AQUATIC EXPLORERS COMPANY PROFILE
COMPANY HISTORY
Aquatic Explorers commenced training in 1989 as a diver training facility. In 1990 we purchased the 1st of our dive charter vessels & expanded our training & dive operations.
In 1995 we took over a company called Miranda Dive, located at Cronulla in Sydney. This was one of the longest established dive retail stores in Sydney, and had been trading for over 16 years.
In 1996 we had outgrown the premises & doubled the floor area by taking over the shop next door.
In 1998 we needed to expand again and moved premises a short distance away to Taren Point in Southern Sydney. This gave us the largest dive store in Sydney.
PRESENT STATE OF AQUATIC EXPLORERS
In February 2001 we were fortunate to secure premises in what we believe to be the best location in all of Sydney.
We have renovated the whole premises & created the best Dive Centre in the best location in Sydney.
The facilities cannot be matched by any other operation. To name just a few would include:
- SSI Instructor Development Centre
- TDI/SDI Instructor Training Facility.
- Technical Diver Training, Nitrox Gas Blending, 2 high capacity compressors.
- Rear covered courtyard for al fresco classes, BBQ'S & functions & gearing up divers.
- On site accommodation.
- Minibus.
- Accessibility. Easily reached by train (nearby station), bus or road. Good parking facilities.
- 35 minutes drive or 50 minutes by train from the centre of Sydney.
- Numerous dive sites within minutes of the store.
- All weather diving with the Port Hacking & Botany Bay providing shelter in nearly all but the worst weather conditions.
- Commercial wharf where our boat picks up only a couple of hundred metres away.
- Right in the heart of Cronulla Beach with its beautiful beaches, restaurants, entertainment, sporting facilities & shopping.
- 2 surveyed dive vessels. Our larger boat Voyager is the most stable, comfortable & user friendly boat operating in Sydney.
- A level of expertise of the proprietors & staff that is unmatched.
ORGANISATION CHART
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Steve Grow
Steve is rarely in the store as he is either running Voyager or teaching, If you do see him in the store, he will be servicing regulators. |
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Lee Grow
Lee is usually around the store, coordinating all the events that go on each week such as courses, shore dives and boat dives... and also the monthly shop BBQ!! |
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STORE ACHIEVEMENTS
- Sutherland Shire Tourism "Best Attraction" Award Winner 2007
- Oceanic Dealer Award of Excellence (1998 - 2005)
- Rescue crew for Tom Cruise on Mission Impossible 2
- Television appearances for Steve in Water Rats & White collar Blue
- Media vessel for Sydney Olympic Games
- Sponsors of Clean Up Australia campaign for local area
- Sponsors of local schools
- Participating in Business Mentor Program with the Southern Sydney Business Enterprise Centre
OUR DIVE VESSELS
VOYAGER one of the largest dive boats in Sydney, with a total length of 38ft and a beam of 12 ft.
The large size of Voyager and being a stable Cat Hull has allows us to have a total of 16 divers onboard, all there gear aboard with out everyone stepping on each others toes. The boat may actually hold 27 people for other functions like cruises or special functions that we hold in summer.
With a crusing speed of 20knots, Voyager has the advantage of having ample speed to get to dive sites, and back with out taking all day, and this also allows us to run up to 3 dive charters a day with the same boat, with out rushing the divers.
To enhance the diving and overall convenience with diving from Voyager, we also have a large covered front cabin, a enclosed rear area to protect divers from the elements as well as a Galley, a shower and the all important Head (Toilet).
Voyager was re-powered early 2003, with twin 225 four stroke engines, no more nasty fumes and loud out board noises so you can enjoy your day on the water even more.
OUR LOCATION
Cronulla Beach.
Our store location is at beautiful Cronulla Beach. The facilities at Cronulla are what you would expect at a 'World Class' tourist resort.
This a truly beautiful place kilometers of white sandy beaches only a 'stones throw' from the front door of Aquatic Explorers!
The store is located only 35 minutes by toll free road or 50 minutes by train from the centre of Sydney. The station is a 5 minutes walk from the store. Fast, limited stop trains run every 30 minutes.
The climate is Summer 8 months of the year at Cronulla Beach. Our winter is warmer than many European summers.
The area is a sporting paradise. There is all year round Diving, Surfing, Swimming, Snorkelling, Spearfishing, Fishing, Golf, Mountain Biking, Football, Bush Walking, and Horse Riding.
ENTERTAINMENT
At Cronulla Beach there are Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Night clubs, Bands, Movies, Theatre & one of the biggest shopping complexes in the Southern Hemisphere is right on your doorstep.
ON SITE ACCOMIDATION
Our on site accommodation is directly above our store in Cronulla Beach YHA. Training for a diving career cannot be easier when you simply walk out of your room & straight into the dive centre.
The YHA is near new with excellent facilities for a comfortable stay.
The Cronulla Beach YHA hostel features:
- Clean, comfortable new rooms with fans & lockers
- Private 3 bed rooms with own bath room.
- 4 & 6 bed dorms
- Clean, bright new bathrooms
- Internet facilities
- Pool table
- Fully equipped new kitchen
- TV & video room
- 24 hour security
- Laundry
- Courtesy bus for pickups & tours
- Right in the heart of the beach, restaurants & entertainment
For more information, head to www.cronullabeachyha.com.au
DIVING IN SYDNEY
Diving in Sydney is beautiful, diverse & challenging.
We have magnificent sponge garden reefs, ship wrecks & a sensational variety of underwater life.
The water is warm (15 degrees winter, 23 degrees summer), generally clear & unpolluted. It is unique to have such quality diving in a big city.
All our diving is near to the store. The closest site is only 3 minutes walk. Most of our local shore dives are under 10 minutes drive away.
Depths range from 5 metres to 25 metres for our nearby shore dive sites.
Because we are bounded by Botany Bay to the north & Port Hacking to the south, we have safe protected diving in all but the worst weather conditions.
Our dive boats depart from either Cronulla (3 minutes walk from the store), or nearby Botany Bay.
Depths range from shallow to over 40 metres. (even deeper for those with advanced technical training).
There are literally hundreds of boat dive sites, many of them unique to Aquatic Explorers that we have found & explored.
Visibility ranges from a few metres to over 25 metres depending on seas & other variables.
We may be biased but we say without hesitation that the best diving of all in Sydney is located in our local area of Cronulla. |