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Our Crew

Meet the team

No matter how cool your shop is or how equipped your dive boats are, the “Crew” is what will make your ocean adventure special. And we may be biased, but our crew is the best!

Chobee

a dog looking at the camera

We are dog-friendly here. Every day you can pretty much guarantee one of our fur babies is hanging around the shop.

Chobee: Scuba Mom – Grace

Nitro

a dog lying on a bed

We are dog-friendly here. Every day you can pretty much guarantee one of our fur babies is hanging around the shop.

Nitro: Scuba Pops – Jason

Fin The Chow

a person standing in front of a large dog

We are dog-friendly here. Every day you can pretty much guarantee one of our fur babies is hanging around the shop.

Fin: Scuba Mom – Jessi

Tyler Morris

Job: Marketing Director / IDC Staff Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: Victory Reef

Favorite Keys Restaurant: His BBQ

Tyler is originally from Texas and then Tennessee where he still owns a pilates studio. But he loves the Keys and instructing and we are happy to have him. Tyler not only is one of our instructors but also our Marketing Director. He has amazing photography skills and loads divers up with fantastic images on our social media platforms. At the shop he’s hard to miss, he’s the one in the cowboy hat.

 Claire Stickney

Job: IDC Instructor & Shop Staff

Favorite Dive Site: The Eagle

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Italian Food Company

Claire started diving because she loves the ocean and couldn’t wait to get to experience the underwater world. Quickly after being certified, she knew that she wanted to become a pro so that she could share the experience with others!

Jessi Goring

a person standing in front of a boat next to a body of water

Job: Captain / Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: Crocker Wall

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Old Tav

Jessi moved to the Keys from the Show me state of Missouri.  As one of our top instructors you’ll find her in the pool and occasionally off-gassing in the shop.  Keep an eye for her furry partner “Fin” who accompanies her in shop and sometimes on the boat. Make sure that you say hi to Jessi before you say hi to Fin though!

Angeline Lawson

a group of people swimming in the water

Job: IDC Staff Instructor / Fish ID Expert

Favorite Dive Site: Rocky Top

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Ziggy Mad dogs

Angeline moved a little south from Alabama.  Don’t let her small stature fool ya, she’s as tough as nails.  An amazingly patient instructor and is wonderful with the kiddos.  Nicknamed the “Pink Angel” by our guests, you wont lose her colorful gear underwater.

Nate Sterns

Job: Master Instructor / Dive Heart Coordinator

Favorite Dive Site: Duane Wreck

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Tacos Jalisco

Nate comes from the great state of Massachusetts.  He’s an excellent instructor and helps out with our conservation programs.  He’s our ocean garbage picker, so he’s got that going for him…which is nice.

Seanna Knight

Job: Shop Manager / Conservation Coordinator

Favorite Dive Site: Davey Crocker

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Hobos

Seanna is from Maryland and is our go-to liaison for all our conservation programs.  She is super knowledgable and teaches students and leads our team in marine debris clean ups, shark aware programs and coral restoration.  When you take part in one of these activities, you’ll be in good hands.

Alanna Hall

a man in a swimming pool

Job: Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: Davey Crocker

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Sharky’s

Alanna (Lana) sailed over from Arizona with her fur baby Sophia.  She’s full of energy and her students love it.  If she’s not guiding or instructing you’ll find her scootering around our reefs.

Sophia Hattemer

a person swimming in the water

Job: Shop Staff / IDC Staff Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: Davey Crocker

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Tiki bar

Sophia joins us from the Buckeye State.  She completed her instructor course with us and we didn’t let her leave.  She’s an incredibly patient instructor with a constant smile on her face.

Doug Hyland

Job: Spearfishing Guide / Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: Bully Good

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Mangrove Mike’s

Doug is another instructor from the Buckeye state. As a retired firefighter Doug has a unique set of training skills that sets him apart. If you’re taking a rescue course from us, Doug’s course Advanced Rescue is a must. You’ll learn so much more than the standard, which will only you enhance your diving confidence and skills.

Grace Billips

a man flying through the air while swimming in a body of water

Job: Instructor / Guide

Favorite Dive Site: The Shrimp Boat

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Cheeca Lodge MM 82 Oceanside

Grace hails from Michigan.  She’s an instructor but mostly helps run the shop with Hubby Eric.  She’s responsible for keeping that shop trendy and cool.  Addicted to the sea you’ll find her, in her free time, diving, crabbing or simply hanging on the boat.

