Our Team for 2020

Ann loves teaching snorkeling and diving, especially to children. Originally from Arizona, She has been involved in scuba education since 1990 and outdoor education since 1975. When you ask her where her favorite dive location is she will simply tell you, wherever I am diving now; there are amazing things here!” You can learn more about Ann by coming looking here and coming by and visiting with her.

Eric is one of those people whose hobby got completely out of control. He is a proud Texan and has been involved in Scuba instruction since 1988. His favorite thing to ask people is “Are you having fun yet?” He loves rebreather and sidemount diving. You can learn more about Eric by looking here or dropping him a line.

Growing up in Ohio he was involved in Athletics and martial arts. He opted for more sun and less snow so he moved to Texas where he operated his own bar and restaurant until he decided nights were for more than serving drinks so he switched careers and now operates a legal support business. You can find out more about Joel by looking here or dropping him a note.

Steve is an enthusiastic diver with a love for the sport and a desire to introduce his students to the underwater world. He started diving before he could drive and even worked as a scuba instructor in the islands for a while. Steve serves as the Regional Manager for Imperial Brands, an upscale liquor importer.

Colin is a Consultant by day but like Batman, he has another life — he is a diver! He loved diving so much that his fiance, now wife had to learn to dive before their wedding. Colin is a fantastic instructor who really enjoys helping others learn about the underwater world.

David loves diving. He had over 50 dives in the local dive sites within his first six months as a certified diver. Currently in sales with Glazier’s Distributing, he has been involved in the hospitality industry for over twenty years. A native of the United States Virgin Islands, he was an avid snorkeler before becoming a scuba diver. If you want to find David on a weekend, just look for a large awning and a bar BQ pit and you will find him.

Dave started his diving career as a youth and practiced his skills as a commercial diver retrieving golf balls from area golf courses in Ohio.  After graduating from College, he gave up his ambitions as a commercial golf ball diver. His diving had no where to go but up and since he retired he has been diving more.

Watching Jacques Cousteau helped Wade become interested in the underwater world and scuba diving was a natural fit. Whenever he can get away, wade loves to be in the water or on top of it fishing. He enjoys sharing his love for the ocean and for spearing and cooking fresh fish. You can find out more about Wade by looking here or dropping him a line.

Robert finds himself bogged down in Oil but when he can he loves diving.

Elin loves being underwater and her passion is contagious! A native of Norway, she moved to North Carolina and then later to Texas. Her diving has taken her all over the world and she never tires of being in beautiful places underwater.

Meagan loves being outdoors! She spends part of her year working for the US Park Service as a seasonal Park Ranger. Her interest in being outdoors is not limited to the National Parks because she simply loves diving. She went to Palau last year and has been to a number of other destinations.

Madison grew up in Tyler, Texas but spent a lot of time in other parts of the country where he worked as an agricultural consultant. Madison wants everyone to enjoy diving as much as he does and he is willing to put in extra help with people to help them reach their goals. He is also an avid technical diver and a rebreather diver.

If you ever meet Joe you will soon find out that he loves diving! Joe  is a diver who some would say has a hobby that got out of control.  As he tells it, he came in to sign-up for a nitrox class and left signed up for a technical diving class and a trip to Truk Lagoon.  SIn his other life, Joe is a trial lawyer with Porter & Hedges.

Zaide is responsible for many of the green parks you see in the planned communities throughout Houston. She is an Irrigation specialist and water is her business as well as her avocation. She started diving on a whim, winning a silent auction for scuba classes. Since then she has dove all over world and can be found many weekends either diving or helping out at the store.

By day, Rich is an engineer with GE Oil and Gas but at night he is a member of an improvisation group. He has always loved the water and diving seemed like a natural fit. And like many of our staff members, his hobby got out of control and he continued his education to the Dive Leader programs. Rich loves diving and loves to share this with the people he meets.

Mild mannered Dr. Steve by day becomes fun loving Scuba Steve by night and weekends. A graduate of Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Steve is a Nephrologist and heads a practice of like minded physicians. Scuba was a late in life discovery for Steve and his family; but you would never know it in talking to him

Mike is a full-time physician who dreams of diving more often than his schedule allows. He also serves as the medical adviser to Oceanic Ventures. In his “real life”, he is an Urologist and Professor at the Baylor Medical School in the Texas Medical Center. From river Archeology in North Carolina to rock quarries in in the mid-west, Mike has dove all over the United States.

Barney started his diving hobby as a teenager in Florida.Over the years, his work with the Air Force and NASA took him all over the world letting him visit numerous countries. While working for NASA in California, Barney made a lot of local dives. He moved o Houston to work on the space station.Through it all he still loves being underwater!

Captain Bill as he is known to his friends is an avid diver as well as a repair technician.

A native of Montana, his early years were spend fishing, hunting and skiing but after moving to Texas, he discovered the right form of water and entered Neptune’s realm. Coad was hooked and has spent a lot of time diving

Tom Mount is a pioneering cave diver and technical diver.  In 1991 Tom joined Dick Rutkowski in founding what would later become the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD), tTom serves as the CEO of the Board of Directors for IAND, Inc./IANTD. You can learn more about Tom by looking here.

Gary is currently the President of the Professional Scuba Instructors International. He lives in Michigan but spend a great deal of time traveling and diving. He has a background in education with a masters degree in education and theology.. You can learn more about Gary by looking here.

Ashton was the retail manager at Oceanic Ventures for ten years. AFter finishing his degree at the University of Houston he went to work as a consultant and now works for an international bank. While he spends a lot of time in Boston, he still has a passion for diving and helps out whenever he can.

Susan is a retired computer geek who discovered scuba diving while planning a snorkeling trip a friend. She fell in love with diving becoming only the third person in Oceanic Ventures history to log 100 dives in her first year. Susan loves diving! She is now a rebreather diver and a dry suit diver.

Most days you will find Jean-Luc at an airport somewhere. You may find him teaching a pilot who is upgrading his rating or taking passengers to an important business meeting. He is a retired engineer and manager and when he is not working or flying, you will find him diving, talking about diving or teaching diving.

Amelia spends some time here and some time in other parts of the world working as a Scuba Instructor! She started her diving life as one of Dive Mom’s Scuba Rangers and like others — her hobby got out of control!

Jens, like his wife Amelia, spends some time here and some time in Roatan working as a Scuba Instructor! He started diving in Australia and fell in love with the sport and became an instructor in Thailand.

Alex can’t remember a time when he was not in the water. He was certified to dive when he was twelve and never wanted to surface again. He absolutely loves diving and sharing diving with others. Now and attorney with Thompson Knight, Alex still finds time to sneak away for a dive (although not as often as he would like.)