Presenter Bios
Select a presenter to see their bio below:
Annie Crawley
While creating a successful business, Dive Into Your Imagination, Annie Crawley, aka Ocean Annie, continues to travel and document the world focusing on life in our Ocean. She is uniquely qualified to speak about obtaining success by taking risks, living your dreams and creating your greatest life. Originally from Chicago and trained as a photo and broadcast journalist, Annie Crawley spent the past two decades living and working around the world. After learning to scuba dive and sail, she became a PADI Master Scuba Diving Instructor and a 100 ton US Coast Guard Boat Captain. She was named an SSI 5000 Platinum Pro Diver and inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame. Annie Crawley specializes in the Underwater Realm as an underwater photographer, filmmaker, and has created an award winning series of products for the next generation. Dive Into Your Imagination under Annie’s leadership will be releasing another series of programs at Our World Underwater on ocean education and leadership including books, educator/parent lesson plans and DVDS to change the way a new generation views the ocean, themselves and our environment. Annie relates the lessons learned growing up and traveling in a way that will empower, inspire and motivate you to go beyond what they believe they are capable. Annie Crawley believes in the principals of Conscious Leadership, you want to make sure you meet this dynamic woman
Barb Roy
Barb Roy makes her living as an outdoor adventure writer/photographer specializing in dive travel around the world. Her work has appeared in Sport Diver, X-ray International, Wreck Diving, Northwest Dive News, Diver UK and more. Barb’s certifications include; PADI Master Instructor, NAUI Wreck and Archaeology Instructor, IANTD Trimix and Rebreather. As a Dive Industry Association of British Columbia board member and a BC resident, Barb offers a special above and below water perspective.
Betty Orr
Betty Orr is Vice President & Director of Insurance for DAN Services. She came to Divers Alert Network in 1991 as a customer services representative in the Membership Department and transferred into the Insurance Department in 1999. Prior to coming to DAN, she worked with the Florida Department of Regulation as an agent and Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio as an Associate Professor of Biology. Betty has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biology and has authored and contributed to many books and magazine articles in both scuba diving and biology.
Bob Gadbois
Bob Gadbois A Chicago native, a long-time photographer/editor for CBS television and owner of his own production company, Bob has had a special love for diving and documenting the Great Lakes for 28 years. Assisted by his wife Claire, he has produced many documentaries telling the stories of the treasures of the lakes. Previous OWU productions have included the Seabird, the Verano, Ancient Forests and the Mystery Object. When not presenting, Bob can be seen helping with OW-U's audio/visual department.
Bob Sheridan
Bob Sheridan, aka BAR “Bob Ain’t Right” coined by local ice divers, is originally from Chicago, was Mid American Director for NAUI and had four dive stores from ‘72 until ’88 when he relocated to Ft. Lauderdale. He began teaching diving in high school and college and continues to train instructors for several agencies. Upon moving to Florida, he opened a training facility and charter business. Capt. Bob has a commercial diving company and did the first photographic and shipwreck research in Isle Royale, with the University of Michigan and the National Park Service, in 1980 and ’81. His formal education is in art, physical education and aquatics. Bob has been teaching tech since the beginning of the organized sport and built the first Nitrox regulator for the dive industry while technical consultant for Beuchat Fr. He is the past president of the Graves Museum of Archaeology and the Natural History in Ft. Lauderdale FL and started UDT, Universal Diver Training, Inc. a dive agency in 2000. He is a technical cave instructor and trimix/wreck penetration instructor trainer trainer. Special projects include working with: Disney’s Living Seas, Argonne National Labs,IL, Great Lakes Navel Training Ctr.,IL., Sandia Labs N.M., Puerto Rico military, Jamaica tourism, Ocean Management Systems, Cochran Underseas Technology, Santi Dry Suits, Ocean Reef, MGM, OSHA, FBI, US Army, National Asso. of Cave Divers, Chicago’s Field Museum and Brookfield Zoo and Naperville, Il. dive rescue etc. Additionally, he writes monthly, technical and educational diving articles, for ScubaNews.com magazine.
Buck Buchanan
Buck Buchanan has 28 years dive experience. He is a Public Safety Diving Company Officer, Senior ERDI Instructor Trainer and a multi agency instructor, Padi, Naui, SSI, Hsa, Tdi, SDI, UDT, Aquatic Society, NIMS,I SO. Additionally he is an Instructor trainer for multi agencies and a technical instructor trainer with over 5,000 lifetime dives. Buck has been the safety officer on two world record teams (world’s longest dive), conducted the first ever, live worldwide broadcast interview while underwater (Gulf oil spill). He is a technical expedition leader and dive consultant and public safety diving instructor trainer owner Dive911. Additionally, he is the owner of International Dive masters, heavy recovery salvage specialists.
Caleb Hayes
Caleb Hayes grew up in Papua New Guinea and moved to St. Louis, MO in 1991, where he discovered winter and promptly moved to Tampa, Florida. Caleb has been diving for 20 years and is a Padi MSDT with over 2,000 logged dives. Caleb spent 12 years in financial sales and sales training in a management position with one of the largest banks in the world, but left in 2007 to dedicate more time to diving. In mid-2009, Caleb joined Red Mangrove Galapagos Lodges to develop their diving program and design the new dive center, which will be the largest in Galapagos Islands and one of the largest in South America when it is completed in late 2010.
Cathy Church
Cathy Church has been photographing the beautiful underwater world since 1967. She has a Masters degree in Marine Biology and is recognized as one of the world's pioneers of underwater photography. She has received the coveted NOGI award for the Arts in 1987 and the DEMA Reaching Out award in 2000. In 2000 she was inducted into the Woman Divers Hall of Fame and admitted as a member of the Explorers' Club. She was inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in 2008.
Chet Moore
Chet has been diving for some 35 years, eschewing his home waters of Monterey Bay,CA, for the little latitudes where the water is warm and the viz unlimited. Chet and his wife have been diving Papua New Guinea since 1993 and they now represent Loloata Tufi, Walindi, M.V. FeBrina and M.Y. StarDancer at consumer and trade shows. The presentation is colorful, fast moving, and informative including the in’s and out’s of getting in and out of PNG.
Chris Parsons
Chris is a professional underwater photographer currently residing in Key Largo. He loves to dive, take photos and teach people about photography. His images have been published in major magazines like Sport Diver, Scuba Diving, Southern Living and River Watch. Sea Shepard, National Geographic, and the Tennessee Aquarium have also featured his work. An early adopter of digital underwater, and with a science and software development background, he can bridge the gap between the creative and technical sides of today’s image creation process. Chris is the distributor for Nauticam USA and Zen Underwater.
Christopher Weaver
Christopher Weaver has been diving the waters of Long Island and the world since 1978 and has spent hundreds of hours underwater accumulating a large and varied library of photographic images. With Michael Salvarezza, he has presented his work in hundreds of multi-media slide presentations and have appeared at Beneath the Sea and the Boston Sea Rovers Underwater Clinic. Their work has been published in various magazines such as: Skin Diver, Sport Diver, Asian Diver, Diver, Advanced Diver Magazine, Sport Diving Magazine, Dive Journal, World War II, Immersed and Lighthouse Digest.
Cris Kohl & Joan Forsberg
Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg, a Chicago husband-and-wife team, love to explore shipwrecks, particularly those in the Great Lakes. Joan, who has a degree in History and has been the Chairman of its "Shipwrecks and our Maritime Heritage" Room at Chicago’s "Our World – Underwater" Show since 1996, is the author of the scuba celebrity "cook-and-tell" book, "Diver’s Guide to the Kitchen," and articles in "Immersed" and "Wreck Diving" (for which she now works as Copy Editor) magazines. Cris, a prize-winning underwater photographer with a Master’s Degree in History, is Past President of the Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago and has written ten books about Great Lakes shipwrecks. He has appeared on numerous television programs, including the History Channel.
Dan Orr
Dan Orr, President Dan Orr came to Divers Alert Network in 1991 as Director of Training. He was responsible for developing and implementing DAN training programs including the internationally successful DAN Oxygen First Aid Course. Prior to coming to DAN, he was the Associate Diving Officer at Florida State University and, before that, he was Director of Diver Training Programs at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Dan has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biology and has authored and contributed to many books and magazine articles including co-author of Scuba Diving Safety and DAN's Pocket Guide for Diving Safety series.
David Basiove
David is in Group Sales & Marketing for Fly & Sea Dive Adventures. He has more than 35 years experience in the dive industry. A former Dacor and Scubapro rep, and PADI Master Instructor he has owned and managed dive shops in Canada, South-East Asia and the South Pacific. His presentation is a fun and informative show on Egypt and the Red Sea.
