Introducing you to the Aussie Divers Phuket Team
Introducing the Aussie Divers team of PADI Instructors & Divemasters, find the right instructor for your needs.
Darren Gaspari

Darren Gaspari PADI Course Director Aussie Divers Phuket
Darren Gaspari is an Australian who was born and bred in the Victorian country town of Mildura and later moving to the city of Melbourne to take a position with Victoria Police where he worked for over 10 years.
Darren came to Phuket for six months in 2008 and never went back after falling in love with Phuket and scuba diving decided that teaching people how to dive was a whole lot more fun and rewarding than the life of a police officer.
Having completed over 3000 dives in the local area which gives Darren a comprehensive and intimate knowledge of the local dive sites.
Darren has instructed over 800 happy students from over 30 different countries though out his time in Phuket. Darren is the holder of the coveted PADI Course Director rating which is the highest instructor achievement obtainable in the PADI program. Darren is qualified and happy to teach everyone from the first timer to assistant instructor level and can assist you in achieving your instructor qualifications. He is also the holder of the following PADI Instructor specialty credentials:
Specialties
- Enriched Air Nitrox
- Deep Diver
- EFR
- Night Diver
- Search and Recovery
- Wreck Diver
- Digital Underwater Photography
- Aware Shark Conservation
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Project Aware
- Emergency Oxygen Provider
- Aware Coral Conservation
- EFR Care for Children
- Underwater Navigation
- Distinctive Seahorse
- Boat Diver
- Gas Blender
He loves his marine life and the St Kilda Football Club equally. He loves to chat Aussie rules with anyone that cares to listen.
Ashley Walker
Ashley Walker is a country Australian, with a passion for the water. This is surprising since Ashley was born in the middle of a 10 year drought, in the same small country town as Darren Gaspari, Mildura. Moving to Ballarat closer to the ocean is when Ash found his craving for salt water, this only grew stronger with a move to the sunny Gold Coast and living a life on the beach in his teenage years.
Its surprising that it wasn’t until the age of 26 that Ash did his first DSD dive in Phuket, Thailand and found his passion for Scuba Diving and for Thailand. After that trip to South East Asia Ashley went home and enrolled in the PADI Zero to Hero program, changing his career path from retail management to PADI Pro in 2010. With a strong background in retail Ashley entrenched himself into the dive industry working as a Sales, Marketing and Technical Manager for Mares Asia Pacific. This is how he met Darren G. promoting Aussie Divers at ADEX in 2012, amazing since Ash and Darren both originate from a town with a population of just 30,000 people.
Working as a PADI Dive Instructor in some of the best diving destinations in the world, including the a year on a remote island in the Great Barrier Reef, it was a natural progression to move to Phuket and start work with Aussie Divers early in 2016. With well over 3000 dives throughout Asia Pacific Ashley has moved up through the PADI Professional ranks earning his IDC Staff Instructor Rating at Aussie Divers. His passion for diving flows into the specialty course’s he can teach below (Can also assist you with “true blue” Aussie Slang as well).
Specialty Instructor Certifications:
- Enriched Air Nitrox
- Deep Diver
- EFR
- Night Diver
- Wreck Diver
- Drift Diver
- Digital Underwater Photography
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Diver Propulsion Vehicle
- Project Aware
- Emergency Oxygen Provider
- EFR Care for Children
- Underwater Navigation
- Project AWARE Dive Against Debris
- Mares LAB Technician
- ScubaPro Level 1 Technician
- Aussie Slang
And is a DSAT Gas Blender
Martin Ruhoff
Martin Ruhoff – PADI MSDT Instructor
Hailing from Denmark in the cold north of Europe Martin began his love of scuba diving more than a decade ago in Ao Nang Thailand. As with most of us he caught the scuba diving bug and has never looked back. He has now been teaching in Thailand for almost ten years.
Martin’s easy going and relaxed Scandinavian persona makes him an excellent and well respected instructor and we are proud to have him on our books at Aussie Divers Phuket. He is also an avid underwater photographer and talking about underwater photos with customers and students.
He has dived many countries of the world including Mexico, Philippines, Sweden, Palau, Indonesia, Turkey and many others.
If you are interested in Technical Diving then Martin is our Tech guru and the one to speak to about anything regarding the PADI Tech courses, going deeper and lasting longer. He is currently getting his dive hours up on CCR systems, and exploring for new Tec dive sites here in Phuket.
