Still Getting Salty on Our Days Off – Why We Keep Diving for Fun

You’d think that as SCUBA diving professionals, we’d want nothing more than to spend our weekends dry and horizontal. Nico, especially, is basically a part-time fish at this point—he dives so much, we’re convinced he’s growing gills. But even after a long week of guiding, teaching, and tank-hauling, we both still choose to dive on our days off. Why? Because we mix it up and make those “fun dives” actually fun.

When we dive, we take it slow—like, really slow. We cruise along the reef at a snail’s pace, searching for all the quirky, camouflaged critters that most people swim right past. Underwater macro photography is Nico's favorite hobby, and Daria just loves the joy of spotting the weird critters. There’s nothing more exciting than spotting a frogfish pretending to be a sponge or a sneaky little pipefish weaving through the coral.

Sometimes we dive more remote and adventurous sites to keep things fresh, pushing ourselves to do more challenging dives. Other times we just get silly underwater for the fun of it (cue sunglasses as a mask replacement!). There’s something magical about turning off “work brain” and just diving for the joy of it—whether it's capturing that perfect macro shot or flooding the mask from laughter.

We also believe in being lifelong learners. Nico has taken a deep dive (pun very much intended) into the world of technical diving—he’s now certified to teach Tec 40, 45, 50, and Tec Sidemount, and he’s racking up hours on a rebreather as he works toward becoming a CCR instructor. Meanwhile, Daria is expanding her skills into the world of freediving, learning how to slow down, hold her breath, and experience the ocean in a whole new way. We love pushing ourselves to try new techniques and styles of diving—it keeps things exciting, challenging, and endlessly fun.

For us, keeping diving fun is non-negotiable. It reminds us why we fell in love with it in the first place. When diving stays a hobby, not just a profession, that energy becomes contagious—and that joy is something we love sharing with every diver who joins us. So if you see two people giggling underwater, come say hi. It’s probably us.