David Colvard, MD
David Colvard, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist, clinical investigator, and a divemaster who works with anxious and traumatized divers. He became involved in dive medicine and dive research when a local dive shop asked him to help a traumatized diver who wanted to resume diving on her honeymoon in Hawaii. In 2000 Dr. Colvard began conducting paper and online surveys of thousands of divers around the world. His first study on diver panic in over 12,000 divers was sponsored by Rodale's Scuba Diving magazine and was published in The Undersea Journal in 2003. He continued to conduct follow up online surveys of those divers and others, such as the divers who survived the December 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami. More recently, Dr. Colvard did a study of middle ear pressure equalization in one hundred scuba divers using NeilMed Pharmaceuticals SINUS RINSE instead of OTC decongestants. He has written articles for DAN's Alert Diver, Scuba Diving Magazine, The Undersea Journal, and Bonaire Reporter. In 2007 Dr. Colvard presented a Diver Stress and Panic Prevention Workshop for DAN Southern Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has a private practice of psychiatry and is a certified physician investigator with Wake Research Associates in Raleigh, NC.
David Trotter
David Trotter has been discovering and exploring Great Lakes Shipwrecks since the late 70's. In 25 years of exploration, he has discovered 75 shipwrecks. His discoveries and programs have been featured on the Discovery Channel, ABC News, CBS News, Great Lakes in Depth and in leading newspapers, including the New York Times, the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit News, and in leading dive publications including Immersed, Wreckdiver and Advanced Diver. In a continuing odyssey, he has surveyed more than 2000 square miles of Lake Huron in what has become a remarkable one of a kind adventure. David now produces programs on his shipwreck discoveries and shares his adventures on DVD, taking divers and non-divers alike on true Great Lakes adventures. When not shipwreck hunting and diving off the survey boat Obsession Too, he and Mickey (wife) enjoy the Great Lakes on their 40’ trawler, Sojourner.
Deanna LaSusa - Hotchner
DEANNA LaSUSA - HOTCHNER became a diver twenty years ago. Since that time, her love for the ocean and diving has taken her all over the globe. Deanna has dived many places in the United States, Caribbean and South Pacific. Her favorite hobby is underwater videography. She is the recipient of the First Place award, Environmental Concern in the EPIC (Environmentally Aware Photographic Competition).
The combination of Deanna’s zeal for marine conservation and her background as a trial attorney has shaped her major goals: ~ to have people learn about the ocean and its inhabitants; ~ through this newfound knowledge people will act to protect the oceans and become ocean advocates. To accomplish these goals Deanna created Discover the Depths. Deanna brings fun, interactive, educational presentations to people of all ages to learn about marine animals and ecosystems.
Deanna is a volunteer interpreter and diver at John G. Shedd Aquarium. She enhances aquarium guests’ experience by sharing interesting information about the Shedd’s collections.
Deanna lives in Chicago with her dive buddy, husband Dave, and their two children, whom she hopes will be snorkeling and diving soon.
Doc Adelman
Doc Adelman aka ScubaBoards Roatan Man, has been diving off of most of the Caribbean Islands, Red Sea, Maldives, Galapogos, South Pacific and numerous liveaboards. PADI Instructor, diving since 1960. Logged approximately 1,000 dives and over 230 night dives from CoCoView.
Duane Johnson
Duane Johnson fell in love with the underwater world over 10 years ago when a tropical vacation led to his first skin dive on a coral reef. Upon returning to his hometown Chicago, he immediately signed up for an Open Water class and was soon diving non-stop – from warm water oceans to the Great Lakes. Today Duane is an active, independent scuba instructor teaching recreational through technical diving to students who come to Chicago from across the country to take his courses. Duane’s business, Precision Diving, also supports his very popular website www.precisiondiving.net, newsletters and his frequent and always interesting blog posts. Duane brings a unique “thinking diver” philosophy both to his teaching and to the way he dives.
Erick Estrada
Erick Estrada is the Sales Manager for VideoRay LLC, the leading micro ROV manufacturer in the world. Mr. Estrada has more than 9 years of experience in Search and Recovery and supporting these activities. He has helped organizations build up their Search and Recovery locker with different underwater tools to help out local and state law enforcement agencies. Clients include NYPD, Port of Long Beach, U.S. Coast Guard, and several Sheriff Departments.
Ernie Brooks
Ambassador to the Marine Environment Photographer, Adventurer, Diver and Educator Ernest H. Brooks II was born to be a photographer. His Portuguese ancestry, rich in men-of-the-sea, virtually insured the ocean environment would play an important role in his life. As the son of Ernest H. Brooks, founder of the internationally-renowned Brooks Institute of Photography, Mr. Brooks was destined to follow in his father's footsteps for part of his life's journey before forging his own path. He graduated from Brooks Institute, served on the school's executive staff and in 1971 assumed the office of the president, a position he held until 2000 when the institute was sold to Career Education Corporation, CEC. Throughout his long tenure as the head of Brooks Institute, he carried out the duties that come with that corporate territory including keynote speaking at international conventions, working with national and international organizations and companies to enhance the industry, and encouraging photographic education and promoting photography as a universal language. Along the way, while fulfilling the responsibilities of his office, his achievements earned him numerous accolades and awards. As a noted professional photographer, educator and ambassador to the industry, Mr. Brooks has won international acclaim for underwater photography and audio/visual presentation. As a working professional, he has contributed to numerous magazines and organizations including: Cousteau Society, California Highways, Ocean Realm, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Nature Conservancy and Natural Wildlife, to name only a few. He is a recipient of numerous honors and awards including: 1973 'Triton Award' Inner Space Pacifica, Hawaii; 1975 'NOGI' The Underwater Society of America; 1977 'National Award' Professional Photographers of America; 1971 through 1980 Hall of Fame elector Photographic Arts and Science Foundation; 1978 Camera Craftsmen of America; served on the National Advisory Council of the National Society of Arts and Letters; 'Hall of Fame' Underwater Photographic Society; was honored by the Oceanic Community of SSI and Nikon for 5000 hours beneath the sea 'Platinum Pro Diver Award'; and his most recent honor, 'The 1996 Partner's Award,' was received from the American Oceans Campaign for his lifelong commitment and dedication to our oceans.
Faith Ortins
Faith has spent her life educating people about diving through her love and enthusiasm for the ocean. Whether as a biology teacher, Dive Master, dive store retailer, charter operator, equipment manufacturer and distributor, she inspires people and instills in them a passion for local diving. Twenty years ago she worked with DUI to develop the first women’s drysuits and now leads DUI’s Sales Team worldwide. She created the DUI DOG Rally and Demo Tour Program which promotes local diving facilities across the US, teaming dive retailers together while divers test dive DUI products. Certified in 1979, she has over 2500 divers including 700 technical dives. Faith was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame at the 10th Anniversary Celebration at the Beneath the Sea Show in Secaucus, NJ March 26-28, 2010.
Greg Lashbrook & Kathy Johnson
Over the years, Greg Lashbrook and Kathy Johnson have worked with scuba certification classes, on search & rescue operations, for commercial hardhat companies and assisted researchers across the Great Lakes basin. Their work with the US Fish and Wildlife, DNR’s and Fishes & Oceans Canada, among other organizations, has established them as Great Lakes marine life experts. To see more of Greg and Kathy’s work visit their website at www.GregoryAd.com In 1990, Greg and Kathy published their first book on Great Lakes diving and have since published articles for publications such as – Michigan Natural Resources Magazine, Sport Diver Magazine and USA Today Newspaper. From the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto to SHEDD Aquarium in Chicago and TV Japan in Tokyo, Greg and Kathy are committed to raising awareness about the importance of freshwater marine life. In 2007, they worked on “Mysteries of the Great Lakes” the only IMAX film featuring the Great Lakes region. National Geographic TV’s 2010 “Monster Fish” series premiere included their Lake Sturgeon footage. In 2011, their videos were presented to the U.S. Congress by a Great Lakes Fisheries Commission congressional delegation. In the fall of 2011, Greg and Kathy released a full length documentary entitled “Manistee Nme, a Lake Sturgeon Success Story”. And most recently they were featured on Michigan’s longest running PBS series “Michigan Outdoors”.
Jason Heller
Jason Heller is a New York City based commercial photographer specializing in underwater, travel & lifestyle photography. He is the founder and publisher of DivePhotoGuide.com, a popular portal for the global community of underwater photographers and videographers. Additionally, Jason is a special correspondent for Sport Diver magazine where he writes and shoots the Images column.
