Professional Scuba Diving Team at Eco Dive Center

At Eco Dive Center we’re dedicated to the lifestyle of scuba diving and the to the community that embraces that lifestyle. Look through the bios of our team and you’ll see a recurring theme. For all of us, diving is our passion and teaching others to dive is what we live for.

Our instructors and divemasters are all PADI professionals with the knowledge and experience to help make you one of California's best divers. Whether you're trying scuba for the first time or you're going for instructor certification, we have a team member who will instruct and inspire you every step of the way.

For all of its diversity, the underwater environment is under siege. An integral part of our mission is to help educate, protect and conserve these fragile ecosystems. At Eco Dive Center our goal is to train divers in marine life awareness as well as how to be better underwater explorers.

Ronald Beltramo, Instructor Certifications: PADI Course Director, DAN Instructor Trainer, EFR Instructor Trainer, LA County/UIA Instructor UICC #4601 & Equipment Tech. Summary: I grew up and started diving here in Los Angeles. I love it so much that I quit being a paramedic, started teaching and opened a dive center. My enthusiasm for diving is fueled by watching new divers follow their passion into becoming dive instructors themselves and sharing the magic with others. I've taught in Southern California for almost 10 years and have never seen such a fun group of energetic, strict on safety and dedicated teammates. I’ve also taught in Turks & Caicos, Hawaii and Mexico, but Cali diving is where my heart is. I’ve developed our credo for our team to follow... make lessons fun, turn anticipation into passion, teach safety, teach conservation of our oceans and change fear into courage. I like to teach beginners, Rescue Divers and PADI instructor development courses.

Beth "Dori" Beltramo, Instructor / Travel Agent Certifications: PADI-Master Instructor, DAN Instructor, Emergency First Response Instructor & Instructor for 18 specialties & Scuba Equipment Tech. Summary: 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!

Brian "Dirk" Davis, Instructor Certifications: PADI IDC Staff Instructor, EFR Instructor and Club President Summary: Brian is one of our busiest staff, you'll see him teaching almost evey weekend. Brian's Bio: My very fist dive was off the coast of Anacapa in a miserable rain storm in the frigid weather of late January. I was told that if I survived the day, I'd fall in love with scuba. And did I! Since that rough day in 2000, I've gone diving here in California and the Caribbean. The warm clear water is nice but the sport of diving is fantastic here. One of the reason I love Los Angeles is how easy it is to pack up the gear and squeeze in a dive or two. (Nothing makes a day better than following an octopus along the ocean floor.) The other reason I love diving here are the awesome people I've met. Being an Eco Diver is a lifestyle, a full-time commitment to making sure others get to do what we do years from now.

Kimberly "Daffy" Ponsot, Instructor Certifications: PADI Master Scuba Diver Traininer Summary: Early teens is when I started diving, it was at Seacamp Marine Institute in the Keys and this is where my love for diving with the oceans inhabitants blossomed. I earned my most of my diver certifications on a catamaran touring the Caribbean Islands. When I was living and diving the Caribbean Sea, I participated in great opportunities in rebuilding damaged reefs. This is when I realized how important it is to teach divers to be more eco-friendly to reefs. My next adventure landed me in Fiji, diving and teaching English. Thus, my love for both, diving and teaching had begun. My decision to become an PADI dive instructor has already proven to be the most rewarding decision of my life. I hope to continue my training as a tech diver, in search of deep excitement and in hopes of becoming a deep technical diving instructor so I can pass the excitment to my future students.

