LA's Scuba Dive Team - Learn Scuba From LA's Best Dive Professionals

Qualified to Teach: Technical, Nitrox, Deep, Night, Search & Recovery, Wreck, Rescue and occasional beginner courses

Student Certifications: 2500+

Bio: I grew up and started diving here in Los Angeles when I was a youngster and here I am, diving every weekend. But after diving throughout the years I began to notice a change in the local eco-system. Less fish at our local reefs, no more Otters, no more Abalone, less Giant Sea Bass and an unbalanced Kelp-Forests due to warming waters. Fueled by my love of diving and concern for our reefs I started volunteering in the Kelp restoration projects and teaching ecological courses. Now Eco Dive Center is my home, the first solar powered dive shop with the best eco-minded dive team. I've taught diving all over the world and I have never seen such a fun group of energetic, strict on safety and dedicated eco-minded teammates.

My Gear: All Aqua Lung, Suunto and Apeks dive gear

Qualified to Teach: Instructor for 18 different specialties, Beginners, Advanced, Rescue, Dive master and Instructors

Student Certifications: 1100+

Bio: There are three things I love most about diving. Teaching swimming, snorkeling and bubble making to the community's young future divers lets me share my passions with our next generation. I also enjoy traveling & diving the world, I've been to amazing reefs like Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Cancun & Cozumel, Thailands Similan Islands, Fiji, Costa Rica and the famous Galapagoes... but our SoCal Islands are still my favorite. Our waters have the some of the most biodiversity in the world & that gives me lots to teach. So, look out for my "Eco Diver Specialty Course" that I'm creating. I also love watching people change because of scuba diving. Transform another human being & change a life for the better - forever. This is why I love my jobs... co-owner of Eco, travel agent, scuba instructor and volunteer diver for organizations like Heal the Bay and AWARE. Lots of jobs... but I love it!

Qualified to Teach: All of it!

Student Certifications: 310+

Bio: I grew up in Long Beach. Most of my youth was spent surfing and fishing as far up as Santa Barbara to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. There wasn’t much that kept me out of the water. The tranquility of the ocean was replaced with a stint with the Army which kept me away for some time. Upon returning home I continued where I left off but that passion soon wore off, it wasn’t the same, I wanted to see what was below our waters. I got certified in 2003. My renewed love for the ocean drove me to continue with diving until I achieved instructor level with L.A. County and NAUI. It has allowed me to spread that passion to others and help preserve one the best eco systems in the world. I have assisted with the Santa Monica College diving program and worked as a Dive master onboard the Mr. C Dive Boat. California remains as one of my favorite places to dive for its unique kelp forest and species.

My Gear: ahhh mix of everything cool. ScubaPro and AquaLung

Bio: coming soon...

Bio: I have always had a tremendous love of the ocean and its wildlife. Being raised in Southern California has definitely influenced my love as well. My favorite thing about the ocean is the Sharks though, for sure! I cant get enough, and the Great White is my favorite. Im still pretty new to the Scuba Diving circuit, but I absolutely love everything about it and don’t ever want to stop. I hope to use my photography, as well as research, to help capture the beauty of our ocean, but also to help change the publics perception of sharks, especially the Great White. Its nice to know I’ve found my calling in diving because I can nurture my love of photography, animals, and shark research. Im currently working on my Instructorship, and cannot wait to get there! Im so excited to be a part of the Eco Dive Center Family!

My Gear: Aqua Lung, Excel, Apeks, Suunto, Atomic, & Scubapro

Qualified to Teach: Everything cool

Student Certifications: 222

Bio: Born in England and tagging along to the East coast with my family at a buck toothed and awkward age, I began diving when my father tossed me into the pool to find a leak. What began as a chore, soon took me into the salty (and less than clear) waters of Long Island Sound. Diving extensively all through the West Indies, my work as an Ichtchyologist eventually led me to the frigid land of the Arctic interior, where not much diving really gets done. Coming to Southern California by accident rekindled my interest, and diving through the amazing kelp forests took me right back to the stories of peter pan I heard as a young boy. Working for Heal the Bay (an environmental non-profit) I have dove throughout Southern California and my passion for underwater photography has helped me share what this crazy Ocean has to offer. Research in Belize, studying the positive effects of Marine Protected Areas, helped me realize how much care we need to take with our Ocean, yet how resilient it is. Diving has allowed me to find peace and tranquility in an otherwise hectic world, and my goal as an instructor is to share it with as many people as I can so they can spread the word of its fantastic beauty and wonder. 90% of the life on Earth cant be wrong… the Ocean is the place to be!