Jason began scuba diving in 2001 and is part of the new generation of underwater photographers. During the mid to late nineties, Jason was better known as the founder of one of the first digital advertising agencies, and diving was far from his mind. It was not until 2001 when he began providing marketing seminars for DEMA, where he got hooked on diving forever. Diving came naturally for Jason. Finally submerged into the mysteries of the ocean that he had been drawn to from an early age, soon thereafter underwater photography became his passion. Although he is a champion for marine related causes, Jason’s photographic vision is to create images that are exude passion and uniquely portray water as an artistic medium. You can see more of Jason’s work at www.jasonheller.com.
Jenny Collister
Jenny has worked in the travel industry for 25 years. A graduate of Grant MacEwan College, in Alberta, Canada, Jenny received a degree in travel and tourism. Her interest in diving began in the frigid Canadian waters near Edmonton in 1988. Since, she has dived and traveled the world. After years of travel and experience she decided to spread her knowledge with scuba divers worldwide. She bought Reef & Rainforest in 2001 and has diligently worked at expanding it since. Serving as the President of the company, she continues to plan exciting adventures for her clients. She loves all things related to water and is an avid swimmer, skier, and diver.
Jett & Kathryn Britnell
Jett & Kathryn Britnell are an internationally published diving photojournalist team and Travel Writers for Dive News Network who specialize in underwater photography and scuba diving editorial. Based in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, they have pooled their creative talents and artistic vision to pursue their mutual interest in traveling off the beaten path on editorial assignments to far flung corners of the globe to craft compelling picture stories about diving destinations, the marine environment and the magnificent creatures that inhabit the ocean realm. Both are members of the BC Association of Travel Writers and apart from having 51 magazine covers to his credit, Jett is also a member of the Ocean Artists Society (Photographer).
Jim & Pat Stayer
For 36 years Jim & Pat Stayer have been diving in the Great Lakes and around the world. Pat is a member of the Women’s Diving Hall of Fame and Jim has been a U.S.C.G Licensed Captain for 24 years. They have co-authored three books and produced 20 DVDs. The Stayers have discovered eight shipwrecks and documented numerous others. They have worked as cameramen for the History Channel and their footage has appeared several major commercial networks. Jim and Pat have been popular presenters at dive shows across the country.
Jim Clymer
Jim Clymer is a 22-year veteran of the manufacturing side of the dive industry and is well-versed in the technical aspects of scuba equipment, especially dive computers. Jim is currently the Sales and Business Development Manager for Inabata America’s devices division, based in Costa Mesa, California. Inabata works closely with Seiko-Epson to bring state-of-the-art dive computers to market. Prior to Inabata, Jim worked for Amer Sports, the world’s largest sports equipment manufacturer and parent company of Suunto, a world-leader in the development and manufacturing of dive computers. Based out of the Amer Sports Europe office in Munich, Germany, Jim managed Suunto’s European dive business. Soon after arriving in Munich, Jim also assumed the duties as the Global Diving Business Manager. Before moving to Europe, Jim spent 14 years at Aqua Lung America managing the Suunto product line. In addition to his product management duties, he wrote and produced all the user manuals, technical repair programs, and interactive repair CDs for Aqua Lung Regulators and SeaQuest BCs.
Jim Kozmik
Jim Kozmik has been in the Underwater Photography, Videography and Film business since 1969. His work has been published in 65 magazines and newspapers and he has over 50,000 stock images along with thousands of hours of video footage representing the underwater environment. Jim has over 230 feature films, documentaries, movies of the week and commercials to his credit. He has been the Underwater D.O.P. for such notable productions as: Driven, Rated X, Never Let Her Die, Nikita, FX, Tuxedo, Til Death Do Us Part, The Devil’s Throat and more.
Joe Romeiro & Bill Fisher
Sharks have fascinated both Joe Romeiro and Bill Fisher since childhood. As avid recreational divers, they hope to spread the message that sharks do not live up to the negative reputation that is so often depicted. Through their films, they portray sharks not as mindless killers, but as the beautiful and majestic creatures they are. Their ultimate goal is to help conserve and appreciate the beauty of the world’s oceans and its creatures.
John Bell
John Bell has been diving since 1990 and conducting amateur underwater archaeology since 2004. President of the Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago, ( UASC, http://www.uaschicago.org ), John will soon complete part II of the Nautical Archaeology Society program in Foreshore and Underwater Archaeology. John owns a small personal dive boat, the Diving Belle, from which he conducts sidescan sonar and underwater surveys of wreck sites in southern Lake Michigan. Professionally, Dr. Bell teaches Computer Science at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
John Drewniak
John is currently the Director of Business Development for Whites Manufacturing. John started in the dive industry in 1994 for Trelleborg Viking where he quickly rose to General Manager of the North and South American division. In 1996 John worked on the team designing the matrix for chemical testing of dry suits, now used as the industry standard. He later went on to co-author Viking’s original booklet “Contaminated Water Diving and the Chemical Compatibility of Viking Dry Suits.” as well as the development of the current “Diving Techniques and Procedures” video. In 1999 he contributed with technical information for the book “Diving in High Risk Environments” 3rd Edition by Steven Barsky. John has presented information on dry suits used in contaminated water diving both in North America and Europe. He has presented at the Association of Diving Contractors International Convention, to the US Navy, Canadian Navy, NOAA, US EPA, FBI, University of Maryland, and other various Federal, State and Local agencies. In 2009 John joined Whites Manufacturing as the Director of Business Development, Public Safety & Commercial Division. He is currently on a Task group for the National Fire Protection Association designing a standard for equipment used in contaminated water diving.
John Hott
John Hott is Director of Training as well as Military/Public Safety Diving Representative for Ocean Technology Systems. After serving with the US Army in Military Intelligence, John spent 14 years in Law Enforcement rising to the rank of Sergeant. With OTS, he is a member of the design team that developed the Guardian Full Face Mask and teaches the technician course for the GFFM. As Training Director, he has also certified over 1700 Interspiro Service Technicians and conducts familiarization training on full-face masks and underwater communications. John is an avid diver since 1975, certified Dive Master and carries certifications from YMCA, NAUI, TDI and PADI. John has been with OTS for over ten years.
Jonathan Bird
Jonathan Bird is a professional underwater cinematographer and photographer. His films have appeared all over the world, on networks such as National Geographic Channel, PBS, ABC, USA Network, Discovery and even the SciFi Channel. He has won two Emmy Awards and two Cine Golden Eagles for his work. He is the author of seven books of underwater photography and the host of his own program on American public television Jonathan Bird's Blue World. Jonathan Bird's Blue World is back for an exciting third season! There are 9 exciting new half-hour programs in HD, exploring the mysteries of the deep around the world. Emmy Award-winning underwater cinematographer and naturalist Jonathan Bird is the dynamic host of Jonathan Bird's Blue World. His 20 years of experience in the field are evident in the high quality of this educational family-oriented underwater adventure series. Jonathan Bird's Blue World won the prestigious CINE Golden Eagle, praise from the National Education Association, the National Science Teachers Association and has garnered four Emmy awards! It airs across the USA on PBS and now reaches more than 72% of the households in the United States, as well as being broadcast in a growing number of other countries.
Jonathan Lavan
Jonathan Lavan, a citizen scientist and wildlife expert has been SCUBA Diving for over twenty-five years and taking photographs “underpressure” for about 10. As a SCUBA Diver he has been a teacher, photographer and research associate for many different organizations. Among them: National Geographic, Smithsonian, Encyclopedia of Life, Florida Museum of Natural History, OnEarth, Fishwise, Fishbase, Monterey Bay Aquarium, REEF and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He is a staunch environmentalist and educator of young people. Jonathan is committed to making a difference on this planet through his images and his message of goodwill to all creatures.
Jose Morera
It was in 1988 that I discover the underwater world and dove for the first time, I knew then that this was my future, I was only 14 years old and I had discover my vocation. In 1994 I became a NASE SCUBA instructor in 1995 I did a crossover to PADI, in 1998 I became an IANTD instructor, then in 1999 A PADI Course Director. In 1996 I open my first Dive Center and vocational SCUBA Diving school in Puerto Rico, Water World SCUBA Diving Academy created 45 PADI Instructors and graduated the first Commercial diving group from ADC in Puerto Rico. I was hired by PADI in the year 2000 as the Latin America Regional Manager, job that I did until 2010, traveling through the continent gave me a great perspective about the industry, then when I decided that it was time to start a new venture, Aqua Adventure became a reality in my life, now having contracts with the most exclusive hotels in Puerto Rico, like the Caribe Hilton Hotel, Gran Melia, and the most important dive resort on the Island Copamarina Hotel we are providing the best service people can obtained in Puerto Rico for our industry. Also I have created the Institute of Marine Arts, is a new Vocational School accredited by the department of education of Puerto Rico, it will become the first current vocational school on the island and Spanish speaking vocational dive school on the region, we are working to get accreditation to offer pell grants and other aids to our students. We have now our first group of 22 students that will become instructors on June 2012. Now we I am developing Puerto Rico as the new dive lace in the Caribbean, I know that my island is the best kept secret in the world, and I do not want to be a secret anymore.
