About Our Team
The Dan’s Dive Shop Staff along with our renowned Instructional team of Recreational and Technical Scuba Diving Instructors, Divemasters and Assistant Instructors are the most dedicated, experienced team of professional level scuba divers in the diving industry.
Our scuba diving instructional team offer the most comprehensive learning of Recreational Scuba Courses, Cave Diving and Technical Diving courses, Enriched Air Nitrox and Sidemount diving courses, while utilizing the most progressive diving methods, equipment, technology and by teaching our students the most comprehensive scuba diving courses on the market.
Our staff are all active diving enthusiasts who love scuba diving and all that the diving life style has to offer!
They’re progressive divers who are learning and advancing their personal diving careers on a regular basis through continuing education courses and training, while also preparing mentally and physically for more demanding advanced dives.
Our staff are often required to test dive new dive equipment, trying different styles of diving, which gives them a perspective on the amazingly fun styles of diving that we specialize in like single tank diving, diving double tanks, sidemount, drysuits, diver propulsion vehicles, rebreathers and so much more. The bottom line is that our staff are expected to be leaders in the local scuba diving community, they help shape our divers into the most informed divers in the water and mentor a lot of our newer divers as well.
You can trust that our staff have a good amount of diving experience and good overall knowledge, while many of them are still learning, so if you have questions on gear or training that exceeds their level of knowledge, please be patient as they defer more technical questions to Matt, Dan, Chris, Fawn, or another qualified staff member who can get them the answers in a timely fashion.
One of the best things about our staff is the fact that we get out and dive on a regular basis for fun with our clients, who often times become regular dive buddies. Very few dive stores have staff that dive, let alone their owners, whereas DDS staff and owners are out diving frequently interacting with or engaging their clients and having fun doing it.
Please be advised that only 2 of our staff are experts at custom wetsuits (Matt & Dan), while Matt, Fawn and Dan are DUI Factory Trained drysuit and drysuit undergarment fit specialists at measuring for DUI, while Matt and Dan are able to measure for Santi and Bare, so please call ahead of time prior to your anticipated trip to book an appointment with us.
Meet Our Team
Click on a team member below to view details.
Matt Mandziuk
Dive Shop Staff
Fawn Messer
Dive Shop Staff
Marston Muth
Dive Shop Staff
Jenn Lavoie
Dive Shop Staff
Lucas Duemo
Dive Shop Staff
Chris Foisey
Dive Shop Staff
Sammy Mandziuk Dive Shop Dog
Dive Shop Staff
Grace Marquez
Instructor
Kenn Jones
Instructor
Mike Pitul
Instructor
Trent Zawaly
Instructor
Hugo Marques
PADI Divemasters
Andy Boyd
PADI Divemasters
Jamie Duemo
PADI Divemasters
Ross Horsley
PADI Divemasters in Training
Alex Fedorshyn
Dive Shop Staff
Matt Mandziuk
Matt Mandziuk Cave, Technical, Rebreather Instructor. Shipwreck, Cave & Technical Diving Explorer, U/W Photographer/Videographer, NAUI Instructor Trainer, Halcyon Brand Ambassador
Growing up in the business of diving
Matt Mandziuk is a cave and technical diving instructor and active dive researcher/explorer. His love for the water began when he was about 4 1/2 years old and was able to put a regulator in his mouth. This was the first time he was able to breathe underwater in a pool without having to resurface for air.
Matt completed his first open water dive at age 10 and began formal dive training at age 12. Scuba diving is in Matt’s blood, having been started by his father in 1974. Diving has always been something Matt has been fascinated with, especially growing up near the Great Lakes where he often pondered what was laying just below the surface.
Matt took to our amazing local diving like a fish to water, as well as diving down south with many of Dan’s students in his early years. Matt’s comfort level in the water was instilled at an early age but when he dove his first shipwreck, that was it – it ignited a passion for diving that becomes more fierce with each year that he stays in this amazing sport. Add to this, his addiction to cave diving and you have a lifelong hobby with endless destinations to explore, goals and possibilities.
