Bill Crumbaugh
Teaching Locations: Dania Beach, FL

Certifications / Agency Affiliations:

• PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
• NAUI Instructor
• SDI Instructor
• TDI Instructor

  Bill Crumbaugh is our Director of Instruction and works closely with our affiliated independent instructors scheduling classes, mentoring our instructors, coordinating the logistical needs of the instructional program and providing training for our I-Commissions Instructors. Bill began instructing with the West Palm store in 2002 after retiring from his previous existence as an educator, school curriculum consultant and school district Superintendent in the Midwest. Tired of shoveling snow and diving under the ice several months of the year, Bill came to Florida seeking a new life as a "professional beach bum" content to teach scuba diving and soak up the sun from the deck of a diveboat. Retirement, however, did not last long. When offered the position as Director of Instruction in 2005, Bill joined the corporate team in Dania Beach. Bill has been in and under the water for the past 46 years. He holds Instructor and Specialty Instructor certifications from PADI, NAUI, SDI and TDI. When not at his desk or in the water teaching, Bill enjoys traveling and even more diving.

"Ranger Rick" Lorimor
Teaching Locations: Orlando, FL

Certifications / Agency Affiliations:

• NAUI Instructor Trainer

  Rick was born a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Actually, he comes from Colorado, which just seems like another planet. Rick grew up, believe it or not, on a farm southwest of Denver. He started diving in the U.S. Army in 1976 where he served as an Airborne Ranger and in Special Operations Units for 20 years, where they had him doing all sorts of strange and unusual things, after retiring from the military. He finally became a legal civilian diver in 2002.

An active NAUI instructor, "Ranger Rick" Lorimor became a part of the Florida diving community in 2002. As the owner of Ranger Rick's Scuba Adventure, his full time occupation is teaching diving classes and guiding dive tours. He volunteers as a guide to certain restricted sites and keeps wet and well read, knowing that all learning is an ongoing process. His governing agencies NAUI, TDI, ASHI, and American Red Cross. His main instructional goals are safety, conservation and fun. He believes that hands on is the best teacher, and that learning takes place most efficiently in a gradual progression. He stresses that his students know their limits and stay within them, and that they not lose sight of why they dive in the first place, which is to have fun!

Magda M. Gabriel & Otto L. Gabriel
Teaching Locations: West Palm Beach and Dania Beach, FL

Certifications / Agency Affiliations:

• PADI MSDT
  SSI AOWI
  SDI
  TDI ADVANCED GAS BLENDER
  DAN O2 INSTRUCTOR 10036
  EFR INSTRUCTOR
  ADVANCED UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPGER AND VIDEOGRAPHER

  We are super excited about being with the dynamic team at Divers Direct. Our professional qualifications are nearly identical! We share the same passion for SCUBA and love educating people about the magic of the underwater realm.

Wes Gruver
Teaching Locations: Dania Beach, FL

Certifications / Agency Affiliations:

• PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
• NAUI Scuba Instructor
• SDI Open Water Instructor
• TDI Technical Instructor
• USCG Licensed 100 Ton Captain

  Wes Gruver is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, NAUI Scuba Instructor, SDI Open Water Instructor, TDI Technical Instructor and USCG Licensed 100 Ton Captain with more than 20 years diving and training experience currently living in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Wes got his start wreck diving off the coast of the Carolinas. Later he had the opportunity travel and explore the world while in the U.S. Navy and has since logged more than 3000 dives. He has in dived every ocean on the earth except the Arctic; however its on his list.

If you enjoy seafood then you'll want to dive with Wes, lobstering and spearfishing are some of his favorite underwater activities. He also enjoys exploring South Florida's numerous wrecks.

I like to keep my classes small so everyone gets personal attention. When you're learning new skills that your life may depend on you expect the very best, that's what I strive to deliver to each of my students." - Wes Gruver

Hector E. Paz III
Teaching Locations: Dania Beach, FL

Certifications / Agency Affiliations:

• PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
• Emergency First Responder Instructor

  Hector was born and raised in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and was first certified as an Open Water Diver in 1992 through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). Through the years he continued recreational diving, eventually crossing over to the professional ranks of PADI in 2003 while in Venezuela. Hector is an Officer in the United States Army since 1992. His Army career has taken him to great diving locales like Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, Florida, and the Bahamas. He also was stationed in Georgia, Texas and Oklahoma. This gave Hector a unique opportunity to experience a different kind of diving usually in lakes, quarries, rivers, and caverns.

