Staff & Crew

The crew on board the SEA EXPERIENCE harbors quite a mix of knowledge, but they all share one thing in common, the love for the sea. Each of the crew members are experienced scuba divers and you may get to see one of them hop into the water with their gear on to add to the excitement! They all enjoy sharing their time on the water with our guests and pointing out things of interest. All the crew work for tips and if you so desire, gratuities are greatly appreciated. So without further ado, let’s introduce the crew!

 

Bill Cole

Captain Bill has been running dive/snorkel vessels for over 30 years and is one of the most experienced boat captain’s in South Florida. Bill started diving on his honeymoon in Grand Cayman in 1977 and it’s been hard to keep him out of the water ever since. Completing scuba instructor training in 1979, Bill began teaching diving at the University of Georgia. In 1988, Bill brought the first glass bottom boat to Fort Lauderdale that ran daily charter. He had spent the previous year training the fish on a shallow reef that he named “Fort Lauderdale Twin Ledges”. To this day the fish come to greet the boat when it arrives at the site.

Bill became a PADI Course Director in 1993, this is the highest instructor rating attainable with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). He has trained thousands of instructors who are now employed around the world. In 1993, Bill was among the first group of elite divers awarded the Platinum Pro 5000 certification by SSI (Scuba Schools International). Divers in this group have over 5000 SCUBA dives. Bill loves taking passengers out for tours to the coral reef whether it is in the water or just pointing out things of interest through the boat’s glass bottom windows.

Favorite Local Dive Site – Loves revisiting Willies Way which he helped find and name.
Favorite Local Restaurant – You can find him at Subway almost every day for a bite to eat.

Pam Bradley

Originally from Colorado, Pam grew up watching Jacques Cousteau on TV and dreaming about being underwater. She became Open Water certified in 1993 and has been permanently hooked on diving ever since! In 1998 Pam became a PADI Instructor and later moved to the Commonwealth of Dominica in the West Indies to work as an Instructor and dive guide. Pam has dived Florida, Bahamas, the Eastern Caribbean, the Western Caribbean and the Red Sea. She has made over 4000 dives in her diving career.

In 2002 Pam moved to Florida where she owned a dive center in the north-east area of the state. She became a PADI Course Director in 2007 and since then has had the pleasure of training new PADI Instructors and has achieved the highest Course Director rating of Platinum. Each candidate that attends her IDC’s receives individual guidance and her personal commitment to providing the highest quality “real world” training.  She truly believes that she has the best job in the world!

Favorite Local Dive Site – The Rebel
Favorite Local Restaurant – Any place with good sushi!

Tyler Cole

Tyler has been scuba diving since he was 10 years old and still looks forward to every dive. He was born and raised in south Florida and graduated Cum Laude from FSU with a Bachelors degree in finance. Tyler is currently a PADI certified Open Water Scuba Instructor and enjoys showing others the beauty of the ocean. He brings a great deal of boating experience to the team since he has been on boats his whole life. Tyler loves the ocean and being able to show customers a good time while scuba diving or snorkeling. You will most likely see him working in the dive shop.

Favorite Local Dive Site – The wreck of the Jim Atria, max depth ~135′.
Favorite Local Hangout – Duffy’s Sports Bar for a bite to eat and also a frequent visitor to the Breezes pool bar at Bahia Mar.

Captain Andrew

Andrew comes from Kansas and believe it or not has worked on or around boats for most of his life. In high school he worked at a small marina at the lake of the Ozarks MO. After high school he spent a few years in Colorado working in the mountains. In 2006 he moved to south Florida. Spent the next two years sailing on the Spirit of Lauderdale, working his way from deckhand to captain.

In early 2008, he found the ZaZu which is a 1 57gt yacht. As a mate on ZaZu, he enjoyed trips around Florida , the Keys, Bahamas and the U.S. inland waterways to MN and back. He has been with Sea Experience since early 2010 running both Sea Experience I (the Burp), and II. He also works part time for Offshore Marine Towing/ Towboat Us. He holds a 50gt License with endorsements for commercial towing and commercial sailing.

Favorite Local Dive Site – The Stink Hole and if you haven’t done it yet your dive log is not complete.
Favorite Local Hangout- You will find him at the Trove on Lauderdale beach or down town at Tarpon Bend where I spend time with the Dog.

 

Captain Mateo Torres

Captain Mateo is also a PADI Staff Instructor, Mateo enjoys scuba diving and sharing those experiences with others. Mateo’s passion is working on the ocean. He enjoys passing on the knowledge he has to students and to teach them to dive with respect to the marine life and to leave only bubbles! He has been diving since 2000 and became a PADI Instructor in 2006. Mateo has dived Florida and the Bahamas.

Favorite Local Dive Site – Can’t resist an exciting dive at Hog Heaven.
Favorite Local hangout- Enjoys a relaxing evening at home with his dog.

 

 

Captain Quinn Atkinson

I was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana where I attended Indiana University (GO HOOSIERS) and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies, which means I took a lot of elective courses several of which were Scuba courses.   On August 17, 1995 I completed my PADI Open Water Diver Certification while on vacation in Destin, Florida and I was hooked.  I have now been working in the dive industry for over 13 years and have earned my PADI Tec and Trimix Instructor ratings.  If I’m not on the boat, I’m usually in the water somewhere.

Favorite Local Dive Site – Anything Deep!

Favorite Local Restaurant – So far Tom Jenkins Bar-B-Q, but I don’t think it gets any better than that!!!

