Here are the folks who will help you snorkel and dive in the Denver Aquarium!

Shane

Role: General Manager, Downtown Aquarium Programs Director

Real Job: Organize, schedule and conduct Aquarium dive programs, daily business operations, sales, marketing, promotions, merchandizing and displays

Diving Credentials: PADI Master Instructor, Professional Aquarium Dive Guide, Trip/Tour Escort, Master Service Technician.

Personal passions: Ocean and Shark Conservation, Shark Awareness, Photo and Video, Music…

Favorite Non-Diving Activities: Wakeboarding, Snowboarding, Motorcycling, Kick-Boxing, breaking stuff, fixing stuff, good times with good friends, enjoying time at home with my dogs

Favorite food: Italian! Of Course!

Favorite Dive Location: Love every place I have had the privilege to visit but Galapagos is the best place to see a large variety of "big animals" so far for me.  Guadalupe diving with Great White Sharks blew me away too.  Any chance to dive with Sharks, count me in!

Scott

Role:  Owner, obedient husband & dive-a-holic

Real Job:  I can honestly say that I'm a diver through and through.  I most enjoy teaching instructor level courses and classes for divers with disabilities.

Diving Credentials:  Instructor Trainer for:  PADI, DAN and the Handicapped Scuba Association

Personal Passion:  Spending time with my wife, kids and grandkids

Non-Diving Activities:  Motorcycling, ATVing, playing ball with my grandson and dancing with my granddaughter.

Favorite Food:  Meat and tators.  Not a "green" fan.

Favorite Dive Location:  I can't name just one, so here's my top five (in order) Philippines, Truk, Galapagos, Palau and Thailand.

Wendie

Role:  Training Manager in the Education Department, Dive Guide at the Downtown Aquarium and A-1 group trip leader

Diving Credentials: MSDT Instructor, DAN DEMP Instructor, HSA Instructor

Real Job: Playing at A-1

Personal Passions:  I enjoy working with kids and experiencing different cultures around the world.

Non-Diving Activities: Sand volleyball, camping in the summer and enjoy hanging out at the lakes on our boat.

Favorite Food: Hot Wings

Favorite Dive Location:  Philippines and the Galapagos

Todd

Role:  Downtown Aquarium Dive Program Manager and A-1 Instructor

Diving Credentials:  PADI MSDT, DAN Instructor, EFR Instructor, NAUI Instructor Trainer

Real Job: Corporate Dive Safety Officer for the Downtown Aquarium and Landry's

Personal Passions: hangin' with my wife and dogs, travel anywhere and  sushi

Non-Diving Activities: motorcycles, golf, food and wine, hiking

Favorite Food: BBQ...Sushi...BBQ...Sushi...Martini's

Favorite Dive Location: Roatan Honduras

Brian

Role:  Instructor, Aquarium Dive Guide

Diving Credentials:  Instructor, EFR instructor

Real Job: Aquarium Assistant Dive Safety Officer

Personal Passions: Family, Friends, Water

Non-Diving Activities: Looking for anyone who wants to play Volleyball

Favorite Food: Pizza

Favorite Dive Location: Florida Keys

 

 

 

Stosh

Role: Instructor and Aquarium Dive Guide

Real Job: Computer Consultant

Diving Credentials: Master Scuba Diving Trainer

Personal passion: Besides making a mean Margarita (learned from my days as bartender), making sure that all of our diving friends have a great time!

Non Diving Activities: Watersports, sailing, skiing, travel

Favorite food: Mexican

Favorite Dive Location: Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Louise

Role:  Scuba Instructor, Instructor Harassment specialist

Diving Credentials:  PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, DAN Instructor

Real Job:  Computer nerd for Vantage Marketing Research, Inc.  International Sales Representative for Baron Worldwide.

Personal Passions:  Teaching Diving

Non-Diving Activities:  traveling, reading, backcountry skiing

Favorite food:  Big fat juicy Steak!

Favorite Dive Location:  Indonesia

Tammi

Role:  Instructor and Class Clown ;)

Diving Credentials:  Master Instructor and DAN Instructor

Real Job: Manager of an Animal E.R.

Personal Passions: TRAVEL, playing with my dogs, anything in the water.

Non-Diving Activities: Did I mention Travel? Vegas is always good!

Favorite Food: Mexican the spicier the better, or a good ole’ steak!

Favorite Dive Location: HMMM Galapagos is the ultimate, Cozumel for a close quick trip or Chatfield -- yup I said Chatfield!

Tim

Role: Retail Support, Aquarium Dive Guide, Scuba Instructor

Real Job: This is my real job!

Diving Credentials: PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, Emergency First Response instructor, Handicapped Scuba Association Instructor

Personal passion:  Underwater exploration and photography

Non Diving Activities: Snowboarding, bicycling, rock climbing, School

Favorite food: sushi

Favorite Dive Location: Molokai, Hawaii

Aaron

Role: Instructor, Aquarium Dive Guide, and Group Leader

Diving Credentials:  Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Emergency First Responder Instructor, and DAN Dive Emergency Management Instructor.  Past experience in Equipment Service and Live-Aboard dive guide.

Real Job: Business Development Manager for National MortgageCompany.Diving is my fun job!!!

Personal Passions: Enjoying time with friends/family, reading, movies…and of course meeting new friends through diving!

Non-Diving Activities:  Travel, cooking, motorcycle riding, and wake boarding.

Favorite Food:  Too many to list.  Italian, Thai, & Caribbean are great but always trying out new recipes.  (Love curried goat and Jamaican meat pies)

Favorite Dive Location: North East Grand Cayman and LittleCayman…Bloody Bay never disappoints!

