Joel Cooper-Dykes
PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
Managing Director of Abyss Scuba School (Dive Centre)
Why did you get into diving?
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I started back when I was 12 years old with my dad and I was very lucky that he loved to travel, so I got to go to loads of amazing places to scuba dive as a youngster.
What's your favourite dive?
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Scotland, off the isle of skie, I did a 74m deep dive and got to meet a very friendly seal.
Favourite movie?​
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Lake Placid.
Bio.
Joel spent 16 years serving in the Royal Navy, and wanted to continue his love of all things water by becoming a PADI Scuba Diving Instructor. With him learning coaching and mentoring skills during his career and racking up several thousand hours of dive time the next logical step was to open a dive centre and is now an award winning PADI Instructor as well.
Claire Barcley
PADI Divemaster & DSD Leader
Managing Director of Abyss Scuba School (Alterative Provision)
Why did you get into diving?
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I have always loved being in and around water and had always wanted to explore and meet aquatic wildlife. Following recovery from a serious injury, I decided to get on with it before I lost the opportunity!
What's your favourite dive?
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This is tough for me; although I’ve done many dives, they’ve all been UK dives. I am torn between Swanage where I have seen different and exciting species on every visit or Bognor Rocks because when the vis is good, you could mistake it for a tropical reef.
Favourite movie?​
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Jaws.
Bio.
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Claire started teaching in 2009 at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Arundel while studying for her BSc Honours degree in Animal Conservation and Biodiversity. She quickly became the primary field teacher for SEND and SEMH groups as well as teaching people from aged 4 to 84 and everything in between! She has been a college lecturer and a teaching assistant in a primary school, both contributing to her teaching toolkit. Combining her love of water, of nature and the natural world, with diving and teaching seemed like the perfect combo!
Zoe-Anne Rough
PADI Divemaster Apprentice
Educational Enrichment Director (Alternative Provision)
Why did you get into diving?
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I’ve always had a fascination and passion for nature and diving gives me the opportunity to explore and discover a new part of the world, while allowing me to feel completely weightless and free.
What's your favourite dive?
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My Favourite dive would have to be my first try dive while holidaying in the Dominican Republic with my family, while investing a reef full of the most intense colours we were very fortunate to observe a Manta ray as it glided majestically above us.
Favourite movie?​
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The Little Mermaid.
Bio.​
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After starting her life inland she moved to the south coast as a teenager and her love of the sea blossomed. It has taken a while for her serious hobby to become her career and in that time she has been honing her skills in the world of education. She has been a specialist 1:1, a class based teaching assistant for children with additional needs, run an alternative provision as well as being a fully qualified ELSA. While not in the water she can usually be found on a pitch covered in mud playing rugby with Havant Ladies.
Garry Wilberforce
PADI Divemaster Apprentice
Teaching Assistant (Dive Centre)
Why did you get into diving?
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I was introduced to diving by a forward thinking teacher at my school. He wanted to give us more than just the standard curriculum.
What's your favourite dive?
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Maldives, I was lucky enough to do a liveaboard for a week out there.
Favourite movie?​
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The Abyss.
Bio.
Garry or Gazza as he likes to be called started diving at 14 years old, then life as a Pub landlord took over and took till he was 35 to re-did his PADI Open Water in the Dominican Republic, followed by his Advanced in Egypt. Once finding us he felt the next logical step was to do his Divemaster with his other hobbies being teaching Martial Arts it was only natural for him to become one of the team.
Robert Large
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
Videographer & Photographer (Dive Centre)
Why did you get into diving?
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I’ve always had a fascination with exploration, nature and natural history. The world as we know it stemmed from the ocean, every dive is an exploration and allows you to take in the sheer magnificence of Earths different life and different landscapes. It also contains one of the smartest, oldest, unchanged creatures on the planet and my favourite: The octopus.
What's your favourite dive?
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My first dive was the best because without that I wouldn’t have been on any others. Each one has illuminated something new for me, other than descending into a plankton boom, that wasn’t so enjoyable!
Favourite movie?​
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Finding Nemo.
Bio.
From reaching the summit of Mt Elgon on his 16 birthday which is the 6th highest mountain in Africa, enjoys Kyokushin martial arts, and to spending 7 years developing a new Holographic process because of a 140 million year old Ammonite he dug up, Rob has always loved exploration of different kinds and gets joy out of what nature can teach us if we are daring enough to go out and meet it.
Logan Cooper-Dykes
PADI Rescue Diver
Logistics & Surface support (Dive Centre)
Why did you get into diving?
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I started as soon as I was old enough to dive with my dad and fell in love with it straight away.
What's your favourite dive?
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When me and my dad went to Chepstow Dive Centre and had our first non course dive together.
Favourite movie?​
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Deep Blue Sea.
Bio.
Logan is in his final year at Secondary school and works part time at the Dive Centre helping with Air fills and loading the van for our adventures. He is our the main surface support for Abyss' courses and is very knowledgeable and hard working. Logan hopes to be become a PADI OWSI when he turns 18 years old.