Ken Knezick
Ken Knezick is owner and President of Island Dreams Travel in Houston, Texas. He has logged more than 3,000 scuba dives and thousands of hours underwater, quite literally around the world. From the Caribbean to the Pacific, his travels include most of the world's great diving destinations. Since 1983, Ken has served as Executive Director of Houston's SEASPACE Exposition. He is past President of Houston International Diver's Club, and is a founding member of both the Houston Underwater Photographic Society, and G.R.E.A.T., the Gulf Reef Environmental Action Team. At DEMA 2003, Ken was honored with induction into the SSI Platinum Pro 5000 Society. At SEASPACE 2005, Ken was named recipient of the PADI Project Aware / SEASPACE Environmental Awareness Award. This prestigious prize recognizes individuals and organizations that are working to enhance understanding of the marine environment, and the importance of its protection. An accomplished underwater photographer, when not actually underwater, Ken enjoys writing short stories, travelogues, and presenting seminars and workshops at dive shows around the U.S.A. A member of Mensa, Ken Knezick has made Houston, Texas his home base since 1977.
Kira Kaufmann, PhD
Dr. Kira Kaufmann is both a terrestrial and underwater archaeologist. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a specialty in remote sensing techniques and a MA in Anthropology from Florida State University with an emphasis in underwater archaeology. She has conducted underwater archaeological survey, excavation, and documentation projects in the Midwest, Southeast US, and in Ghana, Africa. Dr. Kaufmann is a technical diver and an active SCUBA instructor for 20 years.
Larry Boucha
Larry Boucha’s fascination with the underwater world began as a young boy when he put on a mask and looked at the bottom of a wading pool in his back yard. In high school a gym teacher brought a scuba tank and double hose regulator to the pool. The rest is diving history.
In 1975 he started working at Scuba Systems dive center as the repair technician and sales staff. He became a PADI instructor in 1979 and has been teaching diving ever since.
Larry is a Master Repair Technician The technically oriented "Doctor Scuba" has long been involved in the design, modification, and repair of diving and photographic equipment. He has worked continually for 35 years in the diving industry.
Leading dive trips around have filled 3 passports and taken him to every continent in the world except Antarctica. He loves to educate people about the marine environment by producing and showing underwater videos from around the world. He is an accomplished Technical Diver with dives ranging from filming the yacht "Gunilda" at 275 feet in frigid Lake Superior to having spent over 3 hours on a single dive using a closed circuit rebreather to film the interaction of marine life. Larry has been the audiovisual director for Our World-Underwater for several years and takes great pride in being the one who pushes the buttons to present the amazing Friday and Saturday night film festivals.
Larry has earned numerous awards for phenomenal underwater videography including an . has Emmy Award for his work on "A Fish Eye View" for Fox Thing in the Morning. Larry is also on the board of directors of "The Aquatic Education Group", a Not-For-Profit Organization that helps to fund teaching people (and especially children) about our oceans and all that live in them. Larry and Nancy are the Photo Judges for the Ultimate Diver Challenge.
Larry McKenna
Larry McKenna: Filmmaker, photographer, author and adventurer; both under the oceans and on top of mountains in remote places (and locations in between). This is the biographical definition of Larry McKenna; doing what he does best; recording life, cultures; history and events so that others may see the World through his eyes, voice, pen and cameras.
Larry is a former United States Air Force aviator with a chest full of combat decorations. He served for 26 years in uniform while flying and designing new planes and helicopters before going onward to enter the commercial sectors of business, as an International banker and real estate developer and hotel/resorts operator, in the USA, in Central America and the Pacific region of islands. He is now a dedicated environmentalist to save the Leatherback Sea Turtle from its rapid spiral into extinction.
He founded his independent production studio in 1984 after several frustrations in hiring documentary crews to make his promotional films. Larry resolved that HE could make a better quality film than those he paid – and went on to do just that. Larry’s base of operations is Kingwood, Texas (close to Houston); but is rarely there because of travels, mainly in the Pacific/Asia regions. He is currently involved with conservation efforts to save the Pacific Leatherback turtles from a rapid extinction.
More can be learned about Larry’s activities by visiting web sites: www.happycatproductions.com and www.leathebackturtles.org
Laurens De Groot
After working eight years for the Dutch police force specializing in organized environmental crime, Laurens, 29, realized there was an area of the world where no authority is upholding international conservation laws: our oceans. After little research, Laurens discovered the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as the only organization willing to stand up against the evil powers committing the atrocities that destroy our Blue Planet. With more then 70 percent of our oxygen coming from the oceans, healthy oceans are vital for life on Earth. Humanity has to do whatever it takes to protect the great waters. For Laurens “doing whatever it takes” meant giving up his job as a crime investigator, selling his belongings and moving to Australia to join the Steve Irwin crew for the 2007/08 campaign: Operation Migaloo. The campaign saved over 500 whales. But unfortunately whaling wasn’t shut down forever. Laurens returned for the 2008/09 campaign: Operation Musashi as the Japanese whalers returned to Antarctica to slaughter the gentle giants once more, and again in 09/10 for Operation Waltzing Matilda. This time, he was on the Ady Gil crew before it was destroyed, and then the Bob Barker briefly as the Ady Gil crew transferred over before returning to shore. The former crime investigator decided to rejoin the Sea Shepherd crew to help shut down one of the most barbaric crimes against life the world has ever seen: the slaughter of whales in a Whale Sanctuary.
Leandro Blanco
Leandro Blanco is an internationally acclaimed film maker with a background in music composition, recording and production. His passion for nature and underwater imaging combined with his film editing and compositing techniques distinguish his work. He is the only filmmaker that has won Antibes film festival during eight consecutive years in different categories. In 2004 he was named diver of the year at BTS (Beneath the sea NY) for his contribution to the art of film making. He is currently working with National Geographic on the Oceans Now project
Lynn Funkhouser
Lynn Funkhouser was inducted into the inaugural Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF). She is an internationally published photographer, author, lecturer, environmentalist, adventuress, and leader in dive travel. She specializes in underwater, nature, travel, and environmental images. In 2008, Lynn was inducted into the Society of Women Geographers. SWG members are women who love adventure and have added to the world’s knowledge. Members include Amelia Earhart, Eugenie Clark, Sylvia Earle, Jane Goodall, Margaret Mead, and Pearl Buck. As an environmentalist, Lynn is committed to making a difference on this planet through her images and lectures.
Mack House
Mack S. House Jr. is an Instructor, consultant and speaker for CSIDT-International [Crime Scene Investigator Diver Technologists] in Underwater Forensics. His career in law enforcement includes service with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff, Matthews Police Department, CSI. His publications include: Underwater Forensics Research Commercial Scientific Diving, Underwater Crime Scene Investigation Protocols & Procedures, Safe Diving Practices and Safe Diving Operations, Advanced Diver Physics including the Pathophysiological aspects of hyperbaric exposure.
Marc Morale
Marc Morale was born and raised in the Chicago area. As a graduate of Alan B. Shepard High School in Palos Heights, he went on to study Civil Engineering in Chicago at IIT. As an Operating Engineer a friend introduced Marc to SCUBA. He instantly became passionate about diving. This passion has led Marc into a second career in Dive Store Retail and Scuba Instruction. As an instructor, Marc has trained divers from Open Water to the professional ranks of Instructor.
As a world traveled underwater photographer and underwater videographer, Marc is frequently sought after as a guest speaker to share his experiences. Recently Marc has worked with Bonica Precision to develop and make available to dive stores, teaching materials that combine the disciplines of underwater photography with underwater videography into one simple course. This course was presented and released at the DEMA 2009 Show in Orlando Florida.