Matt was a recipient of the Business Link Niagara’s Top 40 Under 40 Business Achievement Awards and the top award of the evening, the “Best In Class” award for his dedication, passion and leadership in business.
Matt has been endorsed by different brands of equipment over the years and is currently a Halcyon Brand Ambassador representing the gear he uses the most.
Versatility and Teaching Expertise
Matt has logged thousands of dives in as many diving environments possible from recreational to technical diving, trimix , cave diving, sidemount and the use of several fully and semi-closed rebreathers.
In 1998 Matt began walking down the leadership path, as he completed his PADI Divemaster Course, as well as his journey down the Technical Diving path and has since earned the ratings of instructor through agencies like NAUI Tec offering most of their cutting edge programs from Intro to Tech to Extreme Exposure Trimix and NAUI’s revolutionary Cave 1 & Cave 2 cave diving courses, Wreck Survey, Wreck Penetration and Technical Wreck Penetration Courses, Ice Diving and more.
Matt is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and a Tec Rec Instructor, Emergency First Responder Instructor. TDI: Technical Diving International Trimix Instructor, SDI: Scuba Diving International Instructor and Rebreather Explorer Instructor for IDREO: International Diving Research Exploration Organization specializing in exploration style courses. Matt is also an Instructor Trainer with NAUI, NAUI Cave 1 & 2, Technical, Trimix, Instructor and Canadian Association for Underwater Science Level II Diver in charge of survey & archaeology as a Scientific Level 2 Diver and most recently crossed into IANTD the original technical diving training agency to offer Fathom CCR Rebreather classes and many of their other offerings.
Doing What He Loves
You’ll find Matt happiest underwater, whether in doubles, rebreather or sidemount configuration, he is equally comfortable teaching and diving in any setup. Pictured here in Florida having a good day with Intro to tech students.
Matt loves to teach diving, with his favourite Courses to teach being NAUI’s Intro to Tech Course, Trimix, Decompression Procedures, Wreck penetration, Rebreather, Cavern and Cave 1 or 2, he also loves teaching fun classes like Diver Propulsion Vehicle, Drysuit Diver, Nitrox and of course the Open Water Scuba Diver program.
Why Train with Matt?
What sets Matt apart from the vast majority of technical diving instructors and divers is his experience and versatility in not just shipwreck diving or deep diving, but also cave diving, wreck and cave exploration on both backmounted and sidemounted tanks, rebreathers, as well as the fact that he has safety conducted thousands of mixed gas trimix dives.
Matt teaches all of his classes with the highest level of professionalism, putting his students as his #1 priority, while offering a great amount of personal attention, pride, as well as comfort, confidence, security and a higher level of standards and skill sets, while offering a superior training path ahead than the vast majority of instructors who dabble in technical diving education. Matt is also one of the most polished and disciplined divers you will ever see in the water.
Matt can teach you anywhere you want him to be. He is one of North America’s most experienced and most respected Instructors.
Training and Experience
Matt has been trained by past and present members of TDI, NAUI Tec, GUE, UTD, IDREO, IANTD, SDI, SSI, PADI, NSS-cds, NACD and ACUC. Those experiences have helped shape hm as a diver and with such a range of exposures to different instructors, allowed him to see a multitude of different styles of teaching and calibre of diver.
You’ll usually find Matt diving every week somewhere around the Great Lakes diving a shipwreck or deep walls in his backyard of Ontario, Canada, as well as the many great American shipwrecks in the US. When Matt’s not diving locally he spends his time actively engaging himself in exploration projects and cave diving projects in the many underwater Caves in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Florida or anywhere new, fun and exciting.
While there area a lot of choices in technical diving instruction, make no mistake, there are few equal programs in the industry that can stack up to what Matt and his staff are teaching.
If you want the best technical diving education, Matt will lay the strongest foundation possible. Let Matt be your guideline to diving excellence and become the diver you were meant to be.