While in Venezuela working with the US Military Group in the US Embassy, Hector became a Rescue Diver, and went onto to earn his Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) rating. He has certified students at various dive operations in Venezuela, Georgia, and Florida. He currently holds various Specialty Instructor ratings and plans to get his IDC Staff instructor rating soon. He is also an Emergency First responder Instructor.

Jeff Nelson
Teaching Locations: West Palm Beach

Certifications / Agency Affiliations:

• PADI Instructor
• NAUI Instructor
• SDI Instructor
• CPR / First Aid Instructor

  From the first day that I walked into a Florida dive shop and signed up for my open water class I knew that I had found the perfect pastime. After spending literally every weekend after being certified diving, I realized that I wanted to share my passion and excitement by teaching others to dive. I became a PADI instructor in 1998 and continued my training earning instructor ratings with NAUI and SDI. I am also a CPR/First Aid instructor and have added oxygen blending and several teaching specialties along the way. I also became a repair technician which has helped me show divers how to take better care of their scuba gear.

I’ve always enjoyed teaching. Just watching someone overcome an anxiety, or seeing and hearing how excited someone becomes after a dive has shown me that my passion for diving has spread through my students and fellow divers. Seeing families and friends spending time toguether, and watching people make new friends has been another bonus for me. The fact that I can show someone how to be safe and have lots of fun, along with preserving our aquatic environment also makes teaching diving an awesome experience.

Worth O’Brien
Teaching Locations: Dania, FL

Certifications / Agency Affiliations:

• PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
• NAUI Scuba Instructor
• SDI Instructor
• TDI Instructor
• D.A.N. Instructor
• SSI Instructor
• IANTD Nitrox Instructor/Trainer
• IDEA Instructor
• PDIC Instructor
• Emergency First Responder Instructor

Worth O’Brien has been a DIVER from birth. Born in Florida and raised in the Bahamas, being amphibious just came naturally. Worth developed an early aquatic career at the young age of 15 as a Jr. Lifeguard and continued with the amphibious life becoming the youngest Marine Safety Officer for the city of Lake Worth at the age of 17. While pursuing his college education he joined the United States Marine Corps and at the age of 19 became a Water Safety Survival Instructor as a qualified Special Forces Combatant Diver. Today, along with being an American Maritime Operations Officer, he brings his experience, training and instructional expertise to Divers Direct, providing high quality professional dive training for our students in all arenas of underwater instruction, safety, fun and adventure.

Ralph Viscusi
Teaching Locations: Dania Beach, FL

Certifications / Agency Affiliations:

• PADI Openwater Instructor
• SDI Instructor
• SDI Open Water Instructor
• TDI Technical Instructor
• PSI Cylinder Inspection Instructor

Roger Latham
Teaching Locations: West Palm Beach, Fl

Certifications / Agency Affiliations:

• PADI Instructor
• SeaSigns Instructor
  SDI Instructor

Roger lived in landlocked central Illinois until just a few years ago, but that didn’t stop him from diving. He was open water certified in a converted rock quarry with “not the best viz”.

After volunteering to help his instructor with classes, he soon realized he wanted to share his passion with others. After many years as a Divemaster, he decided to complete his goal and become an instructor.

Not only has he been diving in midwest quarries, Lake Michigan and Green Bay, he also worked giving underwater presentations at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He finally made the plunge to sunny south Florida where he intends to stay. Roger says he really enjoys helping others discover the underwater world, and learning to become safe, environmentally conscience divers.

Juan Diaz
Teaching Locations: Florida City

Certifications / Agency Affiliations:

• PADI Instructor

Juan Diaz’s fascination with the underwater world began as a young boy in El Salvador with free diving and spearfishing. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles in 1982 he became a certified scuba diver and realized that he wanted to continue with his scuba training, become a PADI instructor and share his enjoyment of the underwater world with others. In 2003 he moved to Miami where, in addition to working in the medical field, he could enjoy diving and teaching in our warmer waters. His passion for scuba diving and teaching is clear to his students from their very first Open Water class session through the continuing education classes that he teaches.