Mark Linse
Mark Linse is a 24 year veteran of the Chicago Fire Department, where he currently holds the rank of Deputy Chief Paramedic. As an EMS educator for over 25 years, Mark has been instrumental in training thousands of people in CPR and the use of the Automated External Defibrillator. Mark was an integral part of the team that developed and facilitated the Public Access Defibrillation Program at Midway and O’Hare International Airports in Chicago. During Mark’s earlier days on the Department, he worked as a paramedic on some of the City’s busiest ambulances. Mark had also spent several years as an EMS Training Instructor at the Chicago Fire Academy. Mark has been diving for 25 years and is a very active PADI IDC Staff Instructor, EFR Instructor Trainer and DAN Instructor Trainer. Mark is the Director of Training at the Midwest’s only PADI 5 Star Career Development Center, Scuba Emporium in Orland Park, Illinois. Come and join Mark for some great local diving.
Mark Santa-Maria
Mark Santa-Maria works as a professional underwater cinematographer and shoots for numerous television shows. He has produced several award-winning documentaries and his assignments have led him from Africa to Chuuk Lagoon and from the cold waters of Puget Sound to the tropical magnificence of Palau. If you don't find him the open blue waters, he is probably squeezing through a cave restriction in the Yucatan. It is difficult to keep Mark and his camera out of the water.
Martha Klitzkie
Martha Klitzkie is REEF’s General Manager, overseeing operations and managing the organization’s membership of more than 45,000 divers worldwide. REEF’s programs include the fish survey project, The Great Annual Fish Count, grouper spawning aggregation projects and the invasive lionfish program. REEF is at the forefront of applied research and response to the lionfish invasion: conducting collecting/handling workshops, organizing removal derbies, and engaging in outreach and cutting-edge research to address the invasion. Martha received her B.A in Environmental Education and completed a M.A. in Educational Leadership and Administration. Despite broad travel, a love for the Florida Keys brought her to the sunshine state where she currently resides in Key Largo.
Marty McCafferty
Marty has been both a dive instructor and a paramedic since 1995. He has worked as a paramedic in the field, in an ER and as an EMS supervisor at an Ohio theme park. He also has experience training students with disabilities to dive. Additionally he was certified as an AHA BLS and First Aid instructor as well as an EMT instructor. He has been with DAN since 2004. Marty’s passion is education. In 2006 he developed DAN’s Webinar program, where divers from around the world login to real-time lectures with DAN Medics on a variety of dive safety related topics. In 2007 Marty recorded DAN’s first dive safety DVD lecture, “I May Be Bent...Now What?”. Each year, Marty represents DAN at consumer and industry dive shows as well as professional level conferences, providing lectures, seminars and workshops on various topics related to diving medicine. Marty’s intention is to continue his own education and continue working to develop new educational opportunities for the diving public.
Melanie Clark
Mel is an active technical/rebreather diving instructor trainer; and avid underwater photographer. She has over five thousand dives with more than three thousand technical dives. She began her diving career at twelve years of age as a junior open water diver. At age eighteen she was a divemaster and was a partner in a dive store. The early 1990’s brought about an increasing awareness for mixed gas diving, which Mel immediately embraced. Mel’s scuba diving career was slowed down a bit, between 1991-1996 while she completed her Bachelors of Science in Pharmacy degree at the University of British Columbia. By 2002 she had worked her way up to NAUI Course Director and NAUI technical instructor. In 2003 she earned her Advanced Trimix instructor rating with TDI. She also earned her IANTD technical training qualifications. In 2003 she taught for Divers Institute of Technology (DIT) helping to develop future commercial divers. Mel began down the rebreather path in 2003. She now currently instructs students and future instructors on most of the major rebreathers on the market. One of Mel’s most challenging and rewarding certifications was becoming a Megalodon and rEvo CCR Instructor Trainer (currently there are only a few worldwide). When Mel is not instructing she can usually be found in the water exploring wrecks or caves. Mel is a member of the Women Diver’s Hall of Fame. Aside from teaching Mel is passionate about underwater photography and writing. She is currently a staff photojournalist for Advanced Diver Magazine. Mel has made a genuine contribution to the diving community by increasing CCR diver knowledge and safety through her easy to read manuals. She has written many manuals including the TDI KISS CCR manual, TDI Semi-Closed Circuit rebreather manual, and the soon to be published Megalodon CCR manual. After much hard work Mel has independently published CCR Trimix Simplified and a universal easy to read rebreather guide on buying and diving the closed circuit rebreather, called “Rebreathers Simplified.”
Michael Barnette
An accomplished diver, author, and photographer, as well as founder and director of the the Association of Underwater Explorers, Michael Barnette has been actively researching and exploring shipwrecks for almost 20 years, resulting in the identification of more than 30 shipwrecks. He has dived on numerous historic shipwrecks, including the ironclad U.S.S. Monitor, the liner Andrea Doria, the battleship U.S.S. Virginia, and the H.M.H.S. Britannic, sister ship of the fabled R.M.S. Titanic.
Michael Hoppe
Michael Hoppe is the office manager of Ultimate Dive Travel and has been working as an instructor and travel coordinator in the dive industry for over 15 years. His travels have taken him throughout the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Micronesia, and Asia. Ultimate Dive Travel is a scuba travel wholesaler located in the greater Chicago land area that specializes in only scuba diving travel. Ultimate Dive Travel is proud to have one of the highest customer service ratings in the industry and only offers destinations that they have personally visited. What this means to their customers is that they can feel confident that the person they speak to about their next scuba getaway is speaking from their own personal experiences.
Michael Lawrence
Michael Lawrence’s life has been a twisting and turning path of wildly divergent artistic careers. Photographer, writer and musician, a stint in the Caribbean turned his interest to diving and underwater photography. He sees little difference between the pursuits. “Capturing the subtleties of light and shadow, allowing words to create images or creating a sonic landscape, it is essentially the same art”.
One of the most widely published underwater and travel photographers of the past twenty years, Michael has written and illustrated nearly 1000 articles, two diving guides for Lonely Planet (The Bahamas and Dominica) and has published literally tens of thousands of images worldwide, working closely with the tourism boards of the Bahamas, Jamaica, Bermuda, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, the Turks & Caicos and the Cayman Islands among others. Other clients include Sport Diver, Scuba Diving, Skin Diver and Audubon as well as numerous corporate entities.
Michael Salvarezza
Michael Salvarezza has been diving the waters of Long Island and the world since 1978 and has spent hundreds of hours underwater accumulating a large and varied library of photographic images. With Christopher Weaver, he has presented his work in hundreds of multi-media slide presentations and have appeared at Beneath the Sea and the Boston Sea Rovers Underwater Clinic. Their work has been published in various magazines such as: Skin Diver, Sport Diver, Asian Diver, Diver, Advanced Diver Magazine, Sport Diving Magazine, Dive Journal, World War II, Immersed and Lighthouse Digest.
Michel Gilbert & Danielle Alary
Award-winning, lecturers, photography and multimedia producers, Michel and Danielle have been “at sea” for over 25 years. Authors of more than 1,000 articles related to diving, travel and sailing, they are underwater photography columnists for Diver and En Profondeur (Into the Depths) magazines. Their work is sold worldwide.
Recipients of the Canadian Diving Achievement Award in 1991 and the Diver of the Year Award for the Arts at Beneath the Sea in New-York, in 1995, in 1997, they won the coveted Silver Diver Award at the Antibes World Festival of Underwater Images. Their multimedia production about the seals of the Gulf of St-Lawrence won a Grand Prize from the Ministry of Tourism of Québec.
They are panoramic multimedia specialists.
Danielle is a member of the Women Divers Hall Of Fame.
Danielle and Michel were honored during the 37th edition of Our World Underwater in Chicago in 2007, in recognition for their contribution to the diving community and to the show over the years.
Mike Ridgeway
Mike Ridgeway has been diving for 21 years. Started diving at age 12 and became an instructor at age 20. IANTD Technical Full Cave instructor, trimix instructor, and Adv. Nitrox IT. TDI Full Cave instructor, trimix instructor and IT. His favorite dives are the caves of Missouri and we started implementing decompression, accelerated decompression and Trimix in the late 1990's due to the deep nature of the caves (130-300+ffw). Mike has been working in dive centers since he was 15 years old and his diving has taken him to Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, Australia, and the Caymans.