Traveling abroad to Teach
Matt’s World Class Diving Abilities, Reputation for Excellence, Passion for diving and Attentiveness to students has earned him a following of students from all over the globe including Canada, USA, Germany, Mexico, Italy and has placed him on many Technical Diving Expeditions, on TV, Radio and in Dive Magazines.
We have flown Matt around the globe to teach all levels of technical diving courses, so if you can’t come to us, we can go to you.
Matt was one of North America’s First Instructors to be offering Recreational and Technical Diving Instruction using the Doing it Right philosophy which promotes a more team oriented set of skill sets, team awareness, but with his addition of a more thinking diver underwater who’s able to solve problems using a multitude of mental and physical solutions.
Matt was also one of the first instructors to teach sidemount in Canada and has been diving and teaching sidemount diving since before sidemount was “cool”. Adding his Progressive Diving influences to mirror the back mounted configuration, Matt teaches all courses from single tank, to doubles, to sidemount to rebreather utilizing the same, familiar basic configuration, so there is no confusion where your gear is when you need it most.
Knowledge Beyond Diving
Matt is a Master Repair Technician for many major brands of equipment specializing in Atomic Aquatics, Scubapro, Dive Rite, Halcyon, HOG, Mares, Hollis, Zeagle, Poseidon and many other regulators/bcd’s as well as a certified OUC and PSI Visual Tank Inspector, a certified TC Hydrostatic technician, Certified Nitrox/Trimix Gas Blender for every major agency, a Gas Blender Instructor for PADI DSAT and NAUI Tec, as well as a NAUI Oxygen Service Technician Instructor training divers in the art of repair and maintenance for nearly 20 years! Matt loves helping share just a bit of his extensive knowledge with anyone who’s interested and wants to learn.
Matt is also a Professional Musician taking time on occasion to play live on stage or in the recording studio. Matt has recorded with some of the best bands you’ve never heard of, as well as his own solo projects. Currently he’s scoring some of our store videos with his musical stylings, so check out our videos section and you may just hear Matt shredding above the water as well as he can underwater.
Taking the Dan’s Dive Shop Brand Into the Future
Matt purchased Dan’s Dive Shop to take it to new heights as an innovator in diving education and in the way the dive shop handles their product lines, selection, travel and marketing efforts. Look for big things to continue coming down the pips from DDS. If you’ve got ideas for us in how we can improve, please DM us.
Matt has been a PADI Elite Instructor Award Winner for his dedication and excellence in diving education. He has hit or surpassed the certification requirements many times, especially prior to Elite Instructor being a rating.
Matt has been featured in television, magazines, independent films, radio and has been called upon as expert in his field in legal proceedings as an Expert Witness.
Courses Taught – PADI
Discover Scuba, Scuba Review, Skin Diver, Bubblemaker, Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, PADI Divemaster, PADI Sidemount, PADI Enriched Air Nitrox, PADI Self Reliant Diver Distinctive Specialty, PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy, PADI Drysuit Specialty, PADI Cavern Diver, PADI Deep Diver, PADI Wreck Diver, PADI AWARE Coral Reef Conservation Specialty, Project AWARE Diver, PADI Diver Propulsion Vehicle, PADI Ice Diver, PADI Tec Rec Nitrox and Trimix Gas Blender.
NAUI Tec Courses:
NTEC, NAUI Intro to Tech, Technical Decompression Diver, Helitrox, Trimix 1 and Trimix 2 (Advanced Trimix), Cavern, Cave 1, Cave 2, Wreck External Survey, Wreck Penetration, Ice Diver, Mixed Gas Blender, O2 Service Technician, Sidemount and more.
TDI Technical Courses:
Nitrox, Intro to Tech, TDI Advanced Nitrox, TDI Decompression Procedures, TDI Trimix, and more.
SDI Courses:
Solo Diver, Sidemount, Easy Computer Nitrox, Cprox, CPR1st, Cprox1st
IDREO Courses:
Deep Explorer 1 & 2
DPV
Rebreather Explorer Diver (CCR Rebreather, PSCR & aPSCR Rebreather, Sidemount aPSCR, Deco RB).