Captain Eric Billips

a man flying through the air while riding a motorcycle

Job: Owner, Captain and Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: The Eagle

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Kaiyo Grill and Sushi MM 81.7 Oceanside

A hobby became a passion and then a dream became a reality for Captain Eric with the opening of Islamorada Dive Center. Eric traded his business suit for a wetsuit when he moved to the Florida Keys from Michigan. His credentials include: PADI Master Instructor, Rebreather Instructor, Spearfishing Instructor, US Coast Guard Captain, Author of “Spearfishing the Upper Keys” and the PADI specialty class, “Underwater Hunter.” On his surface intervals Eric can be found lifting heavy objects, staring at motorcycles, or playing with his mini me, Bodie.

Sonja Bayer 

a person holding a fish in the water

Job: Instructor/ Spearfishing Guide

Favorite Dive Site: Wherever the grouper are

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Jordans Kitchen

Sonja hails from the cool town of Doylestown Pennsylvania. Sonja is one of our best instructors and a certified slayer in the spearfishing game. You’ll see her trusty furry companion Lee by her side on many of our trips.

Captain Greg Lehman

a person standing next to a body of water

Job: Captain / Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: Victory Reef

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Snappers

Captain Greg comes to us from Pennsylvania.  He drives all of our boats and is our head captain for private charters.  His background is in mechanics so if you don’t see his face driving a boat you’ll probably see the other end sticking out of an engine compartment.

Captain Jason Adams

a group of people standing around a plane

Job: Captain

Favorite Dive Site: Alligator Deep

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Dillons

Jason is a pure southern charmer from North Carolina. He heads up our vessel the “Aquatic Liberty”.  He’s the chillest, most laid back Marine you’ll ever encounter.

Devon Buttenshaw

Job: Spearfishing Guide / IDC Staff Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: Victory Reef

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Bayside Gourmet

Devon comes to us from the Garden state of New Jersey.  You’ll find Devon in the pool a lot teaching our new divers.  He’s a great instructor with really fun energy.

Captain Bob Eskew

a person that is standing in the snow

Job: Captain

Favorite Dive Site: Yellow Sub

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Hobos

Captain Bob has run many many dive boats in his life.  He comes to us form Sarasota where he owned his own dive boats for years.  He decided he’d prefer someone else pay for all the repairs but still is eager to do them. A great captain and great mechanic.

Captain Alison Matherly

a person standing next to a body of water

Job: Captain

Favorite Dive Site: Yellow Sub

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Conch House

Alison’s experience on a boat is too long to list.  She’s captained or crewed boats ranging from a dinghy to the Americas cup sailing vessel.  And she can drive a dive boat like a boss.  She knows her way around an engine compartment and climbs sail masts for fun.  She’s a safe and super fun captain, and that makes the best type of captain in our eyes.

 Tomos Williams

a man standing next to a body of water

Job: Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: Any Drift

Favorite Keys Restaurant: C&C

Born in Pittsburgh PA, he was raised on the 5 D’s of Dodgeball. Sadly his professional Dodgeball career never took off and he followed his second passion, the Ocean. A self described “Water Enthusiast,” he spends his days making sure our divers explore the reefs safely and find the passion that drives him to live and work in paradise.

 Jack Berry

a person smiling for the camera

Job: IDC Staff Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: Spankys

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Bobs Bunz

Raised in north Texas, the ocean was just too far away for The Jack Berry. He watched his Uncle climb the rank to become a PADI course director and thought, “if he can, so could I!” He wanted to turn his passion for the outdoors into a career just like his Idol. On a whim, he loaded up Leroy, his cat, and headed to the Keys where we he has built a career out of training new divers!

 Vanessa Mullis

a man and a woman looking at the water

Job: Instructor

Favorite Dive Site: Davis Reef

Favorite Keys Restaurant: Bad Boy Burrito

Vanessa is originally from the beautiful but rainy WA state (coffee capital, holla!), landing in the Florida Keys in 2019. She fell in love with scuba from her first discover dive in Zanzibar, marveling that people could do it each day for a living. Years gone by she is now an instructor and loving each day she can live the dream!