Who we are

NOVA is a training-focused diving facility and a team of instructors and explorers united by a shared standard: the way we train defines who we become. We welcome everyone, from complete beginners taking their first breath underwater to experienced technical divers refining advanced skills. Our approach is precise, hands-on, and grounded in repetition, critical thinking, and a clear understanding of the why behind every skill. We prepare divers for real environments, not just certifications, and develop individuals who can think, adapt, and perform with confidence and calmness under pressure. Curiosity drives us to keep learning, discipline shapes our skills, and teamwork ensures every dive is safe, rewarding, and shared.

Our team brings real-world experience from technical training, cave and mine exploration, and challenging professional environments. Together with our growing, competent, and welcoming community, we focus on raising standards and supporting every diver’s long-term growth in the water.

Meet the founder

Florian Symoens

Florian is a full-time instructor, trainer, and coach whose life revolves around diving. From beginner courses to advanced technical programs and instructor development, he is deeply involved in shaping both skills and mindset. He regularly trains in overhead environments such as caves and mines, combining technical precision with curiosity and adventure.

His highest qualifications include deep dives on multiple rebreathers, but for Florian, it is not the collection of cards that matters. Competence, consistency, and the mindset behind them are what truly count. Certifications are meaningful only when they reflect real skill, and this principle guides everything NOVA teaches and delivers. He first learned to dive at sixteen, stepped away for several years, and returned about a decade later, when exploration and technical diving became central to his life. He leads and participates in exploration projects, mapping caves and mine systems, bringing both adventure and insight to his work. If equipment survives an exploration dive with Florian, it has proven itself.

He is particularly proud of the training culture within NOVA: hands-on, realistic, critical, and built on strong fundamentals. This is the approach he valued most in his own development and now carries forward with the team. Florian’s long-term goal is to raise the global standard of dive training, not out of criticism but from a conviction that the professional sector can grow in quality, depth, and responsibility. He seeks to build a community of like-minded divers who share this drive, combining exploration, education, and a dedication to excellence.

AND THE TEAM

  • Yorick combines his life as a dad with an enduring passion for diving. What began in 2015 as preparation for a trip to South Africa, quickly became a serious pursuit.

    Guided into technical and cave diving, he found satisfaction in mastering complex skills and exploring unfamiliar environments. For Yorick, diving is a form of meditation, creating distance from daily life and requiring complete focus on the present moment. He is certified in Cave 1 CCR, Normoxic Trimix, and Rebreather diving, and is currently progressing toward instructor level. His most memorable dives include his first wreck dive and diving through Naris cave in Mexico.

    Within NOVA, Yorick brings enthusiasm, commitment, and a genuine curiosity for exploration, combing his passion for diving with the technical skills learnt in speleology. He inspires others with his passion and leads by example, showing that growth comes from consistency and a willingness to step beyond comfort zones.

  • Kjento works as a maintenance technician in the pharmaceutical sector and brings that same practical mindset into his diving. His fascination with the underwater world started early, but it truly became a passion when he discovered cold-water diving and the technical challenges that come with it.

    He values the silence and focus underwater, as well as the connections formed through dive travel and shared experiences. Diving combines technical skill with community and exploration.

    Certified as an Assistant Instructor, Assistant Cave Instructor, and CCR Hypoxic Trimix diver, he continues to work toward becoming a full instructor. Within NOVA, he contributes as Social Media Manager, course assistant, and technical problem-solver, supporting the team while sharing his expertise. Peers describe him as dependable, practical, and safety-oriented, someone who approaches every dive as an opportunity to improve.

  • Maja is a project manager and event organizer who brings structure, clarity, and drive into everything she does. Born in Germany, raised in Slovenia, and now based in Belgium, she feels at home wherever strong connections and meaningful challenges exist, especially underwater.

    She discovered diving in 2019 in Thailand. What began as curiosity quickly developed into a focused technical path, leading her to explore caves, mines, and remote marine environments around the world. She achieved certification as a CCR cave diver, completed Normoxic Trimix and technical overhead DPV training, and is certified on two CCR units. She is particularly proud of her technical progression and the discipline behind it, and is motivated to support and mentor other women in building confidence and competence in technical diving.

    Within Team NOVA, she strengthens organization, team cohesion, and standards, contributing both precision and energy to the team’s development. At the same time, she is preparing a cave diving expedition in Slovenia, combining her roots with her commitment to exploration and structured project planning.

  • Ruben combines a background in architecture and 3D design with a recently started role as a Diver-Bomb Disposal Officer in the Belgian Navy. Precision, structure, and control define both his work and his diving.

    Raised by diving parents, he earned his first Open Water certification at eight years old. What started early became a lifelong commitment to the underwater world. Since 2020, he has progressed through club training, technical courses, and cave education. With more than 700 dives, his experience spans recreational, technical, and advanced cave exploration. A defining moment was reaching the 2,000-meter marker during a Cave CCR dive at Cabouy, a milestone reflecting years of focused training.

    Within NOVA, Ruben contributes to visual and creative projects, managing websites, merchandise, and media, while assisting in courses and progressing toward full instructor level. He is recognized for his calm mindset, technical foundation, and ability to combine creativity with challenging environments. Teammates describe him as adventurous, disciplined, and always ready for the most demanding dives.

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