My Gear: All primo Aqualung

Qualified to Teach: All the core PADI classes and some additional specialties like, Nitrox and Photo. Fluent in Mandarin

Student Certifications: 250+

Bio: Growing up on a tiny island in Asia, it was ironic that I was an aquaphobe. Refusing to give in to irrational fear, I decided the best course of action was to do something extreme. During summer break in 1999, I flew to a tiny island in Malaysia, and got certified as an Open Water Diver. Since then, it has been an amazing odyssey which has brought me all over the USA and Asia diving and sharing my love of the underwater realm with students eager to jump into the water and explore. My passions include macro photography and muck diving which was fuelled by trips to Mabul and Lembeh Straits, the muck diving capital of the world. Even our local beaches can offer excellent muck diving opportunities with lots of cool critters to be found in the sand and I never pass up an opportunity to dive them.

Qualified to Teach: Specialty Instructor – 16 Specialties

Student Certifications: 350+

Bio: I got interested in scuba diving in the early 90’s after a vacation to the Cayman Islands. Not certified yet, I spent the vacation snorkeling and wishing I could stay down longer with the marine life. By the next vacation I was certified and have been actively diving since. After many years of diving I became a Divemaster in 2001. I started a local dive club that grew to several hundred members. The dive club had one important theme, that being, continue your diving education and be a safe and active diver. The dive club enabled me to utilize my Divemaster skills by being a mentor to many new divers, and, by taking new divers and having them gain experience through active diving. On a professional level I enjoyed Divemaster duties, especially during open water classes. In 2007 before I knew it I was a PADI instructor. Since that time I focused on teaching advance courses through Divemaster. I look forward to the challenge of teaching new students at Eco Dive Center and watching these same students learn as they progress through their diving careers by continuing their education and remaining active divers.

My Gear: My gear: I have a lot of gear. All the cool s**t, just ask and I'll tell you why I dive in all the cool s**t.

Qualified to Teach: Scuba Diver, Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue, Divemaster, Instructor and Specialty Diver Courses

Student Certifications: 250+

Bio: I learned to scuba dive in 2002 off the coves of Laguna Beach, CA. There's not much I'd rather do than strapping on a tank. It's my escape from the cubicles of corporate America and the next best thing to being an astronaut. My car is always sandy and my wetsuit is rarely dry. I dived all along Southern CA before making a temporary move to the midwest. Not satisfied with silty, dead rock quarries and rusty, sunken cars, I came back home to the glorious Pacific. There is nowhere else in the world where you can fly and chase sunlight through a kelp forest, see dozens of species, and have a seal as your dive buddy all in the same weekend. Scuba diving can be whatever you want it to be - a leisurely stroll, high octane adventure, or a relaxing night looking up at the stars as the ocean cradles you gently. Let us show you a world you never knew existed and you'll understand first hand why it's so important to keep it safe. There's a whole lot of planet you haven't seen yet... you want in?

My Gear: Three quick things… #1 Soon your training wheels will come off and free to explore the oceans. One thing to remember is that you need to stay active and aim to hit that 15 mark. Let me explain, right around 15 dives you’ll really “get it” and completely enjoy diving at its fullest. This is what we’ve noticed though out the years, “the 15 dive statistic ”. So rent or buy your gear and keep diving right away so you get over that “15” hump while your skills are still fresh. Another option is to roll right into that advanced class with your instructor. We’ll discount the tuition if you piggy back the course. Second, remember that you are eligible for a complete tuition reversal. All you have to do is purchase all your scuba gear head-to -toe and we’ll completely refund your certification tuition and beat online prices. Our goal is to keep you a happy diver in our dive community. Third, when returning your rental gear, make sure it’s clean free of sand and no pee odor please. Btw that rule applies all over the world when you rent. Be safe, have fun!

Qualified to Teach: Everything!