Nancy Boucha
Nancy Boucha started her diving career when she was inspired by the underwater world on a family trip to the Florida Springs in 1966 and she hasn't stopped since! She became certified as a PADI Scuba Diver in 1976. Wanting to help other people enjoy the underwater world, she became a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor in 1980 under the guidance of Ralph Erickson, one of the founders of PADI. Nancy has been affiliated with Scuba Systems since then, except for a brief period. She teaches more than 25 different diving specialties with her wild enthusiasm and tremendous knowledge base. Nancy and Larry love to lead dive trips around the world helping people become better divers and learn more about what they are seeing. She believes that the more you know, the more you see. And the more you see, the more fun you have. She has dived in more than 30 countries, many more than once. As an Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer, she teaches people CPR and first aid as well as she teaches people to become instructors in that field. Nancy has been taking stunning underwater photographs and teaching scuba diving since 1980. Her award winning photographs have appeared in books, magazines, newspapers, ads and film festivals. She and her husband Larry are regular presenters at Our World-Underwater. She and her husband Larry lead photo dive trips to some of the world's best diving locations. Nancy's passion is sharing with others the beauty and joy of the aquatic realm and the need to protect it. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of her underwater photos is donated to help save the underwater world. The words that best describe her are scuba instructor, underwater photographer, writer, and underwater naturalist, lover of nature, and passionate diver. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker on areas of underwater exploration and marine life. She loves teaching scuba diving to children and families. Presenting her thrilling underwater slide and video programs to school groups, service clubs, and others gives her the opportunity to showcase share her knowledge of the underwater world. She has been awarded the prestigious Platinum Pro 5000 Award and many international awards for her photography--National Geographic Adventure Magazine Wild Angle Photo Contest, EPIC Underwater Photographic Competition, Beneath the Sea Underwater Photo Contest, Environmental Photo Invitational Under the Blue and more. She is a photographer for the Ultimate Diver Challenge and the Photo Judge for the Ramon Bravo Photo Challenge. Although Nancy is a frequent visitor to the Caribbean and Pacific, she also indulges her passion for diving with lots of local shipwreck diving in the challenging waters of the Great Lakes. She currently writes for the Dive News Network. She suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on February 7, 2010. Her tremendous energy and will to get back into diving, have led to her successful return to diving.
Nancy McGee
Nancy McGee has been a scuba diver and underwater photographer for thirty years. Twenty years ago Nancy created Island Time Scuba, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In 2000 she partnered with Stan Waterman to promote and manage Stan and Stan Waterman Productions. She has restored, digitized, and resurrected his vintage films, and provided Stan’s narration to preserve some of the history of diving. She and Stan have led groups to the world’s most exotic dive locations. Nancy, a PADI master instructor with thirty years of experience, has trained nearly 1000 divers and has introduced many of them to other areas of the world. Nancy tirelessly promotes the dive industry, the ecology of the sea, and the Shark Research Institute. She accomplishes this by speaking, producing and showing films to schools, clubs, and community service groups, and as a featured speaker and emcee for national and international dive shows and film festivals.
Nick Bird, MD
Dr. Bird is the CEO and Chief Medical Officer at DAN and oversees the mission departments of medicine, research and education. He started diving in 1984 and became an instructor in 1989. He taught diving in southern and northern California prior to attending medical school. After medical school he completed a residency in family medicine, and subsequently joined the US Air Force as a flight surgeon and served in Iraq. He received his initial training in hyperbaric medicine while stationed at Travis Air Force Base and completed a fellowship in diving and hyperbaric medicine at the University of California San Diego. He then served as the medical director for hyperbaric medicine at Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, UT prior to coming to DAN.
Paul Cater Deaton
Shooting on six continents over three decades, Paul Cater Deaton has become an award-winning Writer, Producer, Director and Cinematographer. His work has reached audiences all over the world via MTV, HBO, VH1, Showtime, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Tri-Star, the Travel Channel, E! Entertainment TV, Bravo, the United Nations and others. He was one of the first filmmakers approached to produce educational pieces for Ocean in Google Earth, and he continues to provide them with content from all over the globe.
Paul Schmitz
Paul Schmitz of West Allis, Wisconsin, is one of the true pioneers of the dive industry. Schmitz, an army veteran and draftsman by trade, began diving in 1957. In 1963, he met a co-worker in Milwaukee, Tom DeWan, who had started a fledging accessory company, specializing in divers’ flags and bags, weight systems, lead molds, and spearfishing gear. Schmitz and two partners purchased the company in 1965, changed the name to Global Manufacturing Corp. (GMC), expanded the line, and traveled the country to establish dealerships. In those days, many now famous diving entrepreneurs directly visited and assisted their dealers, and such dignitaries as Bob Hollis, John Cronin, or Dick Bonin might regularly enter your shop door! Schmitz also worked (and vacationed) with other early industry leaders, such as Lee Turcotte, Jim Hill, John Gaffney, and Bob Clark thereby initiating significant co-operation between certain dive equipment manufacturers, travel experts, and teaching agencies. Global was then, and remains, the only dive specialty company permanently headquartered in the Midwest. In the 1970s, Schmitz expanded the range of products into industrial sewing, custom screen-printed products, and air station components. The company moved from a 1,200 sq. ft. facility into a 11,000 sq. ft. one. In the 1990s, Dr. Richard Boyd and Greg Kent came aboard to develop a line of scuba test equipment and gas-mixing / processing equipment. Bruce Geigner became shipping manager and Tammy Vanstone (daughter) became office supervisor. Today, the company, now in a 14,000 sq. ft. building, is a recognized industry leader, offering over a 1,000 items of specialized diving equipment and ancillary accessories. GMC has a large worldwide cliental, ranging from small dive shops and resorts to numerous military / scientific / governmental agencies, including the FBI, Secret Service, Navy Seals, Special Forces, Canadian Mounted Police, Woods Hole Oceanographic and NASA...just to list a very few!
Peter DenHaan
Peter is a full time Scuba professional and Manufacturer’s rep. He has been training divers & instructors on rebreathers for the past 16 years starting with the Drager and including the MK 15 series, Megalodon, KISS, Inspiration and Evolution. He’s a Workshop Director for NAUI & NAUI Tec and conducts most of NAUI’s technical training in the US. Peter has been involved in the development of training standards to make Closed Circuit Rebreather diving saver. He travels throughout the North & South America and Europe to conduct technical training for NAUI. He’s also the National Sales Manager for Silent Diving, LLC, the exclusive distributor for the Inspiration & Evolution rebreathers in North & South America. Peter is an avid videographer shooting High Definition exclusively with the Sony EX1 with Gates Housing and beliefs that the rebreather gives him many of the special encounters he’s gotten on film. Typically without the bubble noise, marine life doesn’t hear you coming, but instead DenHaan says, you will startle the fish. Recently, Peter has acquired a Canon 7D - makes traveling much easier - with the new Aquatica Housing for still photography and shooting HD video including 1080p/24. Closed Circuit Rebreathers are a match made in heaven says DenHaan for Videography, Photography and Technical Diving as it allows you to stay longer, go deeper and get that once in a lifetime encounter. www.iTrimix.com denhaan@msn.com
Peter Venoutsos
Peter Venoutsos has been a certified diver since 1976 and a commercial diver since 1983. His experience includes working with private underwater engineering firms, the Federal Government and the US Navy. He is an active member of the Connecticut Underwater Archeology Committee and his interests include underwater photography, shipwrecks & cave diving. He is the founder of American Scuba Adventures a underwater video companywith the goal of promoting diving in the United States and around the world.
Phil Nuytten
R. T. (Phil) Nuytten, OBC, L.L.D., D.Sc Phil Nuytten has spent his life in subsea exploration. He has logged many thousands of hours underwater world-wide as a working commercial diver, and as a developer of underwater equipment and techniques. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the modern commercial diving industry and a significant force in the creation of new technology. In the 1960's and 70's, Nuytten was heavily involved in experimental deep-diving and the development of mixed gas decompression tables. In 1968 he was a member of the team that completed the first 600 foot ocean ‘bounce’ dives on ‘Project Nesco’, and in 1972 he wrote the protocol for ‘Deep Work 1000’, the first North American thousand foot saturation dive. These early projects helped set the international standards in use today. In 1965 Nuytten founded Can-Dive Services Ltd, and in 1969, he co-founded Oceaneering International Inc. Both companies pioneered many early subsea development projects, and Oceaneering has gone on to become one of the largest publicly traded underwater skills companies in the world. In the 1970’s, working with long-time colleague Dr. Joe MacInnis, Nuytten headed the equipment research component of a series of high-arctic expeditions. Among the goals of these expeditions was the testing of Nuytten’s designs of life-support gear for use in polar and sub-polar conditions. In 1984, Phil Nuytten appeared on the cover of National Geographic Magazine for his record dives through ice-covered arctic waters onto the ‘Breadalbane’, the northern-most known shipwreck. His involvement in underwater activities in virtually all of the world’s oceans has resulted in articles on his work in Reader’s Digest, Business Week, Newsweek, Time, Popular Science, Discovery, Fortune, and Scientific American, as well as dozens of dozens of diving and aerospace technical journals. Nuytten is a popular speaker at underwater conferences around the world and has published numerous technical papers on his leading-edge work in subsea technology.
