Scott Powell
IDC Staff Instructor/Technical Instructor
While earning his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science at the University of Michigan in the early 1990's, Scott found time to become a certified diver. Upon relocating to Raleigh, North Carolina, he completed his Master's (also in Political Science) while working at a Down Under Surf & Scuba. But soon his passion for diving superseded his original career goals, as he progressed from a recreational diver to Divemaster and began to explore the underwater world. 

      In 2000, after managing Down Under for 2 years, Scott demoted himself to owner and became a dive instructor. The following decade proved a productive and busy one, as Scott quickly built upon experience to become an active technical instructor and cave diver, a manufacturer-approved service technician for multiple brands/types of dive gear, and worked as crew on offshore dive charters. Meanwhile, Down Under Surf & Scuba is approaching the 5000 certified divers mark and was recognized as amongst the top 10% of PADI dive centers in the US. 

      A PADI IDC Staff Instructor, Scott can teach almost all levels of PADI diving, including Tec Deep/Tec Range, Trimix, and Gas Blender. Still, Discover Scuba and Open Water remain amongst his favorite classes to teach. In particular, he is counting the days until his 6-year-old son (CJ) is old enough to join him underwater. While overseeing retail and training operations at Down Under, Scott has focused on training technical divers, with an eye on thoroughness and safety above all else. Recent dive expeditions have included trips to the Wilkes Barre, USS Oriskany, and Hydro-Atlantic. This summer he completed his first expedition to the USS Monitor. But his favorite destination? Definitely Bonaire (western hemisphere) and the Galapagos (Pacific). 

Aaron Harmon
Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Aaron began his sport diving adventures in 1998 while on his honeymoon in the Turks & Caicos Islands. In addition to his full-time job at Down Under as the Shop Manager, Aaron is also an active PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer. Since his primary diving focus is wreck diving and shipwreck research, he can be found frequently off the coast of North Carolina rooting in the sand. Having spent a summer as a crew member on a dive charter boat off the NC coast years ago, he has a keen insight into offshore diving challenges. 

Aaron has authored and teaches two PADI Distinctive Specialties: Shipwreck Researcher and Shipwreck Research Diver. In addition to acquiring technical diving credentials to enhance his wreck diving experience, Aaron was a Public Safety Diver for the Harnett County Underwater Search & Recovery Dive Team. Aaron is also multi-manufacturer certified for scuba equipment repair, cylinder inspection, oxygen cleaning, and gas blending. When not out diving he can be found at the shop greeting customers with a smile and perhaps even a pirate joke. 

Robert Carlton
Shop Staff/Divemaster
Bio coming soon.

Dan Bartus
Master Scuba Diver Trainer
You know someone is a true Canadian when, prior to completing his Open Water certification dives, they have to chip the ice off the lake. That was indeed Dan's experience when he completed his open water dives at Gulliver's Lake in Ontario, Canada in July of 2004. 

      As soon as he thawed out he hurried back to North Carolina, and in due time found himself a Master Scuba Diver Trainer, capable of teaching a wide variety of courses. Dan's interest in exploring deeper wrecks led him to complete a variety of PADI technical courses, including Tec Deep and Trimix diver. His recent dive interests have lead him to explore the Florida aquifer, including sites such as Ginnie Springs, Peacock Springs, and Little River, where he completed his Cave Diver certification. Other favorite destinations include the St. Lawrence Seaway, Curacao, Roatan, and Cozumel. You'll also find Dan hanging out at many great NC Coast dive sites such as the Hyde, Tarpon, and U-352. 

      In his spare time Dan repairs scuba gear (he is manufacturer-certified in most brands), is an avid cyclist, and, when bored, holds a job developing software for RIM, the Blackberry people - a GREAT Canadian company, EH! 

Dan Potter
Master Scuba Diver Trainer
A North Carolina native, Dan started diving with the Boy Scouts in 1960 in a Marine Corps pool at Camp Lejeune, NC. He soon found the skills very helpful in his hometown, the small fishing village of Sneads Ferry. Retrieving lost anchors and crab pots, getting lines off of propellers and other underwater chores paid for his first scuba rig. He fell in love with diving off New River Inlet on ledges like Christmas Rock and Divers Ledge. 