IANTD Courses:
Fathom Rebreather MK3
Fawn Messer
Fawn Messer – PADI Master Instructor, Travel Agent, Store Management
Fawn is a Niagara Region native who started diving while living in Australia. She loved scuba so much, she decided to teach and travel the world as a scuba instructor.
After living the dream for a few years, Fawn returned to Niagara, where she began falling in love with our local Ontario diving.
Fawn is more often found underwater than not. She is an inspiration for our aspiring new divers, and is one of our most active instructors.
Fawn has grown a lot in her personal diving since joining the DDS team in 2010. She has completed her Intro to Tech, Cave 1 and is a PADI Staff Instructor.
As our resident photography gal, Fawn takes beautiful photos wherever she goes and loves to share her knowledge, tips and tricks with her underwater photography students. You’ll see some of her amazing shots up at the shop too. Sign up for one of our digital underwater photo courses with her today!
Fawn loves to travel locally and abroad and leads many of our trips – especially if there are sharks! In fact she likes to travel so much, we made her our booking agent for all of our international dive travel and she’s the best!
Fawn keep the store running smoothly and keeps taking on more and more responsibility. She runs all of our trips and travel, as well as manages many of the day to day administrative tasks.
Fawn has been a regular recipient of the PADI Elite Instructor award for her dedication and excellence in dive training.
Fawn can teach Discover Scuba, Scuba Review, Skin Diver, Bubblemaker, Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Divemaster, PADI Assistant Instructor, Underwater Photography, PADI Enriched Air Nitrox, PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy, PADI Night Diver, Emergency First Responder CPR/First Aid/Oxygen Administrator/AED for adults and children and the PADI Drysuit Specialty.
A little Q&A with Fawn:
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: To become a PADI Course Director
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: Galapagos Islands
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
A: I love my Shearwater Perdix. It’s the best dive computer I’ve owned – easy to use and clear and bright in the water.
Marston Muth
Marston is a homegrown DDS Diver from Niagara who has been working his way through the levels gaining experience along the way at each level. Marston is the main liaison between our online store and clients getting their items they ordered, as he’s running the Online Store primarily, but is also on the floor on weekends and whenever needed.
He’s a man of few words, but a hard worker who is dedicated to getting things done.
Marston enjoys videography, is a musician who plays multiple instruments and has been advancing his experience and certifications moving towards cave and technical diving.
A little Q&A with Marston:
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: Cave & Technical Diving
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: Somewhere New
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
A: Drysuit because I love it and it’s mine.
Jenn Lavoie
Jenn Lavoie – Sales & Service, PADI Divemaster
Jenn is one of our most popular staff as she is always in the water diving and is often the favourite person on the phone and in the shop to chat with. Jenn’s knowledge has been developing well and she is a talented and respected diver in the community.
Jenn is a regular member of our weekly dives, trips, charters and is currently working her way through the leadership levels, doing her PADI Divemaster with hopes to move towards the Instructor level as well as doubles and more technical/cave oriented diving opportunities.
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: To become a PADI Instructor
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: Anywhere New
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
A: I love my customer Halcyon BCD and am looking forward to getting a custom double wing next.
Lucas Duemo
Lucas Duemo – DDS Staff, NAUI Cave 1 Diver
Lucas is a nice homegrown story about a young boy who loved the water and snorkelling in Tobermory with his father Jamie, that when he was old enough to learn how to scuba dive, they both certified with DDS.
Fast forward almost a decade and the boy has grown up, become a very experienced diver and still enjoys diving with his father after all these years.
Lucas is a certified Intro to Tech Diver and Cave 1 Diver. He’s presently working through his Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures course with us.
You’ll often find Lucas hanging around the store helping customers, filling tanks, organizing rentals, cleaning up around the outside area and of course on one of our local dive boats, dive weekends away with the shop, or away with us in Florida cave diving.