Richard Woulfe
Richard has over 30 years of dive travel experience. He was certified as anOpen Water Scuba Instructor when he was 20 and has logged more than 5000 dives in over 50 destinations around the world. These destinations include the Maldives, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Cocos Island, Galapagos, Indonesia, Philippines, Sipadan/Mabul, Palau, Japan, Colombia, Cozumel, Bonaire, and Belize.Richard is an expert on marketing and selling adventure trips to remote dive and snorkel locations.
Rick Morris
Rick Morris has been working in broadcast television for more than 30 years, most recently as the documentary producer/videographer for the Census of Marine Life and the Encyclopedia of Life Projects and as primary camera for “Countdown with Keith Olbermann”. Rick has shot and produced programming for many of the major networks and cable channels as well as for non-profits and NGOs like The Nature Conservancy, The International Fund For Animal Welfare, The New England Aquarium, Oceana and The Conservation Law Foundation. During his tenure with the Census of Marine Life Mr. Morris produced and contributed to more than a dozen films and productions for National Geographic, PBS, BBC and Canadian Broadcasting. Rick also appears as a guest lecturer at conventions and symposiums. His films can be seen on the Census web site, www.coml.org, on his server, vimeo.com/user1319269th as well as the Smithsonian’s Oceans Hall portal, ocean.si.edu and in the United Nations Video Archives.
Robert (Bob) Marx
Robert (Bob) Marx - wreck diver, historian, and recipient of the 1981 Our World-Underwater award, has been a leader in the field of underwater archaeology since the 1950's. Bob has lectured professionally for more than 50 years, throughout the United States and 42 countries, on the subjects of underwater archaeology, maritime history, treasure hunting and travel.
Rod Pedersen
Rod love's teaching new divers as he sees the look of enjoyment, excitement, curiousness, and adventure in the students saucer like eyes. He has taught in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Turks & Caicos, Bahamas, Florida Keys. He enjoys just getting wet and relaxing watching the large pelagic as well as the micro life of the underwater world. First Breath underwater was July 1960. Instructor Trainer, CPROX1st AED CPR trainer, Emergency First Response CPR, AED Trainer, Open Water Instructor Trainer, Advanced Open Water Instructor, Rescue Diver Instructor, Dive Master Trainer, Assistant Instructor Trainer, Solo Diver Trainer, Professional Cylinder / Scuba Inspector, Visual Tank Inspector Trainer, Valve Repair, Eddy Current Inspector. Instructor for the Following Specialties: Advanced Buoyancy, Boat, Computer Diver, Computer Nitrox, Deep, Diver Propulsion Vehicle, Drift Diver, Dry Suit, Equipment Specilaty, Full Face Mask, Ice Diver, Marine Ecosystem, Night & Low Visibility, Search & Recovery, Underwater Navigation, Underwater Photographer, Underwater Video, Wreck Diver, Solo Diver, Visual Inspection, Cprox Administrator, Cpr1st, Cprox1stAed, Digital Photography, Project Aware, Fish ID, Aware Coral, Reef Conservation.
Rodney Buckley
Rodney Buckley has been in the fire service for 20 years and involved in Public Safety Diving for 17 years. He is the Training Coordinator for Lake and McHenry Dive Rescue Team, Dive Coordinator for MABAS Division 4 (Lake County, IL), and serves on the Statewide MABAS Scuba committee. Rodney is a Corporate Trainer for Dive Rescue International and has been training Public Safety DIvers for many years. He has developed and authored an Ice Safety program that is being taught to high school students across the country.
Rodrigo Wyssmann
Born in 1983. My dad opened his dive shop (Solo Buceo) in 1979, so I´ve been involved in diving since I can remember. My first passions as a boy where freediving and spearfishing. I went to college after earning a swimming scholarship and when I came back my interests changed, underwater photography became my new hobby. Today I run and operate the family´s shop in Cancun.
Rudy Chemlik
Rudy began diving in 1986 while serving on active duty in the US Navy. In 1989 he left active duty and Became a Navy Reservist which has afforded him the opportunity to dive all over the world. In late 1989 he became a firefighter and became Dive / Rescue qualified in 1991 and has been active in the rescue diving community since then. He is certified by Dive Rescue International levels 1 and 2 as well as Dive Medicine and is an instructor for Emergency Response Diving International (ERDI) as well as PADI and SDI. He is qualified to teach multiple public safety specialties including Ice, Full Face, and Drysuit. He currently serves as the Dive / Rescue Coordinator for MABAS Division 16 and is a member of the advisory committee for Fire Department Diving / Water Operations. He is currently a Lieutenant with the Lisle Woodridge Fire District and a Security Officer In the US Navy.
Rudy Whitworth
Rudy Whitworth has been an active scuba diver since 1978 and has been an avid UW photographer since 1983. He has been a winner in many world wide UW photo contests. As President of Seahorse Productions, LLC, Rudy has been an entertaining speaker at Our World Underwater, Beneath The Sea, SCUBAFEST and at the Great Lakes Shipwreck festival as well as many presentations to scuba clubs, marine organizations and schools. He has taught UW photography classes and his images have been printed in SKIN DIVER, Dive Travel and Dive Chronicles magazines as well as being showcased in 4 of Coral Reef Alliance calendars. He has done extensive Great Lakes diving and has honed his photographic skills in many exotic locations. His images are included in “Fishes of the Caribbean” fish ID CD/DVD marketed by ReefNet. Recently, his image was showcased in a scientific paper on Toadfish and also in Dec/09, a coral reef restoration slide show created by Rudy was shown at the Conference for Global Warming in Denmark.
Sam Bugg
Sam Bugg oversees and implements Shedd Aquarium's Great Lakes Public Outreach campaign, where Shedd's trusted voice is used to inspire action to protect the Great Lakes. Sam manages a small group of staff and volunteers that travel throughout the region to engage stakeholders with the message of Great Lakes conservation. He also represents Shedd's Great Lakes program to internal and external audiences. Sam received his bachelors double major in English: Journalism and Zoology in 2005 from Miami University of Ohio. He received his Masters of Environmental Science (M. En.) in 2008 with a concentration in Public Information, also from Miami.
Samantha Whitcraft
Samantha Whitcraft is Shark Savers’ (link: www.sharksavers.org) Program Manager for citizen science, empowering recreational divers with the tools to help protect the ocean in their own backyards. As a marine conservation biologist she has worked to protect the oceans’ animals and ecosystems in the field, lab and office. Researching biodiversity, endangered species, and sustainable fisheries has taken her to the Amazon with National Geographic, to Mesoamerica with NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program, to Hawaii to study humpback whale and monk seal populations, and around the world to promote eco-tourism that emphasizes ocean advocacy and adventure. She is a certified Scuba Diving Instructor, published nature and science writer (Living Green Magazine, Scuba Diving Magazine, Journal of Marine Education as well as several popular blogs), and passionate community activist working to protect the oceans' apex predators – sharks. Samantha holds a Bachelor’s in Natural Sciences from Harvard University and earned her Masters of Marine Affairs and Policy at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. She is Adjunct Faculty in Natural Sciences at Miami-Dade College and leads eco-educational dolphin and manatee trips through The Selkie Society. Full bio at: http://www.sharksavers.org/about-us/leadership/745-samantha-whitcraft.html
Sharon Connor
Sharon Connor, Business Development Manager for Aggressor & Dancer Fleet, is an avid divemaster with over 2000 dives. After numerous land based trips, often with long bouncy small boat rides to the best dive sites, she decided there must be a better way to go. She tried a liveaboard, the Cayman Aggressor, and was hooked! After more than 25 liveaboard dive trips over the next years to destinations around the world, she traded her corporate position with a major retail business for a new career in the dive industry. She will explain with firsthand experience how liveaboard diving is the simplest and often most economical way to explore the world’s most exciting destinations. With 28 years of experience and 19 yachts serving 19 world-class locations, Aggressor & Dancer Fleet sets the standard in safety and luxury diving and will definitely spoil you! Sharon has both a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Business Administration and has contributed to many magazine articles and given presentations worldwide about scuba diving and liveaboards.
Stan Ross
Stan Ross and his wife Laurel have been diving for more than 30 years with thousands of dives between them. After ten years of shooting stills in the 1980s Stan discovered the excitement of shooting video and video editing. Then in early 1990 Stan & Laurel ventured off the Pacific rim to dive and discovered the amazing underwater world of Indonesia. Then about five years ago Stan switched to High Def video and HD video editing. Indonesia remains their favorite destination and the discovery of new and exciting marine life.
