Our Team

Noeleen Smith

Noeleen is a founder of Aquanauts and has been running the business centre manager since 2008. She has been diving for much of her life and loves going to far flung places. Her worldwide diving adventures include Australia, Dubai, Red Sea, Philippines, California, Turkey, Gozo and of course Plymouth. As Finance Director she is firmly in control of the financial side of the Aquanauts empire and can usually be found in the shop making sure that the whole operation is running smoothly. Aquanauts is a family run business, Noeleen is the daughter of Douglas the dive boat skipper and sister to Brian who is a law onto himself. In 2011 she had one of our first Aquanauts weddings, marrying Derek Smith a Divemaster and long time Aquanauts member.

Douglas Allen

Douglas Allen is the original founder of Plymouth Aquanauts, a local Plymouth BSAC club formed over 20 years ago. Run from his home in Derriford, he developed a unique environment from which his children created the shop and dive centre. Having taught for years he is now semi-retired, although he is the skipper of 'Outcast' and you'll often see him around the centre making sure his kids are behaving themselves. Enjoy his humor, he's one of the old skool, and there's not too many around anymore that will be as honest and actually tell you what they think about your diving ability. Don't worry, if you are really awful, he's one of the few that will say and give you every hint and tip under the sun to get better.

Paul (Turbanator) Harris

Paul trained with Guildford BS-AC in 1990. He is a BS-AC Advanced Diver and OWI and held the position of Diving Officer for 7 years. He is also a keen technical diver holding various qualifications from GUE, TDI and IANTD. Lured from the safe backwaters of Guildford by YD's own Plymouth seductress "Kirstie", he crossed over to become a PADI instructor and is now an IDC Staff Instructor and DSAT TEC 40 instructor. Now Aquanaut's main instructor, Paul plays a part in the training of all our Students.

Brian Allen

PADI Staff Instructor, GUE Instructor and AQ Techinical Team Leader, Brian Allen has been diving since he was 9 years old. He is a keen wreck enthusiast and Archaeological Diver. Co-founder of Aquanauts, Brian has dived around the world before returning to his home town of Plymouth to set up the perfect UK dive centre, and enjoy his time building our online empire. He manages the online shop and ensures Aquanauts can not be beaten on price or service when it comes to any of your equipment needs. Brian will not pass a student till they truly are ready, so if you're looking for a tech course where you'll really end up as the diver you'd like to be, speak to us/him.

John Mellor - Environmental Officer

john-1 John grew up in Leicester literally 5 minutes from Stoney Cove and it was there that he took his first dive. Icicles dripping off him didn't put him off. He has dived around the world including, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and of course the UK. It was whilst living in Australia that he completed my professional training and he is currently a PADI OWSI and EFR Instructor. John's passion for diving, the ocean and seeing the look on students faces when they have completed their first dive and loved it is reflected in his instruction. After two years living "down under" he has returned to what he feels is best part of the world in order to study Environmental Sciences at Plymouth University and eat pasties.

John has also taken on the role of Club Environmental Officer for Aquanauts.