A little Q&A with Lucas
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: Working towards more cave and technical diving courses
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: Deeper shipwrecks in Lake Erie, more cave diving, mine diving and Truk Lagoon
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
My DUI FLX Extreme Drysuit is my favourite piece of gear.
Chris Foisey
Chris Foisey – PADI Instructor, DDS Staff, Cave Diver, Trimix Diver, Influencer
Chris Foisey was certified here at Dan’s Dive Shop in 2010. Evolving from his earlier interests in commercial diving, his love of the sport has led him down the DDS path.
Chris has been great at evolving in his training and interests. Chris is a cornerstone at the shop handing most day to day tasks, hydrostatic technician, while also leading local dives and PADI scuba diving courses.
Chris is also making some great videos to help divers learn to a higher level on Tik Tok, Instagram and YouTube if you search out his Modern Diver Channel, you’ll enjoy it.
Chris is a leader with new and experienced divers alike, and can always be counted on – in and out of the water. He will lead you effortlessly through all levels of Scuba Diving Training and inspire you to be the best you.
He’s also our GoPro wiz and is the go-to guy for any questions you may have about your device.
A little Q&A with Chris:
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: To work towards my NAUI Cave 2 rating, Fathom CCR Rebreather Diver.
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: To dive the HMS Ontario
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
A: My GoPro – so I can share all the wonderful things I see under water with others
Sammy Mandziuk Dive Shop Dog
Sammy Mandziuk Dive Shop Dog
Sammy is everyone’s favourite member of the DDS Team and with good reason, he’s fun, sweet, great with kids, women and most guys (unless you’re the UPS guy or the Amazon guys).
Sammy’s only problem is that he doesn’t love the water, but he loves to be around the divers during weekly dives, store events and he puts in more hours in the store sometimes than his father Matt does.
If you want to keep your family occupied while you shop to your hearts content in the shop, Sammy is a great distraction to allow you to show away without worry.
Sammy was born in Manitoba and was adopted and brought to Niagara. Sammy enjoys music, hiking, car rides and he was actually named after Sammy Hagar, one of the greatest rock and roll singers of all time 🙂
One day maybe Sammy will want to be in the water more we’re working with him on that, but he prefers to stay away and observe.
If you have a dog who likes other dogs, bring them to come and play with Sammy too. He has a lot of human and K-9 friends.
Sammy’s favourite activities include hiking and sleeping.
Grace Marquez
Grace Marquez – PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Professional Artist, Emergency First Response First Aid & CPR Instructor, Cave 2 Diver, Technical Diver, CCR Trimix Rebreather Diver, NAUI TSL– Cave Guide.
Grace Marquez is one of the most experienced divers on staff regularly diving open circuit doubles and sidemount, as well as closed circuit rebreather. Grace does some of our behind the scenes things when it comes to marketing, design and marketing concepts, website troubleshooting, all things Social Media and more.
Grace is a PADI Master Scuba Diving Trainer who frequently donates her free time to help guide or certify divers, introduce new people to the world of Scuba Diving through PADI Discover Scuba orientations with DDS staff, an Intro to Tech videographer recording students skills and progress on courses, certified Cave 2 Diver, Training Mentor, Technical Diver and DPV Diver and one of our newest PADI Instructors.
In Grace’s real life she’s a world renowned Professional Artist and founder of the Grace Marquez Studio specializing in original art pieces and prints revolving around diving and water related creatures, corals, “divesscapes” and more from all water environments.
Grace has been featured internationally in a number of print and online dive magazines for her art and her exploration.
If you want someone to bring your diving from underwater to canvas to let you relive those memories, you should book Grace for commission her to make you a special custom art painting.
Grace can offer all the recreational PADI core courses, as well as PADI Drysuit Diver, Deep Diver, Drift Diver, Sidemount Diver, Diver Propulsion Vehicle Diver, Cavern Diver.