Student Certifications: Trillions

Bio: Dave Bunch certified as a basic SCUBA diver in 1962. In 1964 Dave completed the L.A. County's 13TH Underwater Instructors Certification Course (13 U.I.C.C.) and began teaching-certifying divers the very next day. That same year, the first L.A. County Advanced Diver Program started and Dave staffed the first through the 40Th as a dive master and assisted in all other ADP's to date. He has also staffed 14 U.I.C.C.'s as an instructor dive master. Awards over the years are many and include: Outstanding Service as an Instructor to the Underwater Program ( 1967), Outstanding Underwater Instructor (1972, Conrad Limbaugh Award (1993), Presidents Award (1988) and was the recipient of the California SCUBA Service Award (2006). Dave also served on the Board of Director's for the Underwater Instructors Association for many years, and participates in the 3R's Program. He leads three snorkel tours, two days a week at Catalina Island. Dive interests include teaching Basic SCUBA(open water), Intermediate and Advanced Diving Courses, diving for Jade, Spear fishing, game taking, photography, fresh water lake and river diving and Search and salvage diving. Dave worked aboard Princess Cruises (The Love Boat) for ten years teaching crew members and with Astronaut training at the Johnson Space Center's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory for three years while working at The Boeing Company. Previous to that he was in charge of diving operations for Garrett Air Research Mfg. Co. with the first space walks for the Gemini program.

My Gear: ScubaPro, Xcel, Atomic and Zeagle.

Qualified to Teach: All the cool stuff

Student Certifications: 250+

Bio: I can"t think of anything I'm more passionate about than being in, on, or by the ocean. After watching episodes of the "Undersea World Of Jacques Cousteau" and "Sea Hunt" when I was a kid I knew immediately that scuba diving was the most amazing thing ever! While snorkeling in the pristine waters of St. John/USVI when I was 11 and seeing my first tropical coral reef inhabited by barracudas, moray eels, sting rays, gigantic groupers, and a huge manta ray gliding close by on the surface I knew I had to learn how to scuba dive. Some of the most sublime experiences of my life have occurred while diving. It's these types of experiences and encounters with the most incredible life on this planet that keeps me coming back for more. I've been quite fortunate to have traveled extensively to some of the most gorgeous and remote tropical destinations and reefs around the world. In this day and age conservation is paramount and so critical to being able to preserve the delicate aquatic environment for future generations. It's those people who learn to scuba dive and participate in other aquatic activities that become the ambassadors of the ocean and actively participate in it's preservation. I love teaching people how to scuba dive and I look forward to seeing you in the water!

My Gear: Oceanic Datamax Pro Plus 2 dive computer - I love this computer and never leave home with out it! OMS mask Seaquest Pro QD BCD Excel 3mm wetsuit Bare 7mm wetsuit U.S. Divers Blade fins

Student Certifications: billions;)

Bio: Got interested in scuba in 05 when I went to Hawaii. Experienced "Snuba" there, which i thought was the best thing in the world. Then i saw real divers below,I knew i had to do that. Now pursuing Scuba while living in Wichita KS is a tad difficult. In a few year the stars all lined up in my favor and moved to LA. By this time scuba had slipped my mind, but 1 day i was driving and spotted ECO dive center..slammed by brakes, parked the car fed meter and went in and asked " where do I sign" . Here I am a year later enjoying life above and underwater. Made some great friends and good dive buddies.

My Gear: All the cool stuf like Aqualung Regs and Wetsuit, Suunto D9 and Hollis Fins

Qualified to Teach: everything

Student Certifications: 701

Bio: I believe that there is something about the ocean that brings out the best in people and makes them happy. I have been in and around the ocean my whole life. When I was in my early teens, I taught snorkeling and lifeguarding every summer living on Catalina where I was PADI certified at age fourteen. By eighteen I had logged over 500 dives off our coast, became a divemaster and started working fulltime on Catalina as a DM. Immediately after becoming a divemaster, I became a instructor and started teaching full time at nineteen. At fifteen, I water-skied back from Emerald Bay Catalina to Marina Del Rey. And about a year ago I kayaked to Catalina from San Pedro Harbor. About eight years ago I moved to Hawaii for a year and taught full time leading Discover Scuba Diving in the Ocean and Discover Local Diving. My all time favorite places to dive are the local beaches off Malibu. I love to take photos and videos of the pristine underwater local life. I have been teaching now for over ten years and I love it. I want to share our local dive sites with everyone and allow them to realize how good the diving is right here in our own backyard. I want to teach people to enjoy the ocean while showing them underwater conservation, protecting this resource for the future. My teaching method is simple. There is no rush in learning to dive. Stay safe, do not rush anything and most important, have fun. And I guarantee that you will have a good time.

