Ries & Lau | PADI Divemasters

Hey, we are Richèl and Laurens — but most people call us Ries and Lau!

We ended up at Porto Mari through Eva. Or was it the other way around? In any case, through her we saw how fun and intense a Divemaster internship could be, and that idea stuck with us. We had both been diving for a while and thought: what if we just go for it too? So we both took some time off from our jobs in the Netherlands and left for Curaçao to take that step together.

That turned out to be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. We did the DM internship together and really lived in the rhythm of the island and the dive school. During the day we were in the water, in the evenings we’d chat with the team, and on weekends there was often something new to experience. Richèl’s parents were also living on the island at that time with their five little dogs, because her father was stationed here as a military officer.

In the evenings and weekends, Lau was often found behind a drum kit, playing in various bands on the island. This created a nice balance between diving, music, and life on Curaçao.

After the DM internship, we picked up our lives in the Netherlands again, but the island kept calling us back. When Richèl’s parents finally returned to the Netherlands in 2024, we decided to take over their place in Curaçao and continue the family business: Kukudushi, founded by Richèl’s father.

Kukudushi originally started with jewelry made from small shells, but has since grown into a unique concept where jewelry, animal tracking, and storytelling come together. Many pieces are linked to real sea animals like sea turtles, sharks, rays, and whales, so through the jewelry you can follow the story and movements of that animal in the sea. Some designs still feature the original Kukudushi shells where it all began. The jewelry is sold all over the island, in tourist shops and also at the Porto Mari dive school.

We’re pretty busy with it these days, especially during cruise season, but we still regularly stop by Porto Mari. To go for a dive, say hi to people, or clean the coral nurseries. Diving remains an important hobby for both of us. And Lau? He’s still regularly behind his drum kit.