Meet The Crew
Experienced. Professional. Ready to share the ocean with you. More than a team we’re a dive family.
The Ocean is Our Passion
Wicked Squid Divers began as a dream and has become a reality. We combined our love of the ocean, passion for teaching scuba and desire to live a dream to create Wicked Squid Divers.
With our affiliation with NAUI and its long history of industry-leading standards and educational system, we can provide the best training and education on the island. We are certainly not the cheapest shop on the island – lots of ‘cheap’ options to choose from – but if you want value in the form of the best experience and/or training possible that focuses on safety and skill, Wicked Squid Divers is your obvious choice. On top of that, we’re fun! Come dive with us and find out for yourself what it means to be a part of the Wicked Squid family.
Via McBride
Owner / Office Manager
Via is heart and spirit of Wicked Squid Divers. She keeps us running efficiently, safely and with the warm Filipino cheerfulness we all love. Via is a ‘local’, a true Aklanon, born and raised not far from Boracay, in Kalibo.
Via has lived and worked in Qatar and Taiwan and is currently a NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver, Nitrox Diver, Rescue Diver and is working on her NAUI Master Scuba Diver course.
Jeff McBride
Owner / Chief Instructor
Wicked Squid Divers is Jeff’s ‘baby’, so to speak, and he loves it almost like he would a child! His passion for the ocean started long before he ever put a tank on his back and it shows in his teaching style and desire to share the underwater world with others.
Open Water Certified in 1993, Jeff has been a NAUI Instructor (#40008) since 2002, PADI Instructor (#372685) since 2015, and NAUI Instructor Trainer since 2021. He’s spent over 30 years living, traveling and diving around the world and logged thousands of dives from the cold waters of the US Pacific NW to the warm, tropical waters of the Caribbean, Red Sea and SE Asia. Having lived in the U.S., Hungary, Japan, Mexico, Germany and the UAE, he has finally settled in the Philippines with his wife, Via.
Jeff is also our resident Pro Photographer and specializes in teaching Underwater Photography techniques to beginners and more advanced photographers as well. You can check out his work here.
The Crew
Meet the awesome crew of Wicked Squid Divers! Divemasters Sammy and Val will guide you safely and make every dive an adventure. At the shop, Norie welcomes you with a smile and helps with everything you need. Out at sea, Jairo and Ermar keep the boat steady and the vibes fun. And finally, Aki, our island-born Aspin who greets divers at the shop and at the beach with a wagging tail. Together, they make every dive trip safe, smooth, and unforgettable!
The Boat
This traditional Filipino outrigger boat (bangka) is the official dive vessel of Wicked Squid Divers in Boracay, Philippines. Designed for both comfort and stability, it carries divers safely across the turquoise waters to explore the island’s vibrant reefs and marine life. Spacious and well-equipped, it offers the perfect platform for scuba diving adventures around one of the country’s top dive destinations.
The Shop
Located on Station 3, White Beach—right where the sand meets the sea—Wicked Squid Divers is Boracay’s premier dive shop, offering top-tier scuba training, guided fun dives, and underwater photography workshops. Our team embodies NAUI’s legacy of safety, skill, and care.