A little Q&A with Grace:
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: Personally, I’m working towards becoming a PADI Staff Instructor
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: There are so many but off the top of my head: Eagle’s Nest, the caves of the Bahamas, The Gunilda wreck and Scapa Flow!!!!!
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
A: I love all my gear – my backplate, my drysuit, my canister light (it’s even part of my weighting system), but if I had to choose, my Shearwater Perdix – I totally feel naked and in the dark (literally) without it, or my Drysuit are my favourites for sure.
Kenn Jones
Kenn Jones has been a great addition to our amazing team and with him came a witty side, humour and seriousness all in one. Ken is a lot of fun and we look forward to telling you more about him soon.
Biography coming soon.
Mike Pitul
Mike Pitul – PADI Instructor, Archeologist and Star Wars Fan
Mike was certified in 1995 at age 12, getting into diving because his father, Jim was and still is a very active diver.
Watching his father do the diving over the years make him want to follow in his footsteps, like so many of our DDS family.
Mike’s love of diving has always fuelled his desire to advanced and continue down the professional route as a PADI Divemaster and now a PADI Instructor.
Mike was always intrigued by archaeology and underwater archaeology so it had became an easy choice for his academic studies and work life, which is now doing underwater archaeology and conducting maritime assessments. Mike’s next academic goal is a phd in underwater/maritime archaeology.
Mike also likes Star Wars… a lot!
A little Q&A with Mike
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: Next personal goal for dive training would be more into tech side.
Not sure what my next professional dive training goal is aside from more specialties and expanding what I am able to teach.
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: Spot on my bucket list is Chuuk lagoon. Has been since I started diving, so hopefully I can join in on our 2026 Trip
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
A: dive gear piecs… currently my drysuit. For the hours I spend in the water it keeps me warm extends the dive season!
Trent Zawaly
Trent Zawaly – PADI Instructor, Boat Captain, NAUI Cave 1 Diver
Trent is a talented diver who breezed through his basic training and loved it so much, he just kept on sailing ahead into the world of cave and technical diving and brought his wife into the scuba life at Dan’s as well.
Trent by day is a master electrician, by night a PADI Instructor and on weekends and other nights a dedicated Boat Captain.
Trent and his wife Kimberly and their “Children of the Corn” also help take care of our boy Sammy when Matt’s away playing.
Trent is hoping to run the boat around the province more next season, as this year was a nice trial to get used to everything and we’ll keep exploring new areas as often as we can with him.
Trent is a certified NAUI Cave 1 Diver and is in the midst of completing his Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures Course with us.
A little Q&A with Trent
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A:
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A:
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
Hugo Marques
Hugo Marques – PADI Divemaster
Hugo started diving in 2008 after a trip down south where Discover Scuba hooked him and of the first 12 years he found himself diving around the warmer water locales, the Caribbean, Thailand, Indonesia, but he discovered local diving during Covid, as the travel bans got him and so many others to try diving in Canada and felt in love with cold water diving.
Hugo loves diving wrecks because of how beautiful they are but also loves to learn about the history behind their sinking.
Hugo’s primary diving interests are shipwrecks, especially those associated with war because of the artifacts that can be found on them and also the level of trauma, but as most of our divers, he’s developing an interest in cave especially following our trip to Malta in May of 2024.
When Hugo’s not diving, you will find him managing manufacturing facilities around the world and being a good uncle to Sammy, father and husband.
Hugo is an amazing assistant to have around on courses, he’s always smiling and his students love him too.
Hugo is so popular, they even wrote a book about him in Malta.
Hugo is not related to Grace.
A little Q&A with Hugo
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: My next personal milestones is Cave & Technical diving
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: I’m excited about any shipwreck dive, but I’m especially looking forward to Truk Lagoon next year!
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
A: I absolutely love my Shearwater Perdix—it’s the best dive computer ever! I love it so much that I own 2 of the
Andy Boyd
Andy Boyd – PADI Divemaster
Andy was a homegrown DDS Diver back in the 1990’s. Certified Open Water, September, 1998, along with his wife Margaret, they’ve travelled the world over a couple of times now, but Andy dives as much locally as he does abroad. In fact, Andy often runs our Wednesday Night Dives for the shop too!
