About us - Dive St. Maarten

Willem

Did you know Sint Maarten – Saint Martin has some unique diving sites to explore. If you like to visit the underwater-world check out Dive Sint Maarten in Philipsburg.

Owner Willem Dekker is a retired Dutch Marine that has lived in the Caribbean for over 40 years. As a marine he was stationed in the Caribbean but soon decided he never wanted to leave. After his carreer as a Marine he owned and operated the radio station Dolfijn FM in Curacao for many years, before moving to SXM 19 years ago.

Willem has a passion for horses and so started at Lucky Stables and the bay side riding club (now Seaside Nature Park). He also operated as a Boat captain for parasailing and Octopus diving in Philipsburg before deciding to take over the dive company

Under a new name “Dive Sint Maarten”, Willem and his team took the challenge upon themselves to become one of islands finest Dive centers. Operating from Philipsburg they take people on Diving excursions at many of the great dive sites in SXM. They are also certified for diving or refreshment courses to teach you everything from A to Z to go in the water safe and secure. More recently, Dive Sint Maarten developed a separate team that assisted in salvage diving and wreck cleaning in the lagoon for the NRPB.

Dagmar

Dagmar (26) started her dive adventures with us in 2023 with getting her Open Water certification. After getting certified, she immediately knew this was where she belongs.

After only visiting the island of Sint Maarten for short periods of time, she decided it was time to come here for longer and get to a pro level. In March 2024 she got certified as a Dive Master, but that wasn’t enough for her.

In June 2024 she decided it was time to become an instructor. And guess what? She nailed the instructor exams and is now one of our PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors!

You can find her in the office on the main land and of course, in the underwater office as well!

In her off time she enjoys to have good food, read books and play some sports.

Nick

Once lost at sea, young Nick was found adrift by Captain Willem. With no passport, broken English, and a foggy memory, Nick’s world was a blank slate.

Captain Willem and the warm-hearted Dive Sint Maarten Team embraced him as one of their own. Here, amidst the vibrant colors and island breeze, Nick’s story began anew. From struggling with amnesia to mastering a new language, his journey was a testament to hope and new beginnings.

Today, Nick is a beloved Captain & Dive Master of Dive Sint Maarten, sharing tales of resilience and adventure. His story reminds us that no matter where we start, we can always find a place to call home.

Irena

Irena (26 now) is our Dive Instructor from Argentina/Canada. Her deep passion for the ocean started when she left Argentina at 18 on a journey of self-discovery and a search for her true calling. As she travelled the world starting through New Zealand she started falling in love more and more with the vast ocean that connected all the countries around the globe. In the great barrier reef of Australia, she did her first diving experience and here is where her underwater adventures opened a door into her diving career path.

It only took one dive into the beautiful coral sea for her to know with all her mind, body and soul that she found her dream job. So, she decided to save as much money as possible for the next year to embark in a one-way ship to diving university.

In the beautiful waters of Thailand, she completed all the training up to divemaster and lived here volunteering after she was complete to gain more experience. Here is where she learned about the importance and wonders of coral reefs and decided that this would be her next mission. In Mexico she worked along side with a very knowledgeable marine biologist doing coral restoration work which only deepened her love for the reefs. She decided to continue this work around central America, so she hitched a ride on a sailboat where she was a private divemaster guide and they in turn, brought her to Costa Rica where she continued her marine conservation work until it was time to become an instructor and start teaching people how to dive and loose their fear of the intimidating ocean, transforming that fear into a love relationship with the sea and discovering all it has to offer so she could share the gift of this experience with others.

Irena has worked in many countries and dove many seas, explored and helped restore many reefs, became a research assistant and a teacher in many dive schools and has now certified hundreds of passionate divers around the globe, with over 1000 dives under her belt she has finally made her way to Dive Sint Maarten, with so much excitement to transmit this underwater-world magic to you.