Duka Diving Centre, four of them born and raised in Diani Beach. Between them they hold more than 85 years of professional experience in and on the water.
Written by The Scuba Duka team · Reviewed by Ali, founder and Divemaster Instructor · October 2026
Founder · Divemaster Instructor
Ali
Ali is the founder of The Scuba Duka Diving Centre, a boutique-style diving centre that caters to individuals and small groups, both novice and experienced divers. Scuba diving has been a lifelong passion for him, with over 25 years of extensive experience both locally and internationally.
Ali was born and raised in Diani Beach. He began his career working at a prominent local scuba diving company, then sought various scuba diving opportunities abroad, before returning to Diani Beach to establish his own diving centre.
Rating — Divemaster Instructor
Experience — 25+ years, Kenya and internationally
Home water — Diani Beach, born and raised
Instructors, guides and crew
Six more people you will meet at the centre. Between the four instructors sit more than 13,000 logged dives on this stretch of the Indian Ocean.
Scuba Instructor
Kassim
Kassim, also a Diani Beach local, has been scuba diving for over 17 years. He loves what he does and he's an excellent and upbeat scuba instructor. With a wealth of experience, he is both SSI and PADI Divemaster certified. Over the years he has logged an impressive total of over 8,000 dives, in local Diani Beach waters and further south all the way to Kisite Mpunguti National Marine Park. Kassim takes great joy in sharing his passion for the ocean with his students and ensuring they have the skills and knowledge to dive safely and responsibly.
Certified — SSI and PADI Divemaster
Logged — 8,000+ dives · 17+ years
Range — Diani Beach to Kisite Mpunguti
Certification cards · 8
Scuba Instructor
Salim
Salim Swaleh, another Diani Beach local, has been diving for over 5 years. He is a scuba instructor at The Scuba Duka Diving Centre and is both SSI and PADI Divemaster certified. Over the years he has logged over 4,000 dives at local dive sites along the Diani Beach Indian Ocean. Salim is a consummate professional who loves his job guiding dives through the various dive sites in Diani Beach, and he also teaches SSI courses, from beginner courses to certified and specialty courses.
Certified — SSI and PADI Divemaster
Logged — 4,000+ dives · 5+ years
Teaches — beginner to specialty courses
Certification cards · 9
Scuba Instructor
Omari
With three years as a professional diver, Omari is our youngest scuba instructor — an ambitious and vibrant young man, both SSI and PADI certified, who has already logged more than 1,000 dives. Omari brings a happy-go-lucky attitude and a Gen Z angle, infusing his passion and curiosity into every dive experience he offers. He has a unique ability to connect with students and divers of all levels, making the underwater experience more accessible and enjoyable. Always equipped with his GoPro, he captures some of the most breathtaking underwater photography, which he often shares with the diving community.
Certified — SSI and PADI Open Water Instructor
Logged — 1,000+ dives · 3 years professional
Also — underwater photography and video
Certification cards · 8
Dive Guide
Sampuli
Sampuli, born and raised in Diani Beach, is our newest Scuba Duka teammate. He is currently dedicated to enhancing his skills and knowledge through various continuing education courses, and is currently an Advanced Open Water Diver. At the time of certification Sampuli had 38 dives logged; to date he has eclipsed the 100-dive mark and counting. Sampuli assists our experienced scuba instructors, helps guide guest divers, and helps with equipment checks and maintenance, ensuring everything is in optimal condition for safe and enjoyable diving.
Certified — Advanced Open Water Diver
Logged — 100+ dives
In training — continuing education toward professional
Certification cards · 2
Captain
Raymond
Raymond is a highly experienced captain at The Scuba Duka Diving Centre. For over 18 years he has been expertly captaining all kinds of boats along the eastern coast of Africa. He holds a certificate of proficiency as a coxswain from the Kenya Maritime Authority, and possesses a wealth of knowledge about the local marine life and ecosystems. He prepares the boats every day before dives, ensuring everything is in perfect working order, and he is entirely responsible for our divers' safety during their trips to and back from dive sites.
Certificate — coxswain proficiency, Kenya Maritime Authority
Experience — 18+ years, East African coast
Dive Guide · Captain
Michael
Michael has been scuba diving and captaining boats for over 20 years. Throughout this extensive period he has honed his skills and gained invaluable experience both beneath the waves and above the water's surface. He is truly the epitome of Mr. Do-everything at The Scuba Duka Diving Centre, where his multifaceted talents shine. With his easy-going yet exceptionally hard-working personality, Michael contributes significantly to every aspect of daily operations at the diving centre.
Role — dive guiding and boat handling
Experience — 20+ years
Why ratings are published
Every rating listed above is a real, verifiable qualification: SSI, PADI, or in Raymond's case a coxswain certificate from the Kenya Maritime Authority. We list the rating as well as the job title, because what a professional is qualified to teach or guide is not always what a guest assumes from a title.
It also means we cannot describe somebody as an instructor who is not one.
Languages spoken
English and Swahili, across the whole team.
If you are Kenyan, or travelling to the coast from elsewhere in the country, and you would rather be taught and briefed in Swahili, just say so when you book. Every course we run and every dive we guide can be delivered in Swahili from start to finish.
Working here
We employ and train locally, and the professional pathway is open to Kenyan divers in practice. Dive Guide and Divemaster are the two ratings that turn diving from a holiday activity into work, and both course pages state what they do and do not guarantee.