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An amazing adventure


Our Story 

Kirra Dive was started back in 1988 from members of the old Tweed Aquatic Club. The old site was behind kirra Surf at kirra, but as you can tell it was becoming unsafe to stay and it was a good choice to leave when we did, having a high rise build on top of the old Nisan hut may have been the end of us.

I brought the dive shop in a fire sale in 1996/7, the poor old shop had a weak pulse and was not expected to last out the night. The next 3 years we got it vertical again, breathing on it’s own and convincing me we may have something after all, at times I thought that staying at Seaworld would have been allot easier option. Still we soldiered on hocking our goods with a smile, 2nd mortgaged the home, sold our children for scientific experiment’s and made it through to the other end.

My friends on the right have all made some small or great contribution to the survival of our Kirra Dive “on the tweed”

 

Paul - Gunner

Started like most in our industry in the early 70’s, Spearfishing, this passion was soon realized after joining the military and becoming a dive trainer and equipment technician in 1983, averaging the minimal dive rate of 500 + per year.

Travel was the next port-of-call touching every continent throughout our world. Socialising was the Australian way was the priority and the pastime that endured a hazy but enlightened decade. Returning and settling on the Tweed in 1989, Paul and Janene bought the old Kirra Dive Centre in the Kirra Surf Centre and has since double the business and his family to what you see today…..Couldn’t find an attractive photo just young healthy early shop stuff, so you will just have to imagine what I may look like after many years of heavy compression…

 

Rudi - Bulla Bulla

Waking at the crack of dawn, hitting the water to provide breakfast for his family seemed a natural way-of-life, who would have thought the young Rudi from a tidy village in the tropical islands of Fiji would become a Master Instructor with 1000’s of certifications throughout the world. I sometimes wonder if Rudi’s mother had a water berth, or a least an ocean berth. Rudi has been quoted in saying “I don’t float so well” so with that diving it was a very natural step in his long unblemished diving career underwater.

When Rudi first came to Kirra Dive (some 10 years ago) he impressed me with his meticulous point to detail, his systems his passion for continuous educational programs, Open Water is just a license to learn to dive and over the years he has developed some fun programs that are unique and special to every one of his patriotic students.

 

Keesie - Skinoff

kees is a crazy young fella from kingy, he satrted helping out and covering a few hours from time to time now he seems an important part of the BBQ dive weekend. He will be going through to Dive Master, over the next year with only his age holding him back. Kas is from the water thats is for sure, loves the surf, loves the ocean. I was thinking maybe Actionman would be a better Nickname?

 

 

Suzanne- Double Dipper

From Zero to hero in 60 second, this girl is sharp, from knowing nothing to having both Rudi and I running around for her. Her partner Charlie is best know for his Tweed Fishing Boat, which we are slowly turning into a Dive Boat, Suzanne has an interest as you can see in keeping that boat moving so we are expecting many more crossings and new adventures from the Fishing Team.

 

Kristie - Nelson

Deep in the southlands of paradise is a little place called Cabba, this is where her story begins!

A friend of a friend of a friend approached me to offer Kristies services, I had never met her but by the time I did with all the friends selling her I was expecting this amazing super worker with a brain like Einstein, muscles like Schwarzenegger and a personality like Nelson. Well the first two are hard to emulate but we did get our Nelson.
Kristy is one of few who truly found her passion.


Bianca

“B” as we know her is short for Bianca or Big Banana, the town were she grow up. Arrrrrhhhh the Solitary Islands, what a place to learn to dive.

This is one passionate diver, life is about what happens under the water not above it, currently doing her Dive Masters with Rudi we are expecting “B” to be quailfied and in the water helping the learners any day now.