      After a long sabbatical from diving while raising a family, his youngest daughter indicated she wanted to become a diver, and the adventure began anew. The two of them started from scratch with Down Under in 1999. They both quickly earned a Master Scuba Diver rating. Dan went on to join the professional ranks and is now a Master Scuba Diver Trainer. An active instructor, he truly loves to share his passion for diving with his students. 

      While Dan has done quite a bit of diving from one side of the Caribbean (Los Roques) to the other (Cozumel), he still loves North Carolina Coastal diving best. Dan is confident he'll never get enough of the awesome wrecks and abundant animal life right here in NC. He often says that diving with those big Sand Tiger sharks is his favorite adventure. 

Gary Millichip
Master Scuba Diver Trainer
Gary Millichip is a transplant from South Africa, where he began life in the coastal city of Durban. For him, scuba diving is a natural extension of his love for the ocean. Gary can attest to PADI's professional teaching standards and consistent quality, having been certified as an Open Water Diver in South Africa, an Advanced Open Water Diver in Barbados, and finally Rescue Diver, Divemaster, and Open Water Scuba Instructor with Down Under Surf & Scuba in North Carolina. 

      What first began as an Open Water adventure over 15 years ago has led to fulfillment outside of his cubicle-bound day job as a Reinsurance Consultant, most recently culminating in earning his credentials as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer in 2008. 

      When not diving or office-bound, Gary competes in triathlons and beach volleyball. This allows him to ensure that the wetsuit tan does not become a permanent accessory. He is also thankful that he has a loving and understanding wife and daughter who put up with all his activities. He knows it will be payback time when his daughter is old enough to dive! 

Ken Van Pelt
IDC Staff Instructor
While on a vacation to Hawaii in 2005, Ken tried a Discover Scuba class and fell in love with diving and the underwater world. Within a couple of months he had completed his Open Water certification and has been diving ever since. By 2007 Ken had become an Instructor, and soon thereafter a Master Scuba Diver Trainer. Always interested in improving his skills, Ken has now become a PADI IDC Staff Instructor. As such, he is qualified to teach a wide variety of advanced PADI courses. Nonetheless he still finds seeing new divers exploring the underwater world for the first time among the most rewarding of all diving endeavors. 

      Kens favorite dive sites run the gamut from lush tropical reefs to pristine underwater caverns. His non-dive job allows him to travel to Aruba several times a year where he works with a local dive shop guiding vacationing divers. When he is not diving he enjoys repairing equipment including dive gear, computers and cell phones. 

Martin Myers
Master Scuba Diver Trainer
Scuba diving is truly a sport for all, regardless of age, gender, skill level, etc. But especially age, as reportedly Marty began his scuba training in 1970 right after his potty training. After his 13-week YMCA Open Water course (don't worry, training has become time efficient in recent years) Marty started his diving in the Great Lakes - world renown for shipwrecks...and cold water. Marty's cutting-edge equipment of the day included a J-valve, double-hose regulator, navy tables, and a watch, but no BCD or SPG. 

      By 1980 Marty had a shiny new BCD, single-hose two-stage regulator, SPG, aluminum 80cf tank, and PADI tables. He soon progressed from Advanced Open Water diver to PADI Divemaster, earning a US Coast Guard OUPV Six Pack Captain's license along the way. With these combined credentials Marty began running SCUBA diving charters in the St. Lawrence Seaway on a weekly basis for the next several years. Always eager to learn and take his skills to the next level, Marty has more recently attained his Tec Trimix certification and has safely conducted dives in excess of 200' in the Gulf of Mexico and St. Lawrence Seaway. 

      In 2008 Marty's experience led him to join an instructor class at Down Under Surf & SCUBA. Before the year was up he had become a Master Scuba Diver Trainer. Finally, 2010 was a monumental year, as Marty became a Full Cave diver, received his AARP card, and qualified for the "senior discount" coffee at Denny's! 

