Phil O’Shea is a Dive Industry Consultant with more than 25 years of international experience designing, developing, managing, and operating successful diving businesses around the world.
Working with investors, developers, architects, resort operators, and dive centre owners, Phil helps transform concepts into commercially successful, operationally efficient, and safe diving facilities. His consultancy spans every stage of a project—from early feasibility studies and concept development through to facility design, operational planning, staffing, procurement, health and safety, and business launch.
Phil’s career has taken him across some of the diving industry’s most respected organizations.
From 1998 to 2013, he managed the renowned Pavilion Dive Centre at Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and later became Director of Diving for the Jumeirah Group, helping establish it as one of the Middle East’s leading PADI Career Development Centres.
He later joined the development team behind Deep Dive Dubai, serving as the original Concept Designer and Director of Diving, where he contributed to the planning and operational development of what would become the world’s deepest diving pool and one of the industry’s most recognised landmark facilities.
Phil subsequently became Operations Manager for Nomad Ocean Adventures, overseeing dive operations across Fujairah and Dibba in the UAE & Oman before relocating to Costa Rica to establish Scuba Dive Costa Rica, a successful dive operation in Playa Flamingo that he owned and managed for a decade.
Most recently, Phil joined the development team behind URWRLD Denver, contributing to the design, operational planning, and strategic development of a pioneering indoor diving destination that re-imagines how people discover, learn, and experience the underwater world. As one of the industry’s most ambitious next-generation concepts, the project brings together immersive experiences, diver education, technology, and entertainment within a purpose-built facility, reinforcing Phil’s position at the forefront of modern dive facility development.
Alongside operational leadership, Phil has completed consultancy projects ranging from independent dive centre developments to large-scale destination concepts, facility redesigns, operational audits, safety reviews, and strategic business planning. His experience allows him to bridge the gap between investor expectations, architectural vision, operational practicality, and the day-to-day realities of running a successful dive business.
Phil is a PADI Course Director, Technical Diving Instructor Trainer, and experienced business leader whose expertise includes:
- Dive facility concept development
- New-build and redevelopment projects
- Indoor and outdoor diving facility design
- Feasibility studies and operational modelling
- Business planning and commercial strategy
- Operations manuals and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Recruitment, staffing structures, and training programmes
- Equipment specification and procurement
- Health, Safety & Risk Assessments
- Operational workflow and guest experience design
Whether supporting an independent dive centre or advising on a large-scale destination development, Phil’s objective remains the same: to help clients create diving operations that are safe, efficient, commercially sustainable, and recognised for operational excellence.
Scuba Consultants 