It took nearly 30 years for Andy to start diving a drysuit, so he’s having all sorts of fun now even in the winter seasons and the colder, deeper shipwrecks, so nothing is out of his wheelhouse.
Andy is usually everyone’s favourite person to ask questions and chat with, as he has a lot of answers and great stories to back them up too.
A little Q&A with Andy
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A:
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A:
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
Jamie Duemo
Jamie Duemo – PADI Divemaster, NAUI Cave 1 Diver
Jamie is the other half of one of our favourite father/son dive teams (obviously Dan/Matt are our favourite). He’s been a great role model to his son Lucas and has a lot of fun mentoring our new divers and sharing his experiences as a Divemaster with them helping them improve their skills and awareness, as well as supporting the teaching staff on courses.
Jamie is a talented individual, good at most things he does and diving is a natural outlet for him, as he loves swimming, snorkelling and diving.
Jamie loves wreck diving, cave diving and is working towards his Advanced Nitrox/Decompression Procedures certification with us right now.
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: Personal goals will to continue to train for tech and cave diving to check off bucket list goals. Professional,one day I will get my instructors, once I retire I would love to mold the divers of the future.
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: all the spots!!!!Mexico for the pretty caves, mine diving, The Great Lakes for the for the awesome deep wrecks!!! Sorry can’t narrow it to one as there is too many cool things out there to see!!!
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
Light!!!!!best communication tool for diving, I won’t dive without one.
Ross Horsley
Ross has been a part of the DDS Family since he did his Junior Open Water Course way back when, but after he graduated from University, he resumed diving activities and this fuelled a new drive and desire to be more polished and has given him new goals and aspirations too.
Ross is a great addition to the sales and service department. He’s very energetic and excited to talk diving with just about anyone who wants to improve, or who can help teach him something new.
Ross is also a great mentor, willing to dive with anyone, which is going to make him a great PADI Divemaster.
The only thing(s) Ross loves more than diving are his 2 pedigree English Bulldogs Rocky and Sterling.
Future Goals for Ross include completing his PADI Divemaster, NAUI Intro to Tech and Cave 1 Courses.
A little Q&A with Ross:
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: NAUI Intro to Tech and Cave 1
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: Birmingham Crane, Gunilda, Mines in Scandinavia and wishfully thinking the Edmund Fitzgerald
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
A: My DUI CLX450 Drysuit coupled with my doubles and the rest of my entire setup, because I don’t enjoy diving a single tank.
Alex Fedorshyn
Alex Fedorshyn Service Technician, Hydrostatic Tester, Retail Sales Associate
Sometimes we meet people in the sport who just love tinkering, love learning and love the water, and those are our favourite types of people we like, as long as they aren’t servicing their own gear.
Alex has been obsessed with scuba diving ever since he was a boy and always wanted to learn how to scuba dive.
Certified in 2015, he’s made a few discoveries and journeys along the way to DDS and is more home here for sure, as he is learning more, diving better and progressing towards his future goals.
The cool thing about Alex is that he’s young and keen and willing to give anything a try, as you don’t know if it’s a challenge or not until you try it, so in doing this, he’s accomplished a lot more academically than a lot of divers, becoming a service technician for several brands of gear, a visual inspector and hydrostatic technician.
While he likes the vintage gear, he’s keen to become a better diver in more modern equipment also.
A little Q&A with Alex
Q: What is your next personal or professional dive training goal?
A: Working towards divemaster and eventually tech certification.
Q: What spot is on your dive bucket list?
A: Silfra Fissure, Iceland
Q: What’s one piece of dive gear you can NOT live without and why?
My DiveRite CX2. It’s fantastic for illuminating wrecks and for getting a buddy’s attention. Bigger and brighter, it was the perfect upgrade to my previous backup light which has been retired.