Sid Wise
Master Instructor
Sid loves to share his devotion to diving. He relishes diving in many environments, hovering weightless over tropical reefs, exploring the secrets of underwater caves, examining the mysteries of ship wrecks, hunting fossils and artifacts in the dark waters of the Cooper River, and marveling at aquatic life in the gin-clear waters of Florida's freshwater springs. Sid teaches scuba diving to "share the wealth." Sid, a PADI Master Instructor, is also a certified technical diver and cave diver. 

Bill Jackson
Course Director
Bill enjoys diving and teaching diving to others, especially where the wonders of a healthy coral reef may be experienced. As a senior staff member at a PADI 5* IDC facility, he has the great opportunity not only to work with both new and experienced recreational divers, but to also develop dive professionals, Divemasters and Instructors. Bill's focus during the past several years has been on developing competent, highly qualified dive professionals who can share the wonderful experience of diving with other recreational divers. 

      Having been part of Down Under Surf and Scuba since the early days of the shop, Bill has enjoyed dive training and developing his interest in gas blending and gas delivery systems. He's certified as a Gas Blending Instructor and as a Trimix Instructor Trainer, and does some of our mixed gas fill station and compressor maintenance. As a PADI Course Director, he conducts Instructor Development Courses and is also involved in DAN Training for both Provider and Instructor level courses. He holds credentials as an EMT and DMT, and as a Professional Engineer. Warm water diving, underwater photography, beekeeping, and Robbie-Lane are his passions (not necessarily in that order). 

William Sawyer
IDC Staff Instructor
William T. (Bill) Sawyer immersed himself in the underwater world later in life than many, but did so with a passion that has taken him from Open Water diver, to Technical Diver, to Scuba Instructor in an 8 year span. Beginning with an Open Water class in 2001 that he took with his son, he has completed most of his training through Down Under, and started on the journey towards dive professional with the Down Under Divemaster class in 2006. 

      That summer Bill joined the shop staff and, after a season working with students as a Divemaster, became a PADI Instructor. Along the way Bill has also earned repair-technician certifications from a number of manufacturers and completed his gas blender training. 

      Bills favorite dive sites often involve deep wrecks, and his favorite dive travel destination (so far) is Bonaire. But, the list of places he plans to go is long, and growing (Galapagos Islands, Truk Lagoon, etc). For Bill, diving is about experiencing life from a perspective entirely different from what those on shore might ever see. "Diving allows you to enter another world, where as a guest you are privileged to see and interact with the truly beautiful creatures that inhabit our oceans, in a way that no picture alone can ever do."
      When not working or diving, or sharing his love of the marine world with others through scuba instruction, he enjoys flying and coaching high school athletics.(fastpitch softball). 

Patricia Sumrell
Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Patricia first discovered scuba diving in 2005 while vacationing in Key West.  She and her Dad were certified through Down Under later that summer.  They’ve been active Scuba Club members ever since and continued their training together becoming Master Scuba Divers in 2006.  Patricia went on to join the professional ranks and has been teaching with Down Under since 2008.

 A warm water diver at heart, Patricia loves live-aboard diving where eating and sleeping are appropriate ways to pass surface intervals.  An avid fan of both wreck and reef diving, her favorite dive sites include the WWII wreckage of Chuuk (Truk Lagoon), Diamond Rock in Saba, Newman’s Wall in Roatan, and the Rosin Wreck off the NC coast.  Local quarry diving also tops her list of favorite dive spots.  Frankly, we think Patricia would dive the rinse bucket out back if it were warm enough and deep enough. 

 Though she started diving for the excitement it offers (sharks!), Patricia keeps diving because of the fun she has travelling the world with kindred spirits.  She teaches diving to share her passion with students and divers of all ages and all skill levels.  She has been recognized as Club Diver of the Year and Instructor of the Year.  Just don’t ask her about that pair of Pink Fin Awards…

Nikki Dunn
Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Nikki Dunn got certified over 20 years ago in Monterey, CA, diving in 49 degree water, and wearing a 7 mm wetsuit.  Brrrr!  Since then, she has tried to dive primarily in warmer water, getting her Advanced Open Water certification on the Great Barrier Reef and completing her Rescue Diver training in Belize.  After moving to Cary, NC, she earned her PADI Divemaster and Instructor certifications with Down Under, and joined the staff.