Wide range of specialties including
- Enriched Air
- Night Diver Specialty course
- Search and Recovery
- Diver Propulsion Vehicle
- Wreck Diver
- Dry Suit
- Digital Underwater Photography
- EFR
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Project Aware
- Emergency Oxygen Provider
- Aware Coral Conservation
- Care for Children
- Deep Diver
- Sidemount
- Underwater Navigation
- Tec 40
- Tec 45
- Tec 50
- ScubaPro Level 1 Technician
Guy Allen
Guy Allen – PADI MSDT Instructor
Guy Allen is an experienced PADI MSDT from Tasmania, Australia. He has been diving for over 30 years and has gained extensive knowledge and expertise in the field of scuba diving. Guy is a certified PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT), which signifies that he has the experience and certifications to offer all the PADI training a diver needs to become a PADI Master Scuba Diver. He has trained hundreds of divers at all levels, from beginners to advanced, and has a wealth of knowledge about the diving industry. Guy is passionate about diving and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with others.
Now, Guy has taken his expertise to Phuket, Thailand, where he is teaching PADI courses. As an experienced PADI MSDT, Guy is able to provide his students with top-notch training and guidance, ensuring they are fully equipped to explore the underwater world safely and confidently. Guy’s teaching style is relaxed, yet thorough, and he takes the time to ensure his students understand the principles of diving and are able to apply them in real-life scenarios. Students who learn from Guy can expect a fun and rewarding experience that will prepare them for a lifetime of diving adventures.
- Enriched Air
- Night Diver Specialty course
- Search and Recovery
- Wreck Diver
- Digital Underwater Photography
- EFR
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Project Aware
- Emergency Oxygen Provider
- Aware Coral Conservation
- Care for Children
- Deep Diver
- Sidemount
- Drift Diver
- ScubaPro Level 1 Technician
Frank Degousée
Franck Degousée – PADI IDC Staff Instructor
Franck Degousée is an experienced PADI Staff Instructor from France who has been teaching scuba diving in Phuket, Thailand for the last 10 years. With over 20 years of diving experience, Franck has gained extensive knowledge and expertise in the field of scuba diving. He is a certified PADI Staff Instructor, which is a prestigious certification awarded to experienced diving professionals who have demonstrated their ability to teach and train others.
During his time in Phuket, Franck has become an integral part of the local diving community. He has trained hundreds of divers at all levels, from beginners to advanced, and has a wealth of knowledge about the diving industry. Franck is passionate about diving and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with others. He has a reputation for being patient, calm, and thorough in his teaching approach, and his students appreciate his attention to detail and focus on safety. Franck is committed to ensuring that his students not only learn the skills required to become competent divers but also develop a love and respect for the ocean and its inhabitants.
Overall, Franck Degousée is a highly experienced and respected diving professional who has made a significant contribution to the diving community in Phuket, Thailand.
Wide range of specialties including
- Enriched Air
- Night Diver Specialty course
- Diver Propulsion Vehicle
- Wreck Diver
- Digital Underwater Photography
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Project Aware
- Aware Coral Conservation
- Deep Diver
- Sidemount
Zoe Jieyu

Zoe PADI Scuba Freediving Instructor Chinese
Zoe Jieyu – PADI Scuba and Freediving Instructor
Hello everyone. My name is Zoe from Kunming, Yunnan, China. I am a Padi scuba diving & free diving instructor. Having lived in Thailand for five years so I can speak Chinese, English and Thai fluently.
Before became a diving instructor, I worked for an airline for six years as a flight attendant, my work which included managing cabin service and safety. As much as I really like this job, I don’t think I’ll stop there. Being an lover of nature and animals made me to become a diving instructor.
I also enjoy the teaching diving course very much. During teaching process, I always pay attention to the importance of safe diving and make sure students enjoy the diving course. I also hope that by correctly teaching students the safest way to explore the ocean more people will have more interest in and awareness of Marine life.
At end hope we can explore the amazing beautiful ocean by diving together and see you soon we are wait for you at Aussie Divers in Phuket Thailand.
