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 "Delmo" Beltramo, Instructor / Co-Owner 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 / Co-Owner / 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!

Ashley Tindall, Instructor / Manager / Staff Certifications: PADI Instructor Summary: I love to dive, I really do. So much I work at a dive shop. OK that's all I have to say.

Garrett "Borat" Deloian, Instructor / Manager / Staff 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.

Brian "Dirk" Davis, Instructor / Staff Certifications: PADI IDC Staff Instructor & EFR Instructor 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.

Philip "ScrewDriver" Johnson, Instructor / Staff Certifications: PADI Open Water Instructor Summary: Discover Scuba dive? While on a vacation in Aruba?... I didn't hesitate. I've always been drawn to water, and sure enough as soon as my head dropped beneath the surfaces, I was hooked. A new world had opened up for me to explore that was more diverse and vast than the dry one I had become so accustomed to. I tell those who are curious about diving that I've never been happier than when I'm under the water. Sure enough, I went from 12 dives (over 2 years) to 50 dives in less than 4 months, and I've loved every minute of it. I feel honored when I have the opportunity to pass the excitement and awe of diving onto others, which is why I signed up to be an instructor. That and it gives me even more opportunities to dive the beautiful waters of So Cal.

Kendra "Special K" Guffey, Instructor / Staff 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!

Christopher "Picante" Robinson, Instructor Certifications: PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer - Emergency First Responder Instructor - Technical Diving International Nitrox 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.

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!

Jason "Ferris" Buehler, Instructor Certifications: PADI Instructor Summary: Born and raised in Southern California and always close to the beach. I grew up doing lots of water sports as a kid. I had seen the ocean from the sidelines long enough so in 1994, I decided to get my Open Water certification with PADI. I’ll never forget my first open water dive in Lake Perris with 1’ viz and 43 degree water. From there I was off to the races and diving whenever I got a chance. Cold water, warm water, it didn’t matter. Recently on a trip to Hawaii, the obsession set in once again. While I was on my trip (my girlfriend at the time never saw me as I was always diving), I researched and found ECO Dive Center. I had some bad experiences in the past and was looking for a top notch operation, a team that cared and wasn’t just interested in pushing students through the door. ECO had a really different attitude and it showed. So I made a commitment and over the past months, I have been spending countless hours learning, assisting and most importantly, having fun. It has come time for me to pass on all that I have learned and introduce new people to the world of SCUBA with hopes they will love it as much as I do.

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!

Jeff "Big Dad" Kloss, Instructor / Divemaster Certifications: Divemaster - PADI Assistant Instructor - Head Divemaster - Technical Diver 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.

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.

Mark "Lube Skywalker" Hoppus, Divemaster Certifications: PADI Instructor in training Summary: "Anybody want to learn to scuba dive today?" the lady asked. I was sitting by the pool on vacation in hawaii after a long tour, trying to decide if we should spend all day there or go down to the beach. These are the hard decisions of vacation. Ii raised my hand. I dove for the first time that day, and I loved every second of it. Before that trip, I had always wanted to dive, but never got around to it, and as much as I love the water I was always a little nervous about how i would feel in the ocean. any apprehension i had about diving disappeared the second we went underwater. everything under the surface is so amazing and beautiful. i signed up to dive the next day, and the next, and the two days after that. I couldn't dive enough. I got my PADI Open Water certification and flew back home to Los Angeles, California. The next day I walked into Eco to sign up for Advanced Open Water classes, then night diver, dry suit diver, deep diver, drift diver, wreck diver, nitrox, rescue diver, master diver, divemaster, emergency first responder, and now instructor. I'm kind of gnarly... but I'm still learning something new every day and can't wait to get into technical diving this next year (wonder if I can write songs on a hang line during a 20 minute deco obligation?). I've been lucky enough to dive in some truly great spots around the world, but my heart is in the waters of socal. to me, nothing compares to a dive through the kelp forests with the light filtering through the canopy above. It's just awesome. so now, when I'm not in the studio or on tour, I'm somewhere out there underwater looking for nudibranchs.

Tony "Winks-aLot" Delia, Instructor Certifications: PADI Divemaster & Assistant PADI Instructor 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!