Nikki particularly enjoys teaching Open Water classes, and finds tremendous reward in helping new students become confident and competent divers.  Being a mom, she loves teaching families and is so proud of everyone when they master their underwater skills.

 Besides teaching, Nikkis time is spent traveling to worldwide dive destinations.   A few of her favorite locations are Galapagos, the Red Sea, the Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Fiji, Curacao, Bonaire, Cozumel and Cayman to name a few.  Please ask her if you want any travel advice.  Most likely she has been there. (and may even go with you!)

Sue Davis

Bio coming soon.

Keith Langreck

Bio coming soon.

Goran Wibran
Open Water Scuba Instructor

Goran Wibran began his underwater adventures over a decade ago, when he completed his Open Water Diver certification in Australia, in October, 2000. Since then, he has enjoyed immersing himself in a variety of diving activities – quarry diving, shore diving, and diving from rubber boats, dive boats, and live-aboards. He enjoys diving in shallow waters, diving deep, diving blue holes and fresh water springs, diving during the day and at night. If you get the impression that he really enjoys diving, you are right.

 Goran has experienced and enjoyed marine life from the US Coast, South Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Gulf. In 2009, he decided to share his love of diving with a broader audience, completing the PADI Divemaster program through Down Under, and subsequently joined the DUSS staff.  As Goran puts it, ‘I love to take classes, I learn a lot every time. There came a day where I had run out of classes to take so I thought that DM could be a fun thing to try. For me DM training was a blast, we had a great team and it helped me to fine tune my skills and be a better and prepared diver.  As a Divemaster I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of a team that helped to train divers to be motivated to continue diving on their own.‘  That enthusiasm continues unabated, and in 2012 Goran continued his development as a dive professional, earning his Open Water Scuba Instructor certification. 

Kevin Smit

Bio coming soon.

Michael Dunn
Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Mike Dunn earned his open water certification in the kelp forests of Monterey Bay, California.  On weekends, he and his dive buddy (wife Nikki), would travel to Sonoma County for a weekend of camping, diving, spear fishing and abalone free diving as a break from the hectic life in Silicon Valley.  Later, living in Japan, the two took every opportunity possible to visit the great sites in the Pacific—New Guinea, Okinawa, Thailand, Palau, Maldives, Australia, Sipadan and others.  By then Mike had traded his spear gun for an underwater camera.

Mike left Japan for a position at a growing RTP company on the condition that there was world class diving off the NC coasts, and was not disappointed when he arrived in NC.  He and Nikki regularly enjoy wreck diving out of Morehead City and Beaufort. 

Mike earned his instructor certification and spent time as a Divemaster in Curacao in 2008.  Upon returning from Curacao, he joined the staff of Down Under.  Mike holds certifications from most of the major US recreational dive agencies, and particularly enjoys teaching Rescue and Enriched Air Diver courses.

Chris Rehder
Open Water Scuba Instructor

Chris enjoys anything related to the ocean and spending time with family and friends.  He has been diving since 2000, when he earned his Open Water certification while living in Massachusetts.  His diving has taken him from the far north, in the cold ocean waters of Maine, to the far south, in the tropical waters of the Caribbean, and everything in between including the exciting North Carolina coast.

 

In 2011, Chris realized that he frequently found himself planning dives and being the organizer of dive events for family and friends.  Therefore, the next logical step to make that role ‘official’, and he entered the dive professional ranks, participating in the Down Under divemaster class that year and subsequently joining the Down Under staff.  The next year, he went even further and became an Open Water SCUBA Instructor. Being a dive professional is a great fit for Chris – he enjoys teaching and helping others to be successful in their diving.

 

You can usually find Chris diving with his wife and 4 kids (all divers), or hanging out at the beach, camping, 4 wheeling, boating, and fishing.  He works as an equipment engineer in the semiconductor industry and is also certified as an EMT.  Chris has also blended his medical training and his dive training to become a Dive Medical Technician and Diving Emergency Specialist.