大家好我的名字叫 Zoe 来自中国云南昆明,我是一名 Padi 水肺潜&和自由潜教练。在泰国生活了五年所以可以流利使用中文,英文和泰语。
我在成为潜水教练之前在航空公司作为乘务员工作六年,工作包括负责管理客舱服务和安全。尽管我也非常喜欢这份工作但我始终认为自己不会止步于此。作为一名狂热的自然和动物的爱好者使我成为一名潜水教练。
我也非常享受潜水教学过程,在教学过程中非常注重学生安全潜水的重要性,认真细致耐心的完成每一次潜水活动。我也希望通过正确教导学生和进行最安全的潜水方式和观察海洋生物的技巧,让更多的人对海洋生物保护产生浓厚的兴趣和意识。希望我们能够一起通过潜水的方式探索蔚蓝的海洋,我在普吉的 Aussie Divers 等您
Wide range of specialties including
- Enriched Air
- Freediving
- Search and Recover Specialty
- Underwater Navigation Specialty
- Fish Idetification Specialy
- Wreck Diver
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Project Aware
- Aware Coral Conservation
- Deep Diver
Rishab Kannambille
Rishab Kannambille – PADI OWSI
Rishab Kannambille is a passionate scuba diver originally from Bangalore, India, who is a certified PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) and has been working at Aussie Divers Phuket since early 2022. He first discovered his love for diving while on a trip to the Andaman Islands and has been hooked ever since. Rishab has since turned his passion into a career and has been teaching scuba diving in Phuket for several years.
Rishab’s journey to becoming an instructor started when he did his PADI Divemaster course with Aussie Divers Phuket. He was so impressed with the quality of training and the professionalism of the team that he decided to stay on and become an instructor. Rishab’s enthusiasm for diving and his attention to detail make him an excellent instructor. He has a natural ability to connect with his students, and his patient teaching style ensures that they feel comfortable and confident in the water. Rishab is committed to providing his students with a safe and enjoyable diving experience, and his passion for the sport is infectious.
Overall, Rishab is a talented and dedicated diving professional who is making a name for himself in the Phuket diving community. His love for diving, combined with his excellent teaching skills and commitment to safety, make him a highly sought-after instructor. Rishab’s story is a testament to the opportunities that can arise from following your passions and pursuing your dreams.
Wide range of specialties including
- Enriched Air
- Wreck Diver
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Project Aware
- Aware Coral Conservation
- Deep Diver
Isara aka Gong
Isara Srithammarach aka Gong – PADI OWSI
Isara Srthammarach, better known as Gong, the Thai dive instructor extraordinaire who calls Aussie Divers Phuket his home. With loads of experience teaching diving through multiple agencies, Gong is a true expert in his field and has trained hundreds of divers from around the world.
As a certified PADI and IANTD instructor, Gong brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to every class he teaches. His passion for diving is infectious, and he is known for his ability to make even the most nervous of students feel at ease in the water.
When he’s not teaching diving, Gong can often be found exploring the underwater world himself. With a keen eye for marine life and a deep love for the ocean, he is always eager to share his discoveries with his students and fellow divers.
But what sets Gong apart is not just his skill as an instructor, but his warm and friendly personality. With a quick wit and a ready smile, he makes everyone feel welcome and at home at Aussie Divers Phuket. So if you’re looking for an unforgettable diving experience in Phuket, look no further than Gong and the Aussie Divers team.
Wide range of specialties including
Gingernuts

Ginger Lazy Cat Aussie Divers Phuket
Gingernuts – The Aussie Divers Cat
Meet Gingernuts, the ultimate laid-back cat who doubles as a customer service specialist for Aussie Divers. With his signature ginger coat and chilled-out demeanor, Gingernuts is a true icon of the diving world.
When he’s not snoozing in the sun, Gingernuts loves nothing more than greeting customers with a friendly meow and a gentle rub against their legs. He may not be able to dive himself, but he’s always eager to help visitors plan their next underwater adventure.
Despite his love for customer service, Gingernuts is notoriously lazy and can often be found taking catnaps in the most unexpected places. From dive bags to wetsuits, nothing is off-limits for this feline fashionista.
But don’t let his relaxed demeanor fool you – when it comes to keeping the Aussie Divers team on their toes, Gingernuts is always ready for action. Whether he’s chasing imaginary pigeons or napping in the middle of a busy shop, this cat knows how to make the most of every moment.
So if you’re looking for a diving buddy who’s equal parts adorable and laid-back, look no further than Gingernuts – the cat who’s always up for a good nap and a great adventure.