My Photo Gallery: http://diveradam.com/Home_Page.html

Bio: Michel has been a boat captain with Club Med for 20 years, starting in the Sea of Cortez and moving up through the Caribbean Islands of St. Lucia, Bahamas, Martinique, Guadalupe, St. Martin. During the last 13 years of that, he was Captain and Operations Manager of the Scuba and Snorkeling Boats at Club Med in Turks and Caicos. In 2000, he was the Boat Captain for Tanya Streeter in Turks & Caicos when she won the world record for deepest free dive. Michel originates from a small village outside Le Mans, France. He worked as a mechanic for a private company and for the Le Mans 24 Heures race and later raced as Co-pilot in 2 Paris Dakar races. At 30, Michel left home to work on a transatlantic yacht from the Caribbean to Europe. All these travels have brought him finally to Los Angeles where he lives with his wife, Alisa, and their dog, Jack. He is now Captain of the Bat Ray for Eco and looks forward to seeing you aboard soon. Sante Bonheur!

Student Certifications: 30+

Bio: "I fell in love with diving when I was working in the Bahamas as a DJ. I worked at a resort where I witnessed on a daily basis the joy of the newly certiified divers who were celebrating their accomplishment with their instructors. I made it a goal to become an instructor to be able to share the joy of going underwater with people eager to learn and excited to discover this new world. I had the chance to dive in many beautiful places such as Thailand, Hawaii and Corsica and every new dive is a great dive. From the sight of giant manta rays swimming by, to the beautiful pictures that can be taken underwater, to the challenges such as fighting eight foot waves during a shore dive in Malibu, every dive is different and offers opportunities to improve as a diver and the best dives will bring lifetime memories and great stories to share. Of course, the beautiful dive spots around Los Angeles have become home such as Christmas Tree cove that I love diving. Catalina on a good day is unlike any other place in the world with its surreal kelp forest and makes for gorgeous backdrops for photography. Wherever I dive, I never forget to be ecologically conscious so that future students actually get a chance to observe underwater life when they go on their first open water dive."

Qualified to Teach: Instructor in Training

Bio: I moved to sunny California recently after a few years of snowboard instruction in Colorado. Growing up on and Island I have always had a passion for the ocean. So, here I am working at Eco Dive Center and training to be an instructor. I've dove In temperate waters such as Washington and Canada to tropical waters like Hawaii, Mexico, and Belize. Hope to see you all out diving this summer!

Bio: Originally from Colorado, transferred here to LA and became hooked on Scuba Diving during college. I bought my gear right away and did tons of beach dives every weekend up and down the CA coast. Eventually I became an advanced diver and then a Divemaster. I now have over 35000 dives under my belt in all sorts of diving conditions. One of the best lessons I have learned is you never stop learning. Diving in California’s Kelp forest is my favorite but warm water diving in the tropics is also very cool. Ok that’s enough about me. See ya on the boats!

Bio: I "discovered" SCUBA back 2007 and have been hooked since. I had such an awesome instructor (thanks Beth!), fun classmates, and loved the SoCal environment that I went straight to Advanced. I followed that with a few specialties (Drift, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Wreck, Enriched Air, etc., etc., etc.) and then completed my Rescue, DM, and Instructor courses. In addition to the stellar kelp forests and sea life here in CA I really enjoy destination diving! I love to travel and have been diving in Fiji, Thailand (twice), Costa Rica, Hawaii (Oahu and Big Island), Grand Cayman, and the Sea of Cortez off Baja. Eco puts together some excellent tropical dive trips so keep an eye out!

Qualified to Teach: Beginners and AO'dub's

Bio: Coming soon...