Arturo Marchand
Open Water Scuba Instructor

Arturo grew up with a love of the ocean and marine biology. A native of San Juan, PR he spent every possible minute in the ocean.  Arturo was certified as an Open Water Diver while in college in 2000.  His professional career (he holds degrees in degree in psychology and marketing, as well as Culinary Arts) has taken him to Florida, Georgia, and finally to Raleigh in 2009.   Arturo started diving with Down Under Scuba in 2010, where he completed Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, and, most recently, Divemaster certification.  He has also earned DEMP (Diving Emergency Management Provider) certification, is currently participating in EMT training with the goal of earning a DMT (dive medic) certification, and is beginning Open Water Scuba Instructor training in 2012.   Arturo likes to dive anywhere the water is wet, but he especially likes drift dives.   When he is not scuba diving, Arturo enjoys fencing, tennis and swimming.  He also enjoys competitive shooting sports and boating. 

 

David Jabs

In 2002, Dave booked a trip to the Caribbean island of Bonaire to snorkel and relax. While shopping for flippers (ummm.. Dave, we call them fins) and a mask, a customer in the shop suggested a Scuba class might add some adventure to the trip. After considering it, Dave took the advice and completed his Open Water certification prior to his Caribbean vacation. 

      As a diver, Dave soon found that the ability to experience the pristine reefs up close was so impressive as compared to snorkeling that he was hooked. Dave's passion for diving has taken him through most of the Caribbean, the Pacific US, Galapagos, Revillagigedos Islands, and the South Pacific. Dave recognized value in ongoing training and sought to advance his skills, becoming a dive master in 2007. 

      Despite his extensive dive travels, Dave's favorite dive spots are here off the North Carolina Coast. "There is no other place that offers so much history, magnificent marine life and diving camaraderie." An experienced and dedicated underwater photographer, Dave has shared some of his work with several dive organizations. When he's not diving, Dave and his wife Wendy are avid sailors and keep their "floating" second home on the NC Coast. In the future Dave and Wendy are planning to live aboard their sailboat for several years in the islands. 

Whit Binz
Divemaster
For Whit diving has been a family affair from the very beginning. With his dad already an active diver, Whit completed his Open Water diver certification at the local YMCA in 1968. Next his brother and sister became certified divers and the family was exploring the underwater world together. 

      Whit earned his first PADI certification in 1974, and spent the next several years diving the quarries, rivers, and lakes of the Midwest - brrrrrr! After a prolonged surface interval, Whit returned to active diving here in Raleigh, NC with Down Under Surf & SCUBA. Progressing through Advanced and Rescue Diver, Whit joined the ranks of PADI professional in 2007 by earning his Divemaster certification. 

      And the family tradition continues as well. In 2006 Whits daughter Ashley became the 3rd generation to Binzs to scuba dive. Whit and his daughter enjoy local and coastal diving together, but their favorite family trip has become the Down Under Manatee trip, and annual tradition for both Down Under and the Binz Family.

Dan Lombardi
Divemaster

Truly fortunate are those who discover their passions early in life.  For Dan, a family vacation to the Hawaiian Islands at the age of twelve introduced him to one of them.  Just barely meeting the minimum-age requirement, Dan participated in a Discover Scuba program off the coast of Oahu and was hooked on the sea.  A few years later he took his interest the next logical step, earning his PADI Open Water Diver certification.  Soon thereafter, new credentials in hand, he was off to explore.  Several great dive destinations, including Grand Cayman, Belize, and Roatan highlight his logbook.  One of Dan’s favorite places to dive, however, is a little closer to home:  the North Carolina coast. 

 

In 2010 Dan took on a new challenge, becoming a PADI Divemaster.  Having already earned his Advanced and Rescue diver certifications, he threw himself into the program, successfully completing one of PADI’s most demanding courses a few months later.  He is excited about the opportunity to share his passion for diving and the aquatic realm with others. 

 

When he’s not immersed in the underwater world, Dan can be found pursing his second passion: the digital world of programming.  A senior at North Carolina State University and regular member of the Dean’s list, he is close to earning a major in Computer Science and a minor in Meteorology.  Combining his interests in diving and programming, Dan has recently become the Down Under Surf & SCUBA webmaster.  First implementing a major overhaul of the site in July of 2010, Dan is responsible for the design and implementation of the Down Under website, as well as its routine maintenance.

