As a child, I was always fascinated with SCUBA diving. I grew up watching "Sea Hunt", "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau". These shows further sparked my interest in SCUBA diving and I added it to my list of things I was going to do someday. When my friend received SCUBA lessons as a Christmas gift, I decided to join him. In 1985 we completed Open Water and Advanced SCUBA certifications through the National Association of SCUBA Diving Schools (NASDS). This included training in Search and Navigation, Night / Low Visibility Diving and Advanced Dive Planning.

I continued my SCUBA education in 1997 by taking National Association of Underwater Instructor (NAUI) classes and earned certifications as an Advanced SCUBA Diver and Master SCUBA Diver. Over the next few years, I completed several NAUI specialty courses to become certified in Ice Diving, Search & Recovery Diving, Dry Suit Diving, Advanced Rescue SCUBA Diver, Night Diving and Enriched Air Nitrox. I capped it off by completing the NAUI Divemaster certification in 2002 and in 2006 completed the NAUI ITC to become certified as an instructor.

I ventured into the technical diving world in 2009. I completed Technical Diving International (TDI) certifications for Advanced Nitrox Diver, Decompression Procedures Diver and Trimix Diver. I was also certified by the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD) as an Advanced EANx Diver and Normoxic Trimix Diver.

In 2016, I completed the Handicap SCUBA Association (HSA) instructor course. I have certifications to teach the HSA Open Water Diver Course, the HSA Advanced Diver Course and the HSA Dive Buddy Course. I have found it very rewarding to work with disabled veterans and others with disabilities to help introduce them to the world of SCUBA diving. I also completed the International Training Crossover Course for certification as an instructor with SCUBA Diving International (SDI) and Technical Diving International (TDI). In addition to Open Water SCUBA Diver, Advanced Diver and Master Diver, I can teach several specialties including TDI Nitrox, Advanced Buoyancy Control, Boat Diver, Computer Diver, Computer Nitrox Diver, Deep Diver, Drift Diver, Dry Suit Diver, Equipment Specialist, Full Face Mask, Ice Diver, Night / Limited Visibility Diver, Search and Recovery, Shore / Beach Diver, Solo Diver, Underwater Navigation and Wreck Diver.

I am currently a Commander with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office. During my 36-year career, I have served as an operator and team leader on SWAT, a handler, trainer and supervisor in the K-9 Unit and a diver, instructor and supervisor with the Sheriff’s Office Dive Team. I hold Public Safety Diver certifications through Emergency Response Diving International (ERDI) as an ERD Full Face Mask Diver, ERD Tender Technician, ERD 1 Diver Technician, ERD 2 Diver Technician and ERD Supervisor. I am also a certified Public Safety Dive instructor through ERDI, with qualifications to teach ERD 1, ERD 2, ERD Supervisor, ERD Full Face Mask, ERD Drysuit Ops and ERD Ice Diving Ops.

I have experience diving in local lakes, the Mississippi River, holding ponds, aquariums, open pit mines, three of the five Great Lakes, the Bonne Terre Mine, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. I am often asked “Where is your favorite place to dive?”. That is a difficult question to answer because I find something to enjoy at all dive sites and the uniqueness each of them offers. However, I am always able to answer with my two favorite dive sites – one warm water and one cold water.

I have been traveling to and diving in Cozumel, Mexico since the mid-nineties. I have led many dive groups on trips there over the years and it is my favorite warm water destination. It has become my home away from home and I have made so many friends there that it is like visiting family. I love the culture, the people, the food and of course the diving. The value for your money is unbeatable. There is so much to like about Cozumel and the diving is fantastic. What could be better than effortless drift diving, in crystal clear 80-degree water, surrounded by fish, coral and other marine life?

My favorite cold-water dive destination is Isle Royale National Park and the shipwrecks beneath the waters around the island. It is a beautiful rustic destination and the diving is spectacular. After all, what could be better than diving on a ship that has been on the bottom of the lake for 50-100+ years, in relatively clear, 38-degree water?

There is nothing I enjoy more than sharing my passion for diving with others. I enjoy teaching a variety of courses, but my favorite course to teach is the Open Water Diver Course. Nothing compares to taking a student with little or no knowledge of SCUBA diving and working with them through the entire certification process. Seeing the faces and excitement of somebody that is trying SCUBA for the first time is indescribable. As an instructor, I like to share all of the information and knowledge, with my students, that I have gained over the years, to help make them a more well-rounded diver. I look forward to having you in class or diving with you soon.

SDI / TDI Courses I Can Teach:

• Open Water SCUBA Diver

• Advanced Diver
• Master Diver
• TDI Nitrox
• Advanced Buoyancy Control
• Boat Diver
• Computer Diver
• Computer Nitrox Diver
• Deep Diver
• Drift Diver
• Dry Suit Diver
• Equipment Specialist
• Full Face Mask
• Ice Diver
• Night / Limited Visibility Diver
• Scubility
• Search and Recovery
• Shore / Beach Diver
• Solo Diver
• Underwater Navigation
• Wreck Diver

HSA Courses I Can Teach:

• Open Water SCUBA Diver
• Advanced Open Water Diver
• Dive Buddy Course

Diver’s Alert Network Courses I Can Teach:

• Basic Life Support: CPR and First Aid
• Emergency Oxygen for SCUBA Diving Injuries
• Diving First Aid for Professional Divers