Staff
Meet Craig Clark
Senior Scuba Instructor
Craig had been diving for years as an open water diver and has logged more than 2000 dives. In 1999 he became an open water instructor with NASDS or National Association of Scuba Diving Schools. He transferred to SSI (Scuba Schools International) in the year 2000 when SSI bought NASDS. In 2005 Craig was given the rating of Master Open Water Instructor. In 2004 became a D.A.N (Diver’s Alert Network) oxygen first aid instructor and SSI React Right oxygen First Aid Instructor. Craig also teaches most of the SSI specialty courses such as Assistant Instructor, Navigation, Night and Limited Visibility, Deep Diving, Stress and Rescue, Nitrox, Advanced Nitrox, Dry Suit and the Technical Deep Wreck and Decompression Courses. Craig is also a cave diver and has learned from some of the best around.
Meet Paul Rhodes
Scuba Instructor
Paul began diving at the age of 15 years old. He has always had a love for the water, watersports, and exploring the depths of the ocean. Paul is a recreational and professional diver. He has many hours logged from diving in the Cayman’s to the Keys, the Gulf and the Atlantic and various springs here in Florida. In 1990 he became certified as an advanced open water diver and in 2017 he started working on becoming a dive guide, dive master and assistant instructor. As of November of 2020 Paul has become an open water instructor. He is certified in emergency first aid, CPR, and is an O2 provider. He is looking forward to meeting, training and diving with new scuba adventurist soon.
Meet Smokie West
swimming and Mermaid instructor
Smokie has spent most of her life in central Florida, exploring beaches, springs and lakes. You can find her swimming, free diving, snorkeling, mermaiding, or scuba diving throughout the state. She travels across the US for events promoting conservation of Florida Springs, its animals and our water habitats. She is an educator for the local school district and college, as well as part of a global publication that promotes water/environmental safety. She became scuba certified in 2012 with Craig as her instructor. She became a mermaid in 2013 and a professional mermaid /underwater model in 2020. She has since became a snorkeling instructor, and water aerobics instructor. Smokie is also certified in emergency first aid, CPR, and is an O2 provider. She believes in providing instruction that is focused on growth, empowerment, and trust, not fear. Every lesson is tailored to every student’s individual needs and goals.
Meet Cole Hanks
Sales Staff
Cole comes to Ocala from Fayetteville Arkansas and has been diving since 2006. Although Cole had been away from diving for a while, he got back into it in a big way when he started working for the shop. He has started taking some specialty classes to increase his knowledge and experience and his goal is to be advanced open water certified by the time he goes with us to the Red Sea in June of 2023.