Jim Bosworth
Assistant Instructor
Bio coming soon.

Michael Cleary
Assistant Instructor
Bio coming soon.

Michael Beaver
Divemaster

Mike completed his Open Water Diver certification in Tampa, FL in 1992. Like many other recreational divers, he dove only infrequently for a number of years after that, usually while on vacation.  Following a move to Cary, NC, however, he realized how close he was to some of the best and most challenging coastal diving in the world, but also recognized additional training would be needed.  In 2008, he returned to training, with the completion of his Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certification. In 2010, he completed the Divemaster program and joined the staff of Down Under.. He now enjoys introducing new divers to the sport as well as helping certified divers, who may have been out of the diving for a while, get back in the water.

Matt Jacoby
Divemaster
Bio coming soon.

Sandy Schiller

Bio coming soon.

Mayumi Case
Divemaster

Mayumi earned her PADI Open Water Diver certification in 1991 with her husband, Troy.  Although they were living in Japan at the time, the most inexpensive way to get certified was to fly to the closest US territory - Guam.  This is how she became one of the very few Japanese scuba divers who are more comfortable diving with Imperial gauges!  Six months after their certification, they moved from Japan to the US.  But, rather than crossing the Pacific Ocean, they traveled for 5 months through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, backpacking and diving, and taking advanced and specialty diving courses with various PADI dive centers along the way.  

 

After many years of being extremely dry, living in the desert of Arizona, and a few years in North Carolina, Mayumi returned to diving in 2008 with gusto!  She earned her PADI Divemaster certification with Down Under Surf & Scuba in 2009, after which she joined the Down Under staff. She enjoys diving in VERY warm tropical waters, and is working to retire on one of the tropical islands of Thailand!  

Bill Weiser
Divemaster
Bio coming soon.

Herman Mowery
Divemaster

Herman Mowery is a North Carolina native who grew up watching the Under Sea World of Jacques Cousteau and the exciting adventures of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt re-runs. In 1992 with the encouragement of several coworkers, he became a certified diver, renewing a long dormant interest from his youth. After diving around North Carolina, in Florida and across the Caribbean for many years, in 2008 he advanced to the diving professional ranks, becoming a PADI Dive master and joining the Down Under staff.

Herman particularly enjoys traveling to the Caribbean to sample the vibrant marine life in the warm waters of dive destinations such as Bonaire. On most dives you will find him with an underwater camera in his hand, to the chagrin of many small creatures whose images he enjoys capturing. He has become an accomplished underwater photographer, submitting winning entries in a number of categories in the annual Down Under Scuba Club photo contest.

A chance encounter in 2006 propelled him into the world of vintage scuba diving, when a dive buddy offered him the opportunity to dive using an old double hose regulator, just like the ones that Jacques and Mike dove in the TV shows he loved as a youngster.   He has since become an active member of the vintage diving community, with an ever-growing collection of equipment from the early days of diving, and particularly enjoys restoring older equipment to working condition, and diving with it as it was used in the early days of scuba diving.  When taking a class with Herman, he will be in modern gear, although if you look closely you might see an old depth gauge or compass thrown in just for the fun of it.

Matt Bolick
Divemaster

Matt Lambert  began diving in 2001 when he completed his PADI Open Water Diver certification.  During the first pool session he caught the SCUBA bug and has been diving non-stop ever since.  He progressed through Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, and Master Diver, and most recently joined the diving professional ranks, completing his PADI Divemaster certification in 2003. 

 Matt currently works as a Divemaster and a Discover Scuba Diving Leader with Down Under.  His favorite dives have been wreck dives off the coast of North Carolina and chasing clown fish on the Great Barrier Reef.  In his spare time he also works as an engineer for a local networking giant and day-dreams about the next time he can get wet.  Matt is currently focused on honing his dive skills through technical diving and trying to figure out a way to write off the costs of dive trips to Bonaire on his tax returns.

David Powell
Divemaster
Bio coming soon.

Denise Caron
Divemaster
Bio coming soon!  (Hurry up Denise!)

Mark Warnock
Assistant Instructor
Mark is furiously writing his bio now.  Last we heard, he was on page 29!