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PrivateGuidedDiving
Your guide, your boat, your pace. A private trip is planned around the dives you want rather than around a group.
Guests book it for photography, for a nervous buddy, for a family, or for more time on the sites they like.
Written by The Scuba Duka team · Reviewed by Ali, founder and Divemaster Instructor · October 2026
What private actually buys
We already dive in small groups, so this is not about escaping a crowd. Private diving changes the decisions: which site, what time, how long, how deep, and how the dive is run once you are in the water.
—A departure time that suits you, including early starts for the calmest water
—Sites chosen for what you want to see rather than for a mixed-ability group
—A guide who stays with your pace — slow for photography, longer for a good reef
—Surface intervals as long or short as you like
Who books it
Underwater photographers
Nobody hovering behind you waiting to move on. A guide who understands why you spent eleven minutes on one nudibranch.
Couples and families
The group is only you. Useful when experience levels differ or when a nervous diver would rather not be watched by strangers.
Divers with limited days
One free morning and a specific site in mind. A private trip is often the only way to guarantee both.
Returning guests
Divers who know these reefs and want to go back to a particular one, at a particular tide.
What stays the same
Private does not mean the rules bend. Depth limits follow your certification, the site still has to suit the conditions, and if the sea says no we reschedule. A private trip buys the plan, not an exemption from it.
Frequently asked questions
How many people can join?
From one diver upwards. Tell us the number and we will confirm the boat and guide arrangement that suits it.
Can we choose the site?
You can request it, and we will do it if the conditions and your certification allow. If they do not, we will say so before you book.
Can snorkellers come too?
Yes, where the site works for both. It is one of the more common reasons families book privately.
How does the price compare?
Higher than joining a scheduled trip, and quoted per trip rather than per diver. Message us with the day and the number of divers for a straight figure.
Who you will dive with
Seven people run the centre, four of them born and raised in Diani Beach. Between the four instructors sit more than 13,000 logged dives on this stretch of the Indian Ocean. Two qualified dive guides, Sampuli and Captain Michael, guide dives alongside them.
Ali
Founder · Divemaster Instructor25+ years diving in Kenya and abroad. Born and raised in Diani Beach.
Kassim
Scuba Instructor17+ years and 8,000+ logged dives, from Diani to Kisite Mpunguti. SSI and PADI certified.
Salim Swaleh
Scuba Instructor4,000+ logged dives on Diani sites. Teaches SSI beginner to specialty courses.
Omari
Scuba InstructorSSI and PADI Open Water Instructor, 1,000+ logged dives. Shoots underwater photo and video.
Sampuli
Dive GuideBorn and raised in Diani Beach. 100+ logged dives. Guides guest divers and runs equipment checks.
Michael
Dive Guide · Captain20+ years scuba diving and captaining boats. Handles the boat and guides dives.