Garrett "Brother Below" Deloian, Instructor Certifications: PADI Course Director, DAN Instructor Trainer, EFR Instructor Trainer, Equipment Tech, PSI Instructor, TDI Advanced Trimix Instructor. Summary: My first SCUBA dive was in a cold, muddy reservoir in Colorado, and although the only real "marine life" there was crawdads and catfish, I was instantly hooked. I wasted no time taking all of the SCUBA diving courses I could. My first ocean dive was done off of a boat in the Cayman Islands, and watching the crew that day, I thought to myself, "Now that looks like a cool job...". I became a SCUBA Instructor in 2001, and have been teaching in South Florida ever since. I'm now happy to be hanging out with the Garibaldi's in the kelp forests here in Southern California. I've found that my real passion in diving is teaching, and helping people to achieve their goals in the dive industry. I think it's important for any student at any level to enjoy their training, even when it's mastering the challenges of dive physics. I also have a passion for technical diving, and can mentor students from their Open Water Certification all the way through Advanced Trimix.

Kendra "Queen B" Guffey, Instructor Certifications: PADI Divemaster & Assistant Instructor Summary: I began diving in 1989 in the dark cold waters of Whittier, Alaska and while that slowed me down temporarily, a move to California reignited my love for diving. I love to travel and one of my goals is to explore the world both above and below the water although California still ranks as my favorite dive location. The kelp forests are amazing and I can think of no better way to pass an hour than laying on the sand watching a sealion chase fish. My favorite dive though so far was off Aliwal Shoals, S.Africa diving the Produce wreck and listening to humback whales singing underwater. The effect was as if the wreck was haunted. While there I took a specialty course in Shark diving that has lead me to appreciate sharks even more and try to spead the word on fact and fiction regarding them. I am very excited to be working in diving again and can't wait to share the experience with others!

Ashley Tindall, Divemaster Certifications: Dive Mater Can. Summary: Bio Coming Soon!!!

Tai "Don Juan" Park, Instructor Certifications: PADI Instructor Summary: I came to love water at a very young age spending every waking moment in my Uncle's pool. Whenever I could, I would beg him to take me to the beach or out on his boat. At night I would drift away to sleep listening to stories about his scuba diving adventures all over the world. Stories filled with wonder, imagination and excitement. I was hooked and promised myself that I'd have stories to tell just like his. It took me 2 decades to finally become a scuba diver but I'm finally starting to amass my own stories to tell family and friends.

Jana "Hot-Rod" Strain, Instructor Certifications: PADI Specialty Instructor Summary: I’m slowly moving my office underwater… Ever since I can remember being in water always felt like home. I love the ocean and I always dreamed of working with it. My first experience on scuba was a discover scuba course at a resort in Cuba. I remember the water being so blue, and trying to take pictures of everything I saw. I’ve been diving all over the Caribbean, Cuba, Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, and I dove the Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock in Thailand. I love to dive the oil rigs off Long Beach, the wrecks in San Diego and swim through the mazes of the Kelp Forests off Catalina. I like adventurous diving that gets my heart pounding. For me diving is a mediation, it is the only thing that keeps me getting out of bed on Sunday mornings at 5am with a smile on my Face! Teaching SCUBA the most fulfilling job I’ve ever had. With every certification I get to pass on my enthusiasm for the ocean and all it’s creatures. My goal is to lead a group dive trip to Antarctica. My favorite moment underwater: Galapagos Islands; I swam along with a Hawksbill Turtle for 5 minutes while I got amazing shots, he went out into the blue, I hovered, a sea loin came swirling around me blowing bubbles in my face, while from above I could hear the dolphins talking to each other. I knew then that I wanted to share this magnificent world with others, increase awareness and do what I can to contribute to keeping our planets oceans beautiful for years to come.

Christopher "Picante" Robinson, Instructor Certifications: PADI Instructor Summary: Diving changed my life. I’ve always loved the water—surfing, sailing, swimming—but somehow diving had escaped me. I thought about it often enough, but something always seemed to get in the way. When I got the opportunity to go on a trip for my regular job and getting certified was part of the deal, I jumped at the chance. I signed up for a class at Eco and I’ve been hooked since my first open water dive off Catalina. Like anyone, I think the tropics are great, but I’ve also become completely addicted to California diving. I get to the Channel Islands as often as I can to swim with the sea lions, explore kelp forests and just enjoy the remarkable ecosystems that exist a short boat ride from Los Angeles. I’m looking forward to becoming an instructor and having the chance to introduce others to exploring the wild world beneath the waves.