Reza Bavar, Instructor Certifications: PADI Open Water Dive Instructor Summary: I was travelling in the Persian Gulf when I got the opportunity to do a “Discover Scuba” session off a small desert island there. The experience was amazing—it felt like I was flying in a dream. I was hooked on diving and knew that I wanted to pursue this hobby (way of life) as prolifically as possible. I came back to the United States and got my Open Water Certification. That next year, in 2006, I took a trip and was fortunate enough to dive Sharm-el-Sheikh in the Egyptian Red Sea as well as the Maldives. I met dozens of divers that shared my passion and quickly realized that the dive community is one of the friendliest and most diverse communities of any sport; competition is replaced by cooperation and ego by camaraderie. After my trip, I resolved to make diving an even larger part of my life. I dive as often as I can and I am constantly looking for new ways to improve my skills as a diver and, now, as an instructor. My philosophy on diving, and life in general, can be summarized by the quote below: “We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character.” - Henry David Thoreau

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 & Assistant Instructor 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.

JohnDavid "JD" Whalen, Instructor Certifications: PADI Instructorin Training Summary: "I've always wanted to do that" said the man in the Cayman Islands when proposed with a scuba trip. I came back to LA and got certified so I could scuba in the caribbean when I went on vacation. That was all I really wanted to do - or so I though. Then Open Water turned into Advance which turned into Rescue. Suddenly, I felt like Forrest Gump..."well, I figured since I have come this far, I might as well keep going". Then I started to get involved with the Eco Dive Center more and get to know the people. So now I do this professionally, and although I am not quite sure how that happened, I am glad it did. The great thing about diving is its never over. There is always something else to learn, something else to do, something else to see. It never becomes predictable or boring. It is always exciting and new every time you go in the water. So...who wants to change your life? Dive anyone?

Andy Brohard, Divemaster Certifications: PADI Divemaster Summary: Ever since I went snorkeling in St. Croix with my family when I was a kid, I wanted to try scuba diving. I remember thinking how cool it would be to actually be swimming along the reef with the fish instead of looking at them from the surface. It took me awhile to get around to it but I'm glad I got my start with Eco. I had a trip planned for Hawaii and figured it was about time I got off my butt. I finished my OW cert with Brian in July of 2007 and haven't looked back. I've been working my way up the ranks since then and Brian's name is on almost all of my cert cards. I just hope I can instill the same passion and have as much fun with my students as I did when I got certified. I love diving SoCal. Hawaii was nice but nothing compares to diving the kelp forests and the wrecks of California. It can be as mellow or challenging as you like so there really is something for everyone. I'm extremely happy to be part of the Eco family and I'm always stoked to be out getting wet.

Jeremy "The DM That Refuses To Become a AI" 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.

MCkenna Poole, Divemaster Certifications: PADI DM Summary: I fell in love with diving before I ever swam in the ocean. My dad, Bill, was an avid diver when I was young and I remember him coming home and telling me all his scuba diving stories. Everything he would talk about, from the creatures he would see to the plants and shells he would describe, I fell in love with the ocean and I knew someday I would be just like my dad and breathe underwater. Flash forward to 2005, I was finally certified, but it wasn’t until 2007 that I started diving with ECO Dive Center and really progress in diving. I became a dive master in 2008 and every time I get to dive, I love it more and more. I enjoy watching people dive for the first time and see how excited they get and knowing that I had something to do with that is an awesome feeling. I have been diving in places like the Dominican Republic, Cozumel, Cancun, Hawaii and I hope to continue to add to that and soon! But SoCal is by far the best, you can’t beat swimming through a gorgeous kelp forest with a sea lion whizzing by you. I just love to dive and to be around people who share the same passion.

Cindy "Pinky Tuscadero" Seiman, Instructor Certifications: PADI Open Water Instructor Summary: I was always fascinated by the ocean and I was walking by a local dive shop one day and decided to step inside and see what the scuba was all about. Within 30 minutes , I had signed up for my first open water class and bought a bunch of really cool gear. The minute I finally got underwater I fell in love. To me there is no better place to spend my time then to be explore a cool wreck or play in the kelp gardens. I love to travel and I have dove Key Largo, Bonaire, Costa Rica, Bahamas and have been lucky enough to dive with the Great Whites in Guadalupe Isle as well as some other cool islands. I got into instructing because I want to be able to introduce people to the underwater world that I've come to love so much!!!

Ignacio "Nacho" Serricchio, Divemaster Certifications: Divemaster in Training Summary: Ignacio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He moved to Mexico City at the age of 12 to become a wrestler in Lucha Libre under the Alias "Jazmin". He had to quit after 2 years due to a hard blow to the knee in a match against "El Free Hole". He quickly became interested in the ocean and got his open water certification at age 14. Travelled all over Mexico and the Caribbean in search for the diamond the old lady from Titanic threw, but had no success.

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.