Instructors and Divemaster Team

Staff of instructors
and Divemasters

Professional Scuba Team from SSI

Hi, I’m Riccardo, head of Diving in Elba. On this page I’d like to introduce myself and part of our staff… maybe not everyone is here, or perhaps some of them will not always be at the dive center, but the Diving in Elba family is made of many people, united by the love of the sea and the desire to pass on their passion.

Istruttore diving del centro immersioni all’Isola d’Elba

Riccardo

The Director

Riccardo

RICCARDO

Instructor Trainer SSI and XR Instructor Trainer

Official Guide of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park

For over 20 years he has managed Diving in Elba, taking care of the commercial and organizational aspects of the various locations. A former manager, he used that experience to build a solid company that has become a reference point for diving on Elba. He started as a PADI instructor, then embraced SSI’s winning project when it joined the HEAD group. In 2016 he became a Trainer and has been involved in professional training of new instructors in both recreational and technical diving. To date he has trained over 100 instructors… a true record. Always enthusiastic about his work, with a deep love for the sea and the desire to pass on that passion.

The Director

Juri

JURI

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR and XR Instructor

Official Guide of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park

He began training at Diving in Elba many years ago, driven by his passion for diving. Since then he never left, grew into a reference point for colleagues and customers. A few years ago he became a partner and now lives permanently on Elba so he can also handle equipment maintenance in winter, which for him is a passion and one of his best skills. Tireless worker, recreational and technical instructor, always attentive to customer needs, he is responsible for the center at Hotel Hermitage in Biodola.

Sergio

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR and FREEDIVING Instructor Trainer

Official Guide of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park

Arrived as a customer, he immediately clicked with the whole staff, often visiting the diving center and soon becoming part of it as a SCUBA instructor. Over the years his passion for the sea never faded; in fact, it grew more and more. A fan of underwater video, he is our official videomaker; his underwater footage has aired on national channels such as Canale 5 and Sky. He approached freediving and was fascinated by it; his perseverance led him to improve his performance until becoming an advanced Freediving instructor and Basic Freediver Trainer. If you want to hold your breath with him, you’ll have fun!

Alessandra

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

A big-hearted woman, but don’t be fooled… Ale is a rock, tireless and always attentive to the needs of the diving center’s life… And believe it, in this work there is always something to do, but Alessandra has surely seen it and is already doing it, you’ll never see her still! She chose Diving in Elba for her professional training and grew so fast that, almost without realizing it, she had already become an instructor! Of course, she never lacked aquatic skills… already a swim teacher, lifeguard and freediver, she quickly became a magnificent diver. Also a mermaiding instructor, she is our reference for this activity, which has grown a lot in recent years. Extremely valuable!!!

Lorenzo

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

Everyone calls him Lollo. The revelation of last season, already a customer of the diving center, he came to take another step and try to enter the world of professional diving. He raced through all the stages, becoming Divemaster and then instructor. We all already knew his innate aquatic ability, but his growth was incredible! Now he has chosen to make diving his future and we are thrilled! He has a sunny personality, always quick with a joke and, as a true Tuscan, knows how to make people laugh, but when there is work to do he is ready on the front line. With his powerful body he moves tanks as if they were water bottles. What to say except… Welcome!!!

Federico

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR and TXR Instructor

Everyone knows him by the nickname Makako because on the boat he moves agile like a monkey, jumping from one side to the other to assist anyone, even before that person realizes where they are! But that’s how he is, always attentive, nothing escapes him, and his experience in the diving world is endless: he started as a teenager and never stopped. Impeccable when escorting people underwater, he is a wizard at handling boats. Instructor in both recreational and technical diving, he is truly a certainty for Diving in Elba. He lives in the “fief” of Procchio, as he calls it, and manages our local center overlooking the beautiful beach.

Veronica

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR and XR Instructor

Official Guide of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park

Also a true institution in our diving center. Biologist and marine environment expert, as well as super passionate. Listening to her briefings is a joy, always full of insights, curiosities and tips on how to enjoy dives more, not only wandering in the wonderful blue, but also finding many of the strangest and most fascinating organisms. An extremely experienced technical diver and excellent trainer. For us she is like a sweet kitty always seeking cuddles, but beware of making her angry because we assure you she scratches!

