Steve Hooker
I attended maritime college with NSW TAFE and Southport Maritime
College, Qld, Australia studying for Certificate of Competency Master Class five. Including navigation. Plus I hold a certificate of competency as a coxswain issued
by the Maritime Services Board, NSW, have a radio operator’s license and also have skipper’s (boat) licenses in NSW and Qld. Plus I have regularly completed the St John’s Ambulances courses.
I have worked on numerous tourism-based vessels from fishing and diving charter to sailing and water sports on the Gold Coast and have my PADI qualifications.
I have worked within the Tourism industry for most of my career spanning over 25 years completing vocational courses in customer services and also customer relations.
Since coming to Greece nearly ten years ago I have worked within the tourism industry, bungee and charter yacht sectors, gaining a working knowledge of tourism based business as well as contacts with tour operators in Greece. Along the way I became proficient in Greek.
I have sailed numerous types of yachts and catamarans, charter and private throughout the Greek islands, Ionian Cyclades and Dodecanese as well as Turkey working with companies such as The Moorings, Istion, Kiriakoulis and Kavas.
I have also done deliveries of private yachts to Italy and France.
In late 2009 we set up Wildside as a personalized activity charter operation based in Kos, Dodecanese. The business became operational in the 2010 season and was full steam ahead by 2011.
I usually skipper our Catamaran on both multi-day trips (the length and destination determined by the clients) and also on single day trips around Kos Island.
My hobbies are kite boarding, we have organized kite board sailing ventures around the best kite board spots, plus I enjoy rock climbing (and with Kalymnos nearby we have some of the best climb sail options anywhere in Europe), love scuba diving and snorkeling and I like to fish.
JOHN TYDEMAN
After spending 30 years in the corporate world of satellite television and media in Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa, I purchased a motor yacht in Athens in 2002 and moved to Kos in 2005.
Steve and I set up Wildside in late 2009 and by the 2011 season we were fully operational. We offer three different products (day trips around Kos, multi-day trips in Dodecanese, Cyclades and Turkish coastline and fast short trips from Kos to adjacent islands on an outboard (RIB).
We have a mono-hull for day trips and short 2 or 3 day trips, a catamaran for multi day (and day trips) and an 8 metre rigid inflatable (RIB) for the short and fast trips
I provide the back-office support for the business including marketing and promotion, sales, accounting, invoicing and all the paperwork required to operate in Greek waters. We have built a web site, a Facebook fan page, send out regular newsletters and have a flickr online photo gallery.
Plus on good days I get to go on the boats as crew or as skipper on the RIB
In addition to my university qualifications I have completed the shore based course of the Royal Yachting Association up to the standard of Yachtmaster Ocean, completed a certificate in Coastal and Ocean Navigation, Seamanship, Meteorology and the IRPCS completed the St John’s Ambulance certification and have a PADI Advanced Open Water diving qualification.
My hobbies are scuba diving, hiking and cycling
