The world‘s finest diving

About Dive Advice Travel

I’m Dominick Macan . . . . and you’re going to see my name a lot on this site because when I founded Dive Advice Travel, the mission was to give advice based on my personal & professional experience, love of travel, passion for diving, and above all concern for the oceans.   Here on the website,  I hope my personal notes will help to guide you in your decision-making process.   I’m also available to personally assist you with information & booking your trips, so please feel free to contact me by email, by phone or on Skype.

Here’s a bit of my story … and an introduction to the rest of our team, too.

Crazy-cold start in the North Sea

It all started at the age of 16 when I took a winter-time British Sub Aqua Club diving course and in spite of the incredibly frigid English waters, I found myself hooked on diving!

Abundant adventure & surreal moments

In the early 80’s, four years on a legendary dive boat in the Red Sea (the Lady Jenny) gave me the opportunity to explore where few had gone before . . . We were one of only 2 boats diving there at the time and I could write an encyclopedia of our adventures !

RS Remains of the Lara opt
Many of you know the wreck of the Lara, now just twisted, rotting iron timbers disintegrating into the sea. Well, we were there just after she’d hit the reef. We boarded her. We started her engines. We explored her deepest reaches. And we helped the BBC to film a segment about the Red Sea, part of which was filmed on the Lara.

The beauty, the challenges, the totally unique experiences of those years lured me deeper & deeper into diving as my life’s work … and led me to dive most of the planet’s richest waters and to explore many of her most exotic lands.

At this point in my life, there’s nothing I prefer to sharing my knowledge and helping to build the perfect program to suit a diver’s interests, skills and dreams. Contact me and we’ll get started!

Let me be your guide

I'm always at your service.

I’m Wanda Allison

and I’ve been with Dive Advice since its inception. I’ve always said that my first “real” adventure was hailing a taxi in New York City at 11:00 at night,  Fortunately, I moved on from there !

The Caribbean Sea first introduced me to the wonders of the marine world … and I was mesmerized.  The cultures of the world drew me strongly, too.  After lots of European adventures came years of travel to more distant & exotic lands : Mexico & Central America, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Sri Lanka …  always countries where I could dip into the sea as well as the culture. My strongest attractions have long been to Fiji and Indonesia.  I’ve returned to each of those destinations multiple times … and am not through yet!

I’m Marcel Wilpernig

your Travel Butler (Dom calls me a Travel Guru) based in Germany. I’ve been working with Dive Advice since the beginning of 2022 … but, Dom and I have enjoyed a professional collaboration for many years. I’m super happy to officially be a partner and part of the team.

I learned diving when I was12 years old and at 14 did my first dives at Brothers Island.  In 2012, I started working in the diving industry (after training at a big tour operator in Munich).  600 dives in almost 40 destinations later I joined Behind the Mask, an Ocean Community focused on filming the beauty of our oceans, and set up the travel portion of that group, offering specialized dive trips worldwide, functioning as group leader for most of those.  That’s where theTravel Butler moniker was born … and it stuck !

Dive Advice Travel and Behind the Mask Travel have joined in a partnership which we see as a perfect symbiosis between 2 generations and an ideal combination of “the world’s finest diving” and “niche-market” adventures. 

We continue to work with our wonderful partner, Kirsten Treais, in California … and together we can provide our clients with full service travel including liveaboards, dive resorts, flights, hotels and insurance.” 

Our partner in Germany

Marcel

We are also partnered with the wonderful Kirsten Treais of Amazing Adventures Travel in Mill Valley, California.   Dom and Kirsten have been working together since 1993 and have been pooling resources as business partners since 2003 to bring you the best possible dive travel experiences.

Our partner in California

I’m Kirsten & I’m not crazy

about having my photo taken … except under water … so, yes, that’s me to the left !  Scuba diving with friendly sharks, horseback riding through the rainforest or venturing out in a jeep surrounded by jungle animals … ahhh, these are just a few of my favorite things!

Born in Singapore, raised in Kuwait and schooled in England, I was intrigued at an early age by the natural beauty and cultural differences in the world. I didn’t want to just observe them, I wanted to get up close and experience the people, wildlife and exciting surroundings that make each part of the world unique.

After finishing school, I had my eyes set on adventures and seeing more of the world, so I backpacked for 2 ½ years through Australia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. My hunger to not just see, but to “do” exciting things in far-off places continues and I get great joy in sharing those places with friends, family and clients. Even after 20+ years of extensive travel, I still find new spots that make my heart flutter.

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