Experience built through delivery

The assignment covered the complete setup of the Makadi Bay diving operation, delivered in cooperation with Extra Divers’ founder. European sales and marketing supported the Egyptian operation, where responsibilities spanned branding, facilities, equipment, staffing, training and operating procedures.

An unfinished building was converted into an operational centre in approximately two and a half months. Within the first few months, the centre was serving approximately 250 divers per day. High-season management covered seven large boats, seven instructors, seven divemasters and boat crews, together with accommodation for most Egyptian staff and an on-site cook.

Developed within the emerging Makadi Bay resort destination, the operation integrated diving services with the tourism activity of TUI and Iberotel. Further work included overseeing three additional centre openings and preliminary research and area selection contributing to the later Nabucco Island development in Indonesia.

This assignment preceded Ocean Roamers’ incorporation in 2003 and forms part of the experience behind its project development and operational management services.

The assignment combined regional business restructuring with a stronger service offering for affiliated dive centres. Customer support, revised membership plans and locally accessible certification services helped expand the network from around five centres to approximately 60–70 over two years.

A new Hurghada office complemented the existing Sharm el Sheikh office, supported by three satellite offices within affiliated centres. Staff training and digital certification-card printing improved regional support and turnaround times.

Responsibilities also included oversight of the teaching department and quality assurance, diving-manual production, implementation of an international chart of accounts, and development of the inspection-based Premier Diving Centers programme. Subsequent consulting extended across Egypt, the Red Sea, North Africa and the Benelux.

The initial assignment preceded Ocean Roamers’ incorporation and forms part of its professional foundation.

Developed with Brooks Diving Adventures BV and the project owners, the assignment established Sudan Divers and Sudan Red Sea Resort in a remote coastal location reached by approximately 50–60 kilometres of difficult unpaved access.

The operation required detailed advance planning and deployment with minimal external support. A fully equipped dive centre, including a dedicated compressor room, was prepared within a container before shipment. A second container carried boats, generators and supporting equipment. Provisioning covered tools, spare parts and the materials required to establish and maintain the operation.

A six-month customs delay placed substantial pressure on the limited startup budget. Despite these constraints, the deployment established a functioning dive operation and a five-person team, followed by continued development of tented accommodation, hospitality services and beach facilities.

The resort attracted Sudanese guests and international residents working in Khartoum. The project established a local operational foothold that supported subsequent marine-park work and opened opportunities with Hilton Port Sudan and Hilton Khartoum.

The initial assignment supported marine-park development under a management agreement between African Parks Foundation and the Sudanese Wildlife Department. Ocean Roamers coordinated marine activities, visiting volunteers and the practical development of field capacity around Mohamed Gol, approximately 270 kilometres north of Port Sudan.

Responsibilities included recruiting and training marine-park rangers, from swimming and diving skills to marine operations. The work also covered patrol-boat procurement and oversight of guard-post and docking-facility construction, under demanding conditions with limited road access and infrastructure.

Ocean Roamers also co-organised, co-sponsored and supported a three-and-a-half-week scientific survey expedition along the coastline north of Port Sudan to the Egyptian border. Two large support vessels enabled coastal and underwater fieldwork, including surveys, transects and underwater photographic documentation.

As the expedition’s dive officers, Ocean Roamers managed diving and marine activities, providing operational coordination and safety support for the scientific teams. The assignment connected marine conservation objectives with the personnel, equipment and infrastructure needed to implement them in the field.