Stan Waterman
Stan Waterman: A pioneer underwater film producer and photographer, Stan Waterman has won five Emmy awards and received numerous other honors and awards in a career which spans nearly fifty years in the scuba diving industry. Having studied English and Shakespeare, this Dartmouth graduate has used his life-long love of language to create a unique style for which he has become a world-famous icon of the diving world. Mr. Waterman began with a dive charter business in the Bahamas, which progressed to world travel, filming, discovering and lecturing. A yearlong chronicle of his family’s life in Tahiti was purchased and aired by National Geographic, which further anchored his destiny to become the world’s foremost expert in underwater cinematography. Mr. Waterman has produced documentaries, television series and films for National Geographic, ABC, and ESPN, but is best known for his work in commercial film. He collaborated with Peter Gimbel on the classic shark film, Blue Water, White Death, and with his close friend Peter Benchley on The Deep, where Mr. Waterman was co-director of underwater photography and second unit. He went on to work with again with Benchley, on ten years worth of American Sportsman shows for ESPN. In 2001 the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame named Stan Waterman as an inductee in its charter year. Mr. Waterman has also received numerous other awards including the Cousteau Diver of the Year Award, two Gold Medals from the UK Underwater Film Festival, four Golden Eagles, and the Reaching Out Award from the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association. Stan Waterman and his family were featured in a Discovery Channel two-hour biographical special, The Man Who Loves Sharks. Mr. Waterman continues to dive, film, lecture, and hosts dive tours. He is the emcee at most of the major consumer scuba diving shows and underwater film festivals each year in North America and Great Britain. He also writes essays for FATHOMS and SCUBA DIVER magazines.
Stephen Frink
Stephen Frink is among the world's most frequently published UW photographers, and is a Canon EXPLORER OF LIGHT, the only marine specialist within this very elite group of photographers. He is the publisher of a beautiful new quarterly magazine for the Divers Alert Network, ALERT DIVER. Previously, his editorial work appeared in SCUBA DIVING as Director of Photography. Frink has authored a coffee table book entitled WONDERS OF THE REEF, and teaches the Stephen Frink School of Underwater Digital Imaging in his home waters of Key Largo, Florida. Clients for assignment photography over the past 3 decades have included Canon, Nikon, Victoria's Secret, Aqua Lung, Oceanic, Scubapro, Mercury Marine, Jantzen, Alcan Aluminum, R.J. Reynolds, Seaquest, Henderson Aquatics, Club Med, major ad agencies, and scores of resorts and live-aboard dive boats throughout the world. Rolex Watch Company has also engaged Frink for product endorsement. Other Frink enterprises include a dive travel company, WaterHouse Tours and Reservations and a stock photo agency, Stephen Frink Collection. Stephen Frink Photographic is the North and South American distributor for the Austrian camera housing manufacturer SEACAM. Links: Explorers of Light - http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=ArtistsListAct Portfolio – http://www.stephenfrinkphoto.com SEACAM – http://www.seacamusa.com Travel – http://www.waterhousetours.com
Steve Anderson
A long-time Great Lakes wreck rat, Steven Anderson started diving in 1970 in his back yard in SE Michigan. Currently a resident of the Chicago area, Steven trains divers as an instructor for SDI, TDI, PADI and DAN and guides technical and recreational divers exploring the spectacular fresh-water wrecks of the Great Lakes. For ten years Steven has also worked as a Service Technician. Currently, he works at Dive Right In Scuba in suburban Plainfield, overseeing one of the most active repair facilities in the Chicagoland area. In addition to extensive experience servicing a wide range of gear, he has completed training programs runs by nearly every manufacturer, including AGA/Interspiro, Atomic, Aqualung/Apeks, Dive Rite, Mares, Oceanic/Aeris, ScubaPro, Sherwood/Genesis, TUSA, Whites, and Zeagle. He is also one of a handful of instructors certified to teach the TDI Edge/HOG Equipment Service course, where technical divers can learn how to service their personal gear.
Steve Miller
Steve has been an Ikelite Sales Rep since 2007 with an emphasis on underwater photography. His underwater photography experience dates back to 1976, and in 1980 he began teaching underwater photography in an effort "to help the world become a better place through underwater photography". Steve's main goal is to help others learn how to enjoy their passion for diving through the use of underwater photography. Students will not only develop their skills with digital SLRs , they learn the art of creating unique and entertaining presentations as well.
Steven Orusa
Steven Orusa is a Deputy Chief of Operations for the Fishers Fire Department and a 28-year public safety veteran. Chief Orusa is the Director of the International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists Response Team, was Chairman of the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal Water Rescue Committee, and Co Chair of the Illinois MABAS Water Operations Committee. He was the regional team leader for the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) Division 4 & 5 Dive Rescue Team in Lake and McHenry Counties, Illinois. This serves a population of approximately one million people and miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Chief Orusa is also a Corporate Trainer for Dive Rescue International. He has a bachelor of science in Law Enforcement Administration and his graduate work is in Human Resource Management. He is a published author with his most recent work being “Dive Rescue Specialist: Operational Training for Public Safety Divers” which was published in September 2007. Chief Orusa is a frequently invited speaker on public safety leadership and development techniques. He has provided analysis on public safety diving for USA Today, Fire Chief Magazine, Fire Engineering Magazine, Dive Training Magazine, and has also appeared on MSNBC, FoxNews and CNN to provide expert analysis on water rescue disaster response.
Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary
Designated in 2000 as America’s thirteenth national marine sanctuary, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary protects a world-class collection of historic shipwrecks. Located in Alpena, Michigan on Lake Huron, the 448-sqauare mile sanctuary builds on the state preserve established in 1981. By fostering an understanding that our past connections to the Great Lakes and oceans are critical to our future, the sanctuary works to ensure that future generations will continue to experience and value Thunder Bay's irreplaceable underwater treasures. Through research, education, and community involvement, the sanctuary works to protect our nation's historic shipwrecks for future generations.
Tony Gramer
Tony Gramer has been diving since 1977 and is a certified PADI Divemaster. He is the president of Silent World Information Masters, Inc. (SWIM). He is presently of the board and Divemaster of Dossins Museum in Detroit, Michigan. His images have taken best in show and first place in photo contests throughout the United States, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Mexico. His images have been included in Skin Diver magazine, Dive Boat Calendar & Travel magazine, Michigan Living magazine, Great Lakes Diving magazine, Michigan Underwater Preserve pamphlets, advertising catalogs, Nikon Calendar and CD covers.
Valerie van Heest
Valerie van Heest: An energetic and passionate presenter, Valerie van Heest has explored and documented shipwrecks for over 20 years. She serves as a Director of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates, is a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, and a 2007 recipient of the Historical Society of Michigan award for excellence of achievement in the preservation and promotion of state and local history. Valerie has written extensively for a variety of magazines and periodicals and has been a contributor to many books, newspaper articles, and museum exhibits. She has also written and directed more than a dozen documentary films. She is a regular presenter at museums, libraries, and film festivals sharing the dramatic stories of ships gone missing on the Great Lakes and has appeared on television news networks as well as the Discovery Channel. Her book, "Icebound!" written for young readers, and the non-fiction "From the Hennepin to the Thousand Footers-The Rise of the Self-Unloader", which she coauthored, have just been published and released.
Wayne Hasson
As a United States Marine,Wayne Hassondiscovered the underwater world during off-duty passes scuba diving in Vietnam, Japan and North Carolina.In 1980, he left the military, traveled to the Cayman Islands to visit his best friend, a fellow Marine. He fell in love with the Cayman Islands where he lived for over 20 years.As co-founder of Aggressor Fleet in 1984, he has worked in every aspect of the business. Wayne has helped to build, design and captain, the dive yachts. He has served as an instructor, motivator and business partner, developing new Aggressor destinations and franchises. His love for the diving business is endless. Wayne's greatest passion is sharing the ocean world with tomorrow's explorers-children. Through his invention of the "SASY" Supplied Air Snorkeling for Youth and founder of Oceans For Youth Foundation, he has introduced thousands of children to the ocean. The SASY was originally designed in Wayne's garage as a snorkeling tool for his own children. Through his work with major certification agencies, he helped to change the age for Junior Scuba Diving Certifications. He continues to volunteer his time speaking to school children and youth groups promoting the marine environment and its global importance. Learn more by visiting (www.oceansforyouth.org). Wayne is President of Aggressor Fleet, President of Oceans for Youth Foundation, coaches YMCA Basketball and is a Rotarian.