Extra: 2*I CMAS
Started diving: 2000
Dives: 1000+
Locations: Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, Turkey, Thailand, Tunisia, Mexico, Egypt, UK, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Lithuania, Albania, ...
Favorite dives: Wrecks, caves and mines
Karl got triggered when he was 6 by the colourfull slides and the great stories from the Red Sea his uncle brought home after his divetrips. In 1999 he decided to stop some other sport activities and joined the CMAS/NELOS diving club Aquanauten. Next to CMAS/NELOS he got training with IANTD, ERC and DAN wich enabled him to do the dives he liked to do with the necessary equipment to do it safe.
Since many years Vic Verlinden is a regular dive buddy on some great trips like North France, Malin Head, Eyemouth, Klaipèda, Albania, Lot, Cork, ... but also in Belgium ;-). Next to a good friend and dive buddy is Vic one of the people who inspired Karl in his diving adventures.
Karl was one of the divers during the Viroit Cave expedition in 2019 that documented part of this cave with pictures and video. He was also member of the RMS Lusitania expedition in 2019.
When he is not under the surface he run's an IT company and is a crew member of Tekdive Europe.
Extra: Advanced Nitrox, Diver-helper, CCR Advanced EANx Diver
Started diving: 2007
Dives: 600+
Locations: Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Philipines, Maledives, Egypt, UK, Scotland, Azores, Albania, Zanzibar
Favorite dives: Wrecks, caves, fun dives
Like so many people, Tom started diving after a scuba course during his holiday. After joining the local CMAS/NELOS diving club Aquanauten, he wanted to learn more and continued training until he became instructor in 2017.
He became interested in wreck diving at the North Sea because of Karl's exciting stories. After some trips on the North Sea he was sold and will attempt to join every wreck diving trip he can while continuing to learn more about technical diving skills.
Tom was one of the divers during the Viroit Cave expedition in 2019 that documented part of this cave with pictures and video.
Above water, Tom is Business Development Manager in the Oil & Gas industry. He is also crew member of Tekdive Europe.
Extra: cave diver, Advanced Nitrox, Deep diver, Diver-helper, CCR Advanced EANx Diver
Started diving: 2009
Dives: 200+
Locations: Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Egypt, Croatia, Mexico, Jordania, Libanon, Greece, Spain, Curaçao, Tanzania, Dubai, …
Favorite dives: Caves, mines, wrecks and big fish
Why diving? It is the combination of underwater flora and fauna, the technicality of diving and the realization that you are in a world where you shouldn't be naturally. It is exciting as well as relaxing.
Start of this journey is a classic story about a holiday in Egypt Red sea,... thereafter it became slowly more intense and time was allocated and cleared for diving. Nico joined the CMAS/NELOS diving club Aquanauten and started to invest in skills and fun dives.
Although Nico can also enjoy an Oosterschelde dive, he really prefers wrecks and caves. In addition thereto, he is equally very interested in all the animals that are capable of killing him.
It only took Nico 1 trip on the North sea with Karl to a wreck, to realize where the attention and focus is going.
All other dives have become training dives, to improve his cave and wreck diving skills.
In the Cenotes in Mexico the love for caves was really declared and therefore the training as cave diver was no longer a possibility but an inevitability.
Expeditions are not on the menu, it has to stay a hobby, a passion, something to look forward to after a hard week of work. Above the surface Nico is a consultancy manager in the Oil & gas and chemistry world.
Extra: Deep diver, Normoxic+ diver, CCR Advanced EANx Diver
Started diving: 2008
Dives: 300+
Locations: Belgium, Netherlands, France, UK, Spain, Egypt
Favorite dives: Wrecks
Joeri's interest was sparked by his passion for nature and especially oceans.
As a staunch supporter of Sea Shepherd, he absolutely wanted to better understand why these oceans were so important. From that interest came the passion for diving, which led him to start training after joining diving club Aquanauten.
Thanks to Karl, the intro came to the North Sea and to date this is Joeri his favorite dive site. The wreck dives with its technicality in combination with the North Sea and the friendship make it complete for Joeri.
Above water, Joeri is supervisor as well as intervention leader in the chemical sector.
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