SCUBA INSTRUCTION
Develop the precisiontechniqueconfidence to dive calmly almost anywhere.
Scuba Instruction, Reimagined
Private, highly customized training designed to build confidence, precision, and real-world capability in the water.
Teaching Philosophy
The typical group-based open water classes offered by dive shops are highly time-constrained. This isn’t the fault of the shops – given all the costs of an open water class, they literally can’t afford to extend class or pool time for those who want to learn more or need extra time to get comfortable with the skills. I became a scuba instructor to ensure that those who are passionate about becoming good divers have the opportunity for private, customized instruction to achieve their goals. Whether you’re an anxious student needing more time to get comfortable, a busy professional who can’t make scheduled classes, or you’re wanting to develop a strong foundation for a scuba-related career, I offer patience, innovative teaching methods, and the flexibility to suit any student. Of course, safety is paramount and I’m a firm believer in NAUI’s “loved one” principles – in class, I treat each student with care and apply the same safety standards to each student that I would to my closest family members.
Custom-tailored Private and Small Group Classes
I offer private and small group classes* that are custom-tailored to the needs of my students. I got my instructor certification with NAUI because I deeply believe in their “Loved One Concept,” and it’s at the core of my teaching style.
The Loved One Concept has two parts to it:
- An instructor should only certify those who they believe are sufficiently proficient that the instructor would trust the diver to dive with a close friend or family member of the instructor
- The instructor should treat each student like they would a close friend or family member – ensuring that safety is at the heart of all training provided
I ensure my students are “brilliant at the basics,” which allows them to systematically build additional skills with confidence. Even if you come to me for specialty or secondary courses, we may well spend some time on your basic skills. If the basic skills make you nervous or they held you back in your group class, we’ll work them systematically – at your pace – until the anxiety is gone.
Every time we dive, we are guests in the aquatic environment. My students learn great buoyancy, trim, and spatial awareness so they do not cause damage to the environment. They also learn basic identification techniques and resources to learn more about what they see on their dives.
*I only teach small groups where the divers know each other – e.g., couples, or up to four friends/relatives
Qualifications
I became a NAUI Master Diver in 1996 in the chilly waters of Southern California as part of UCLA’s scientific diver program. I spent a field quarter in Hawaii, diving for my research projects as part of a marine biology degree. I have dived all over the world, including in the US, Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. I’m comfortable diving in a drysuit in 46F (8C) water where I can barely see my fingers at the ends of my arms, or in my skins in 88F (31C) water with nearly unlimited visibility, and anything in-between. I have hundreds of hours of bottom time and have experience with surge, current, and down- and up-wellings. I obtained the NAUI instructor certification through Texas Scuba Adventures in 2024, and continue to teach in collaboration with that shop. I strongly believe in continuing scuba education at all levels – I continue to seek out and develop new skills in my own diving and teaching practices.
