SCUBAbackpacker.com was born out of the collision of two passions – travelling and SCUBA diving. Its purpose is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experiences and to be entertaining. It is masterminded by two young travelling divers, Val and Scotty, who saved all their money, sold most of their belongings, and quit their jobs to dive the world.

Val is an intrepid traveler who started diving in 2000. She first caught the bug in the US Virgin Islands but the hunt for a cure has taken her to Alaska, Belize, Mexico, and now SE Asia. Val’s trademark wit, charm, and attention to detail are evident in everything she does, but it’s underwater that she’s at her best. Her acrobatic jokes and intoxicating joy during dives reveals an intense, thriving sub-aquatic passion.

Scotty fell irrevocably in love with SCUBA in 2007 and has thought or spoken of little else since. He brings the methodical and calculated logistics planning he learned Mountaineering to bear in the world of diving and international travel. Have a look at him on a dive boat and you’ll find he can barely contain his excitement.

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu