From the very beginning we’ve said, “it’s the staff that makes the difference”. Let’s face it, it all looks the same underwater (gorgeous if you’re diving St. Croix) but it’s what goes on back on the boat, and in the shop that really sets us apart.
St. Croix Scuba Dive Staff
Captain Scott Cook
Yes, Captain Cook is at SCUBA. Scott is a USCG Master, PADI Instructor, brown belt in karate, and the guy that keeps our fleet up and running.
John Kelly
John is a Captain and PADI Instructor originally from Sioux City, Iowa. He moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 1987 where he was a director for an agency for the developmentally disabled for 22 years before deciding to move to St. Croix and dive full time.
Jon Kieren
After 5 years of sitting in a finance office for 13 hours a day, Jon woke up one morning and decided the corporate life in frigid Milwaukee just was not for him. Jon has been working for SCUBA since October 2008. He’s a Captain, PADI Instructor, and now a Tec Diving Instructor.
Simeon Tolar
Simeon is a globe tritting ESL teacher and PADI Instructor who learned to dive in the tropical waters of Thailand. After a brief stint in his native Virginia he decided to head down for some of the best diving in the warm waters of St. Croix. Simeon is also one of the guys who leads the fight against the invasive Lionfish and teaches a Lionfish Eradication specialty course.
Lauren Fanning
Lauren is a PADI Instructor and Tec Instructor who first landed on St. Croix during the summer of 2009 for vacation. After spending a year back home in Arlington, Texas thinking about St. Croix and its incredible and diverse diving, Lauren decided to come back for what she thought was a week long dive trip in May 2010…..The day before heading home, she decided to stay and literally became the “came on vacation and never left” story.
Clint Briggs
Clint actually owns his own dive shop in Illinois ( www.forestcityscuba.com ). He’s a PADI Instructor who originally came to SCUBA as a Chicago based trip leader and customer. He fell in love with our island (not to mention SCUBA) and made the move with his family in the summer of 2010.
Shawn Widerski
Josh Cook
Josh started with us in 2002 when his family was vacationing on St. Croix. He tried the Discover Scuba Diving (intro) dive one day and signed up to get certified the next day. Four years later he came back to do his high school senior project working for us. In 2009 he became a commercial diver but didn’t find that as much fun as our kind of diving. In the summer of 2011 he came back to St. Croix and became a Divemaster. In December 2011 he became a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer.
Graham Murphy
Graham started diving at the age of twelve in the frigid waters of Connecticut. After dives in Greece at fifteen, then the Caymans at eighteen he was hooked. In 2010 he spent six months in Sydney, Australia where he became a PADI Dive Master and then Instructor. He’s excited to be working at SCUBA now!