Interview with Ron Polet, the creator and owner of ScubaCam.nl.

1) How did you get in contact with diving?

In 1993 we were on holiday on the island Formentera with the family. I had never been interested in diving before, but the nagging of a fellow holiday-maker (now a very good friend) made me take a trial dive with him from the beach. One moment you’re not interested in diving and in a quarter of an hour’s time you’re addicted to diving! Straight away after the holiday became a member of a diving club in Maassluis. Currently I am a 2 star NOB instructor at Delphis in Maassluis.

2) But becoming a diver does not mean you have to sell underwater cameras. How did that come about?

Back then I was owner of Combi foto Melchers in Den Haag. Once you start diving and you are a photographer, you want to photograph under water as well. In 1994 on holiday to Formentera again, but this time with a diver’s certification and a Sea&Sea MotorMarine II. That was the start of the underwater photography. You talk to customers about your passion and suddenly it turns out that very many people dive. Started carefully with Sea&Sea MX10 and MotorMarine II in the store and eventually, many years later, I have combined both my hobbies in a speciality shop for underwater photo and video only.

3) When did you first start in photography?

At work (as an apprentice electrical serviceman) I always had a camera with me. Through a tip from my colleague in 1973 I went to the MTS for photography (school for photographers and photography trade) in Den Haag and in the same year started working behind the counter at Melchers fotohandel in Den Haag. Ultimately I fancied the trade more than just the photography. Graduated in 1978 and started work at another photo store. Then, after many wanderings and different jobs, in 1987 I wound up back at the old base Melchers in Den Haag. In 1990 I took over the store and continued on as Combi foto Melchers.

4) Why ScubaCam.nl in Waalwijk and now in Sprang-Capelle?

After we closed Combi Melchers in 2005 we started looking for a location for an underwater photography shop. Condition was that is was centrally situated. Ultimately the friend that gave me the diving virus had a space available in Waalwijk. My wife Ria and I already had plans to relocate out of the Randstad and that was accelerated, starting with the shop. I drove for 3 years from Maassluis to Waalwijk and back. That is 2 hours a day. We still had our son living with us at home. He went to live together in 2007. Then we were able to move house to Brabant. Since January 2008 we live in Kaatsheuvel. Waalwijk was not quite the location we wanted. Ultimately by the end of last year I came across this building. It is a great working space. Well accessible still.

5) Do you still get around to diving yourself?

Because it is so busy, not very often. But this year I intend to pick diving up again. That is why I am still a member of Delphis in Maassluis. A number of dives are planned. Meanwhile, my son-in-law is a certified diver too. My daughter and my son already were certified divers, but they are not doing anything with it. In 2007 we were married for 25 years and we took everybody with us to Egypt. There I dove with my daughter, son and son-in-law. This way we still have diving family holidays. Perhaps in the future I will get my grandchildren crazy about diving too. We have 3 now, a granddaughter born in 2005 and 2 grandsons (each others cousins) in 2008.