Carol

Role:  Instructor: Coordinate the Divers with Disabilities Program

Diving Credentials: PADI MSDT, EFR Instructor, DAN Instructor, Handicapped Scuba Association Instructor

Real Job: Recreation Therapist at Craig Hospital

Personal Passions: My canine kids and being outdoors

Non-Diving Activities: Swimming, Stained Glass, Gardening, hanging out with my dogs

Favorite Food: Tillamook Cheese

Favorite Dive Location: If not Chatfield, it would be Bonaire

Antti

Role: Assistant Instructor, Dive guide at the Aquarium

Real Job: Construction Project Manager

Diving Credentials: Assistant Instructor

Personal passion: Diving, climbing and skiing

Non Diving Activities: Outdoors

Favorite food:  meat balls and potatoes

Favorite Dive Location: Thailand and Philippines, off the coast of BC is a great cold water diving with giant octopus.

Bill

Role:  Dive Guide at the Downtown Aquarium, Scuba Instructor at A-1 Scuba and Travel Center

Diving Credentials: Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Digital Underwater Photography Instructor, Mind Body and Spirit Diver.

Real Job: Teaching diving is real for me!! I retired from a career as parole officer in 2005.
I must say I like this better, I haven’t had to handcuff a diving student yet!

Personal Passions:  I love to travel - and anything to do with the water.

Non-Diving Activities: My passion for the water extends to Windsurfing. I also enjoy Cycling and Skiing.

Favorite Food: Whatever the local fare happens to be!

Favorite Dive Location:  Bonaire for the easy shore diving and it’s a quick drive over to Lac Bay for some afternoon Windsurfing!

Kate

Role:  Instructor, mermaid wrangler and dive operations assistant at Downtown Aquarium. And, Blonde Representative - Englewood Chapter.

Diving Credentials:  PADI Open Water instructor. I lived in Bonaire studying Slippery Dick mating habits (seriously), and had a brief stint working at the Divers Alert Network(DAN) as a Research Intern. I also work at the aquarium working with the mermaids, diving operations and guiding experiences.

Real Job: I get to work at the aquarium!

Personal Passions: Writing, reading, flip flops and a good brew.

Non-Diving Activities: Camping, running, biking, and finding a fun concert at Red Rocks.

Favorite Food: Any kind of fish or seafood. Oh, and Cheetos!

Favorite Dive Location: Tie between Mary's Place on Roatan (ask me about "The banana") and 1000 Steps on Bonaire.

Codey

Professional Occupation:
Student

Favorite Marine Animal:
Great White Shark

Favorite dive location:
Guadelupe

Years of diving experience:
5 years

Certification level:
Open Water

Most memorable diving experience: Diving with great whites in Guadelupe

Mike

Role:  Scuba instructor, you may also see me running around at the May sale working on the AV equipment or in the classrooms working on the computers

Diving Credentials:  MSDT (Master Scuba Diving Instructor) EFR instructor, and DAN DEMP instructor

Real Job: I'm still looking for a real job, in the mean time I do Network and Internet Security for a firm that deals in the stock market.

Personal Passions: My Son and his well-being, and making money in the stock market

Non-Diving Activities: Anything that doesn't have to do with computers

Favorite Food: I have to choose? – hmmm if it's chocolate I'll eat it

Favorite Dive Location: Where it's wet and warm – I admit, I DON'T like the cold

Jenn

Role:  Assistant Instructor

Diving Credentials:  PADI Rescue Diver, although I’m working my way towards Instructor and HAS Buddy diver.

Real Job:  Student

Personal Passions:  I love seeing the joy when I can help people discover and accomplish something new.

Non-Diving Activities:  Swimming, Triathlons, Skiing, Volunteering, Smiling and Laughing.

Favorite Food:  I consider myself an equal opportunity eater. I love to try new things, and even if I don’t like it, I just call it “adventures in eating”.

Favorite Dive Location:  I’ve loved everywhere I’ve had the opportunity to dive so far.

 

Butch

Role: Instructor

Diving Credentials:  EFR Instructor, Denver Aquarium Dive Guide, Denver Aquarium Volunteer-Lead Diver, Master Scuba Diver Trainer.

Real Job: Business Owner – Embroidery by Design, Inc., Mechanical Engineer

Personal Passions: Family & diving

Non-Diving Activities: Boating, Mtn. Biking, Skiing, Flying, Motorcycles.

Favorite Food: Pizza & Mexican food

Favorite Dive Location: Anywhere It Is Wet!

AnnaMaria

Role: Assistant Instructor

Diving Credentials:  PADI Assistant Instructor, Dive Guide at Denver Aquarium, Handicapped Scuba Association AI

Real Job: Business Owner – Embroidery by Design, Inc

Personal Passions: Family & Friends – meeting new people, going new places & trying new things……. And of course Diving!

Non-Diving Activities: Travel & outdoor activities, volunteering, music

Favorite Food: Sushi, Mexican food & Wine

Favorite Dive Location: Cozumel & Roatan so far – I can’t wait to explore others

Rich

Role: Assistant Instructor and Aquarium Dive Guide

Real Job: Investment advisor for high net worth individuals

Diving Credentials: PADI Assistant Instructor

Personal passion: Diving, travel, reading, dining and enjoying life!

Non Diving Activities: Spending time with the wife and our animals, travel, gaming, watching the UFC and planning the next dive trip

Favorite food: Chicken fried steak or sauerbraten, too close to call

Favorite Dive Location: Fiji for amazing diving in an exotic locale, Chatfield for a dive trip that doesn't involve planes, hotels and wondering if it's safe to drink the water