Between them they have over 20 yrs experience. The moved here from Italy and have opened their own dive shop in Playa del Carmen.

Qualifications: Master Scuba Diver Trainer, PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor  and cave guide. (they also have APSA Credential) Specialties: Nitrox, Wreck Diving, Deep Diving, Night Diving, and Reef Ecology. Languages: Italian English Spanish

Astrid Gallrein

9 years ago a friend of mine talked me into diving in Honduras... and that was just it. I found a passion that completely changed my life. In the following years I went to a university in Germany, got my primary and secondary school teaching degree, and found a few months every year to travel and dive different parts of the world.

Since 1997, I have been working professionally in diving. I have been teaching diving since 1998, spent 3 years in Egypt/ Red Sea, Thailand and made my way here to Mexico last year.

Qualifications PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor

Specialties: Nitrox, Wreck Diving, Deep Diving, Night Diving, and Reef Ecology.

Languages:

• English
• Spanish
• German

Francesco "Franco" Spina

e-mail: franco@sealifedivers.com

Franco was born in Milano, Italy. He later moved to Caracas, Venezuela, then to Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, also traveling everywhere in between. Franco has experienced many parts of the world, but since his first dive in the Yucatan Peninsula, he was instantly hypnotized by the beauty and tranquility of the cenotes, unique to this part of the world. The presence of these wonderful caves below, and the never ending sunshine above, made Playa del Carmen the ideal spot for Franco to call home. Franco moved to Playa del Carmen in October 2000.

He has been diving since 1992 and is IANTD and NSS-CDS cave certified. Franco is a cave and cavern guide and PADI and SSI Instructor. If you have any questions regarding the cenotes/caves/cavers, please e-mail him directly at franco@sealifedivers.com.

Languages:

• Italian
• English
• Spanish

Luis F. "Pichicuas" Martinez

Luis was born in Mexico. He studied Hotel Management, after graduating he worked as a manager in the food and beverage industry in Cancun. This is were he was introduced to scuba diving. Seven years later he finds himself working at Sealife Divers. Prior to working with Sealife Divers Luis worked in the diving industry in The Red Sea, Europe and The Gulf of Mexico.

Qualifications: PADI and SSI Open Water Scuba Instructor, TDI instructor IANTD Instructor and cave guide.

Specialties: Nitrox, Wreck Diving, Deep Diving, Night Diving, and Reef Ecology.

Languages:

• Italian
• English
• Spanish
• Mayan

My name is Martin Ramirez.  I came to Playa Del Carmen 4 years ago March 2001, from Cordoba Argentina.  I never dove until I got here and meat the staff of Sealife.  I always saw them from the beach and wondered what the life of a diver is like.  One day I did the discover scuba diver and my first words after coming out of the water were I WANT TO BE A DIVER. Toady, after a lot of work and encouragement from my friends and the Sealife family, I am a Instructor, Cavern guide and a cave diver.  Thanks Sealife!

Languages:

• Spanish
• English
• and he thinks he knows Italian

Claudio Curioni

Claudio is one of the partners of Sealife Divers. With out him not much would get done outside of the water, he is the terrestrial partner does all the work for the shop that is on land. He and his wife and daughter have been in Playa del Carmen for 3 years, they all came from Northern Italy. If you can't find him in the shop, look out on the beach were he is always playing volleyball.

Languages:

• Italian
• English
• Spanish

Imanol Zubizarreta

Videographer

Hello! I'm Imanol Zubizarreta. I was born in Caracas, Venezuela. Ten years ago decided to leave the country and give it a try in Mexico. For the past 9 years, I worked as a Film and Video Editor for various production companies and TV stations, not only in Mexico but also Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Two years ago decided I'd had enough of travel and production stress and became a Open Water Scuba Instructor in Roatan, Honduras.

About a year ago I had the experience of diving in the Cenotes and fell in love with it. I became a cave diver and spend most of my time in caves now, making videos to preserve the memory of the unforgettable experience of diving into them.

Lola "Lolita"

Our newest member at Sealife Divers loves to take her siestas in the afternoon in the back of the store. This is due to the fact that she spends the day running around with divers and digging a hole that will take her to the other side of the world.

Languages:

• Spanglish (Spanish and English mixed)
• A few words in Italian