Alex Clarke

Originally from Massachusetts but spent the better half of his life on the St. Lawrence River in New York. Growing up on the river left him with a love for being out on the water. He moved down to Fort Lauderdale to pursue a career in Scuba Diving and hasn’tlooked back since. As a PADI Open Water Instructor he can enjoy teaching people about the ocean and introducing them to the underwater world. If he’s not out on the boat, chances are you can find him down at the beach just enjoying another day in the Florida sun.

 

Favorite Dive Site – The Captain Dan. Great deep dive with a lot to see. If the boat is headed there you can bet that I am too.
Favorite Local Hot Spot – Primanti Brothers. Sandwiches with coleslaw and french fries right on the sandwich? Genius!

Brennan Arminoei

Originally from North Carolina, Brennan’s passion for diving was inherited from his father who was an avid diver that had always wanted to be an Instructor. Brennan became certified in July 2011 and earned his PADI Instructor certification in April 2012. He can always be counted on to have a smile on his face and having a great time working with the Sea Experience scuba divers, snorkelers and students. Brennan’s next goal is to reach MSDT status and then go on to PADI Staff Instructor. He has dived Florida and Mexico.

Favorite Dive Site: The Dantor wreck
Favorite Local Hangout: Mateo’s House

 

 

Breanne Gordon

“Bre” (like the cheese), has been Scuba diving for 6 years, and decided that she loved it so much, she would make a career out of it. She comes from a small town in Spokane, Washington. Wandered around like a lost soul for most of her years until her father showed her what she was missing.

With only a dream in sight, she headed south to Florida, where she became a PADI Scuba Instructor. She traveled the length of Florida a few times before she finally settled down in Fort Lauderdale. You will find her in the dive shop or underwater with a camera glued to her hand; either way with a smile on her face!!

Favorite Local Dive Site – Dania Beach Pier, 15-20′ deep
Favorite Local Hangout- Fat Tuesday’s – Slushy time

 

 

Daniela Escontrela

Dani is from Venezuela, has loved the ocean ever since she can remember and has been diving for 5 years. She got her Divemaster the summer of 2011 with Sea XP, soon after turning 18, and got her dream job of working at a dive shop shortly after the completion of the course.

She is currently pursuing her dream of becoming a marine biologist by attending the University of Miami while also working at the shop. Dani earned her PADI Instructor certification in March 2012 and is Sea Experience’s Spanish speaking Instructor.

Favorite Local Dive Site – Willies Way! There’s lots of life and there’s some sandy spots to the sides where you can take off your fins and walk on it matrix style.
Favorite Local Hangout – Chili’s (they have the skillet queso nachos!)

 

Jayne Haas

A native New Englander, Jayne has been Sea Experience’s Career Development Administrator since December 2010, and is the expert on staff for all programs from the Veterans Administration (including Montgomery GI Bill and Post-911 VA benefits), British Military Resettlement, and Vocational Rehab for all 50 states.

Jayne is also the principal liaison for Sea Experience’s accreditation with the State of Florida Commission for Independent Education. Her knowledge and experience make certain that Sea Experience students receive their maximum funding and entitlements and are enabled to pursue an appropriate career development curriculum. Jayne is often the first point of contact for any student inquiring about training.

 ”TC” (Scuba Guru)

“TC” has been diving for over 30 years. Raised in Europe he has dived all over the world and has over 14,000 dives. So he is at home in visibility from 3 to 300 feet. He has worked and managed numerous dive centers and instructor training facilities in England, the Caribbean and Florida. While in the Cayman Islands he ran an underwater video company shooting tourists, students and marketing footage to thousands of people. He became a PADI Course Director in 1990 and has trained thousands of instructors who are now employed in the diving industry around the world. While working at PADI he had the privilege of becoming an Instructor Examiner.

“TC” can teach over 30 diver specialty ratings to both the recreational and professional diver, many of these he has authored and some are copy written. He is a technical instructor trainer too. In 1993, “TC” was among the first group of elite divers awarded the Platinum Pro 5000 certification by SSI (Scuba Schools International). Divers in this group have over 5,000 SCUBA dives. You will find “TC” talking to students about their scuba goals for our instructor career development program, so if you are looking for a career, he has most probably done it, or been involved in setting it up.

Favorite Local Dive Site – I am partial to the Mercedes. Not only has it been amazing to see the transformation of this wreck over the years from numerous storms and hurricanes, but it has a sentimental reason too. I lost my wedding ring while diving on this wreck in 1991, so every time I am there, I have a little hope of finding it :)
Favorite Local hangout – I love the Fort Lauderdale beach area, it has everything – safe beach, good restaurants, bars, nightlife and most of all I enjoy sitting on the beach drinking a coffee in the morning looking out at paradise, wondering what it would be like to have a real job!

Jessica Cole

Jessica has been diving since she was 10 years old. She is currently a Divemaster and plans to get her instructor certification. She graduated from the University of North Florida in August 2010 with a degree in psychology, concentration in early childhood development and learning with a minor in Deaf studies/American Sign Language.

Jessica has a true passion for boating, diving, and just the ocean in general. One of her favorite things to do while diving for is catching lobsters. Some call her the “lobster whisperer”. She has been on boats for as long as she can remember and is a native of south Florida.

Favorite Local Dive Site – Loves exploring Tenneco Towers which rests in 112′ of water.
Favorite Local hangout- Cant resist the food and good times the Bahia Cabana had to offer.