Jeff "Big Dad" Kloss, Instructor / Divemaster Certifications: PADI Divemaster & Assistant Instructor Summary: I grew up in southern California and spent a lot of time at the beach, in and on the water. I always wanted to experience what was below the surface so I got Scuba certified in my teens. I was amazed at how much life I saw; tons of fish, tall kelp forests, invertebrates; and the nighttime brings out a whole new group of underwater creatures to see. I've gone diving at Vancouver to Tahiti, but I still love the variety of aquatic marine-life here in Southern California. My favorite is assisting with the classes and seeing the look of excitement on everyone’s face as they come up from their first dive.

Kristy "Krusher" Moser, Instructor Certifications: PADI Master Scuba Diver Traininer Summary: I've always been a water kid involved in swimming, water polo, surfing, and sailing... but diving is a completely different and fascinating world. Weeks after becoming an Openwater diver, I grabbed a position as a galley chef on a Southern California dive boat. Every break from the kitchen, I was in the water, exploring a wide range of sites and encountering amazing sea life. This experience inspired me to share my passion and also help preserve the unique diversity of the Channel Islands. Eventually I became an instructor and spent some time traveling through Australia, then working in the British Virgin Islands. The tropical scene is fabulous, but I had to return to my SoCal diving home. The only thing that makes me happier than cruising through a kelp forest watching sea lions play,. is taking my students down and watching their excitement!

Michael "Prince Al" Garski, Instructor / Divemaster Certifications: PADI Instructor Summary: I grew up in Central Wisconsin, where SCUBA was an exotic activity relegated to Jacques Cousteau films on PBS. As a kid I I loved the water and spent summers at the pool or in the lake, thinking that one day I would learn to dive. That one day came as a vacation to Fiji in 2006 with a group of friends, which brought me into Eco Dive Center to get prepared for the trip. I fell in love with diving in those warm blue waters off of Mana Island and upon my return I continued to immerse myself in diving, learning new skills and perfecting the ones I had. While I've traveled to wonderful exotic dive locations such as Fiji and Dominica, I can't get enough of diving in right here in California. From the the surreal landscape of a kelp forest to the playfulness of sea lions, I love diving here and enjoy sharing the experience with others.

Julie "Betty Crocker" Cortez, Instructor / Divemaster Certifications: PADI Divemaster & Assistant Instructor Summary: Getting scuba certified was on my "to do" list for years, and when I finally did it I couldn't believe I waited so long! The minute I get under water, the rest of my hectic life dissolves away and I can just enjoy the beauty of the underwater world. Since I started diving I have seen some amazing things, from hammerhead sharks and manta rays in the Galapagos Islands to tiny sea horses in Curacao. Despite all of the things I have seen in other places, my favorite place to dive is still right here off the coast of California, where we can take a short boat ride and play with the sea lions under water. There is no better way to take a mini vacation any weekend of the year!

Kevin Sage, Instructor Certifications: PADI Specialty Instructor Summary: Kevin is on Vacation in Texas and will be back soon... Bio: Underwater....ah, there's no place I'd rather be! Sometimes I think I should have been born a fish. But then I go to the restaurant and read the menu, and I'm glad I wasn't. Regardless, scuba has become a passion of mine. With a background in video production and entertainment, I love to use those skills to introduce the world above water to the world below. In the movie, "The Big Blue," Rosanna Arquette asks Jean-Marc Barr if diving is hard. His answer, "The hardest part is when you're at your deepest. Finding a reason to come back up." Amen! I completely understand. I feel that way on every dive. And the best reason I've found to come back up is to find someone else, a landlover, to dive back down with me and experience The Big Blue all over again.

