“The sea called my soul and I answered with all my heart”
Who we are?
Ocean Lovers Taganga is owned by Lisi, a PADI Elite Scuba Instructor from Austria. After traveling and working across the globe for many years, she finally settled on the Caribbean coast of Colombia and established her own PADI 5* Dive Resort. Ocean Lovers Taganga is dedicated to safe and fun scuba diving adventures in the Tayrona National Park.
Here at Ocean Lovers, we have an international team of professional, experienced and enthusiastic PADI Scuba Diving Instructors. Rest assured that we will take personal care of you and make sure you will have a safe and memorable experience. We only teach and guide small groups, so we can guarantee that you are getting the best service and personalized, individual attention.
Our staff members have been working in the diving industry for many years and have introduced several thousand people to the underwater world. Our instructors have taught PADI courses, from beginners to professionals, all around the globe. All of our divers and students endorse them as great instructors and appreciate their patient, relaxed and positive attitude. Safety is the most important thing during our lessons, but always combined with lots of fun & laughter. Our instructors all have experience with a wide range of students, people from all walks of life and with a range of abilities. This means they can adjust the course and teaching styles to meet the needs of everyone.
Why we love scuba diving?
Scuba diving is our passion and we want to share everything we know about diving with as many people as possible. It is both relaxing and exciting at the same time, and allows you to explore a completely different world. It also allows you to see a very different side to Colombia! Scuba diving is an incredible sport that connects people from all around the world and allows sharing a unique and magical experience. It is a great hobby for making new friends. We love everything about scuba diving, the way of life, the people we meet, the lives we change and the sense of achievement we get from teaching and sharing this passion.
What every instructor enjoys the most is seeing people learning to dive, overcoming their fears and progress through the courses. We want our students become safe and responsible divers, who care about the ocean as much as we do.
Meet the team!
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Lisi Owner/InstructorOriginally from Austria, Lisi has spent many years working as a dive instructor. After freelancing for a while in Taganga, she finally made her dream of owning her own dive centre a reality. Lisi has worked in many dive destinations around the world, and has years of experience teaching all courses from beginner to professionals! Always open for a chat, Lisi can talk for hours about diving (and pretty much anything else!) and welcomes you to Ocean Lovers as if you are a long lost friend!
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Ada Secretary
Typically the first person to greet you in the Dive Centre, Ada is a PADI Divemaster. Now she prefers to stay dry, and is the one who keeps the shop organized. Ada has lived in Taganga for 30 years, and has a lot of knowledge on the local area. Always on hand to help you book a PADI course, or some fun diving, Ada has an infectious laugh that can be heard all through the dive centre.
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Nataly Photographer & Divemaster
When you have the pleasure of meeting Naty, graphic designer, photographer and PADI Divemaster, you start to feel a positive vibe, a connection between the sea and the art of photography. Born in Bogotá, but passionate about the sea. She knew her love for photography from a very young age and brings many years of experience, so that today she can deliver the best memories of your underwater adventures. When she is not diving, she will be planning to delight you with the best Argentinian BBQ. Get to know her on her Instagram @natalycastrodg.
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Jorge InstructorDon’t be mistaken by his serious appearance, Jorge is one of our most eloquent and funny instructors. Of all underwater life, he loves the camouflaged creatures the most, like the stone fish, sea horse and other critters that are hard to spot. Born in Barranquilla, “George” as many people call him, is a family-oriented man who loves football, that he practices in his free time with friends. He is a real ocean lover, which you will instantly discover when meeting him and exploring the underwater world with him.
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Yoni Divemaster
Don’t be fooled by Yoni’s youthful appearance! He has been a Divemaster in Taganga for 10 years and is a master at finding the most interesting and hidden animals on the reef. If finding a seahorse is on your agenda, Yoni is your man! Having always had a love of manual jobs and fixing things, he can often be found around the dive centre fixing or servicing the equipment.
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Cheo Captain
Our helpful and knowledgeable captain Cheo decided to return to Taganga after spending time in the military. His 2 biggest passions in life are the ocean, and sports! When he is not hauling tanks into our boat and making it look easy, he is playing football for the local team! Not only is Cheo a boat captain, he is also the captain of Taganga’s football team!
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José Captain
As son of a family of fishermen from Taganga, for José it has always been the most natural thing to be in and on the water. After studying and working in construction for some years, the sea called him back and he started working as a captain. He makes his job on ease and it seems like nothing will ever make him loose his calm. Besides his work on the boat he is in the shop fixing and taking care of the equipment and other things. As football is his passion, you will also find him on the field with the local team.
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Michu Security
Michu is Ocean Lovers longest serving member of staff, and came part and parcel with the shop when Lisi took over in 2017. Notoriously lazy, she can be found lying in the strangest positions. She doesn’t often move, but when she does it is normal to find her drinking out of the dirty water we wash the boots in! You wont get much action from Michu, unless you try to steal her chair!
What our clients are saying about us:
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I cannot thank Lisi enough for teaching me to dive. I was nervous at the beginning, but really really wanted to see all the beauty I knew was under there. Lisi was careful with her instructions and gave me all the time I needed to feel comfortable and ready to go underwater. Once in the water, her presence was enough to make me feel safe and secure anytime I got a little nervous. In the end I absolutely loved diving! It's been three months since I learned with Lisi and I still can't stop thinking about.
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I couldn't have imagined a better first diving experience than with Lisi. She knows how to personalize the diving course as to focus on your necessities and personality. We had very good communication from the beginning. She always makes sure you understand and provides all the information needed for both the diving and the studying part. Lisi made me feel really comfortable during my dives, very calmed down and no rush. Again I really appreciate that she notice who you are as a person and accomstomize the course. Lisi is a fun, happy and very proffesional person and instructor and I can without a doubt reccomend her to every one of you!
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I had been scuba diving once before and I wasn't able to equalize my ears and it was a huge bummer. So when my friends and I decided to get certified, I was worried I'd have the same experience and it would be a waste. We met Lisi and I immediately felt better about it, she answered all our questions and we felt very relaxed about the next days. When it was time to dive, Lisi was professional and relaxing. She took her time to make sure everyone was comfortable and got a hold of the underwater exercises. After our dives, Lisi was informative and fun. She recommended places to eat, drink, even some of her favorite places to dive around the world. She made the experience more than just getting scuba certified. I couldn't imagine a better experience or a better instructor. Thank you for everything Lisi!
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I completed my PADI Open Water Diving Certification with Lisi in February 2017, and the experience could not have been any better. I had never been diving before, and Lisi made me feel so comfortable throughout the entire certification process. She was patient, kind, positive, and an overall awesome teacher. She truly went above and beyond all of my expectations; she met with us before we began our training so that we could get acquainted, and she showed us around more of Taganga and gave us tips on the area. She really puts her own personal touch on the whole experience. I would 100% recommend Lisi to anyone looking to get their scuba diving certification; she makes sure that you feel safe and supported, and by the end of the process you are completely confident in your skill set. I can’t imagine having done my training with anyone else!
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Getting open water certified has been a goal of mine for quite some time, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Lisi was great to learn from, and she was very knowledgeable and professional. You could definitely tell she’s been diving for quite a while and knows her stuff. There were three of us in the group, and she did a great job of making sure everyone was comfortable, having fun, and doing everything correctly. I would definitely recommend her for anyone else looking to get certified!