Alessia

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

Official Guide of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park

Engineer Alessia is capable of astonishing anyone! A mix of a thousand talents: management engineer, super organized, precise and methodical, nothing escapes her… then she sits down, takes a pencil and creates wonderful drawings with disarming simplicity. Her creations are visible everywhere in the diving center: on staff fins, masterfully painted, on stickers and on t-shirts of our merchandise; in short, you’ll feel like you’re in an art gallery. For a few years now she has been responsible for the Portoferraio diving center at Hotel Airone, which she manages impeccably, assisted by her staff who love working with her.

Mirko

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

A great return for the 2026 season. After a period of training at our center where he became first Divemaster and then Instructor, Mirko left for an adventure in Cambodia, managing an environmental conservation center, putting his degree in Marine Biology to good use. But Elba was always in his heart, so this summer he will be with us again, ready to entertain everyone with his cheerful spirit, his professionalism both above and below water. Like many on our staff, he loves to pass on his passion for the marine world, but his university training allows him to do so with particular expertise. Welcome back!

Gabriele

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

Young and enthusiastic, our Gabri never stops! Despite his age he is very mature, an excellent instructor with a special liking for courses for children, with whom he manages to establish a wonderful relationship. Even though he has been with us for only a few years, it seems like he has always been here… and anyway we can no longer do without him! He is always attentive to the needs of colleagues and customers, observes, understands and then acts to provide impeccable service. Valuable also in winter as the diving center’s representative at diving fairs in Italy and abroad. We call him “puppy” because he is the youngest, but it seems like he has done this job forever.

Andrea

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

Official Guide of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park

Official Guide of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park You can’t talk about a “new entry” because we have known him for many years, but this will be his first official season at Diving in Elba! He is a true sea wolf… with a great passion for everything that is the sea. Underwater he is a guarantee, knows Elba’s dive sites very well and will guide you to discover the most hidden spots. Technical diver, park guide and skilled captain… we are all very happy to have him on our staff.

Ylenia

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

Yes, she is a 2026 novelty! After brilliantly passing the instructor exam last year, she left for a season abroad, quickly gaining experience in training new divers to arrive fully ready for the Italian season. We are eagerly awaiting her and we are sure she will be a precious member of our team. Always smiling and super enthusiastic… these are the things we love so much! Welcome aboard Ylenia.

Sacha

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

Almost by chance, he arrived on Elba towards the end of last season and quickly won everyone over with his creativity. Quiet and very “zen”, yet a sharp observer, he rapidly learned his way around the diving center. His original plan was to step into the world of professional diving by becoming a Divemaster, but he moved ahead faster than expected and became an Instructor with us last October. He speaks English and French fluently, and his Italian improves day by day. Always helpful and attentive towards both guests and colleagues, he has some special talents… at the end of the season we discovered he is also a great guitarist!
There was no doubt he deserved a place in the TOP TEAM 2026.

Alice

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

Saying that we saw Alice grow up is not just a figure of speech (forgive the wording): the very first time she approached scuba diving with us, during a “try dive”, she was just a little girl. Water has always been her natural element; the moment she put her head under the surface her big eyes lit up, and from that moment on her passion for the sea kept growing! She spent a few seasons on Elba working in a boat rental and as a skipper… which says a lot about her ability to handle boats. But she simply couldn’t stay away from diving, so she began her professional path and now works both in Italy and abroad. Her smile and her sweetness are contagious… you just have to experience it to believe it.

Giulio

SSI SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

Like most of our staff, he also grew up with Diving in Elba. His father is a diver and so is his brother; when all three of them happen to be on the boat together it’s great fun, because their good humour is truly contagious! He followed a long path to become an instructor because that’s just the way he is… he needs to feel confident and fully ready in his choices. A quality that few people have, and which means he always does everything with careful thought, reducing the margin for error to a minimum.

A tireless worker with natural manual skills, he can manage dives at their best but also take care of the daily activities of the diving center, always finding solutions to any problem that may arise. An experienced instructor who has also worked abroad, he is a high-level technical and sidemount diver. In short, his skills cover the full spectrum. A real all-rounder, sharp and attentive to the needs of guests, with a special soft spot for children who absolutely adore him… and a true pillar of Diving in Elba.