John "El Gato" Mankat, Instructor / Divemaster Certifications: PADI Divemaster & Assistant Instructor Summary: Since an early age, the water has been an important part of my life. I began competitive swimming at the age of 8, and my summers were filled with skiing, snorkeling, surfing, and diving when ever we had the chance. I was always the first one in the ocean, and the last one out. I love everything about it---the smell of the sea air, surfing the waves, the diverse sea life, snorkeling, diving, marine conservation, under water photography, you name it! I have been fortunate enough to dive the Outer Reefs of Australia, Honduras, the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico, Florida, the Cayman Islands, Bonaire, and The Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. One of my favorite quotes sums up my attitude about diving: “From Birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to the earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free.” ~~ Jacques Cousteau

Wilton "Ahab" Risenhoover, Divemaster Certifications: PADI Divemaster Summary: I grew up on a farm in Missouri, and although there weren't a lot of diving opportunities for me there (so I thought at the time!), my dad was certified, and I used to covet his dive knife. I'd strap it on my leg and walk around all the time. And then I grew up, and realized I needed one of my own. So when I moved to San Diego a few years back, I stumbled across a dive shop, and went in to buy one, and the next thing I knew I was certified and diving wreck alley every weekend. I dove with a lot of great buddies, and a lot that were not so great, and I realized that there's a big difference between the two. When I moved to Los Angeles and dove my first trip with Eco, I realized the difference. With a little reading and some practice, just about anybody can become a scuba diver, but to become a GREAT scuba diver, you need to go beyond the books, and spend your dive time with people who love diving, and most importantly, who love teaching diving -- people who care about the future of it and who are taking steps to ensure there's something to see after making that giant stride. I learned that lesson first hand, and now I'm a Divemaster at Eco. When I leave work on Friday and say "Thank God It's Friday," it means that it won't be long before I'm helping students in the pool on Saturday. And on Sunday, I'll be on a boat headed to the islands, with a hot cup of coffee, watching the sun rise, and helping ordinary divers become GREAT divers.

Jeremy "Sea Monkey" Wolf, Divemaster Certifications: PADI Divemaster Summary: I grew up spending my summers in the Isthmus in Catalina on my family's boat, snorkeling, water skiing, and even SCUBA diving once or twice. My uncle also ran a dive boat out of San Pedro, and although I had these connections to our underwater world, I did not get certified until 2003. Since then I have made diving my one hobby, and have grown to enjoy introducing others to it by assisting with instruction at Eco. I travel to Hawaii once or twice a year for "business" and manage to get in as much diving as possible, in addition to diving locally as much as I can fit into my schedule.

Tony "Meat" Delia, Instructor / Divemaster Certifications: PADI Divemaster Summary: I started diving in 1989, it was one of those dreams I wanted to make happen. When I was a kid, I was always in the water, growing up in California it's almost a prerequisite to learn to swim, I was on the swim team at age 6 and body surfing at Zuma Beach at 7. Heck I used to have reoccurring dreams that I could breath underwater! So when I turned 22 I figured out the only way to make your dreams come true is go out and make it happen. I dove for a couple of years but then I did what a lot of people do, got married had a couple of kids and slowly became land bound but the ocean always called to me, every time I drove past it. Last year my family went to Hawaii and I knew there was no way I was going there without diving it! So I found Eco, took a refresher course, and "bam" I was back and I knew I couldn't give it up. Brian D convinced me to take the Dive Master course and I have been diving every chance I get. I love teaching and helping others discover the same unbelievable world I found 18 years ago. The ocean is my home away from home and there, everyone is welcome!

Batty, Travel Agent Certifications: Just a being a Bat-Ray Specialist and Eco Dive Center's mascot. Summary: I love watching scuba divers swim by and look at me with those funny masks. Some look funny breathing so hard and not relaxing, and some just kick weird, kicking up all the sand, making it hard to see, taking pictures of everything like a tourist or something. But my ultimate, most favorite thing to do underwater besides hunting for food in the sand is relaxing and enjoying my underwater home. My home is like being in another world; it’s quiet and peaceful, with no bosses, no traffic and no smog. Join me when ever you can.