Pacific Dive Adventures

As a young boy, about 10 years old, I became enthralled with diving while watching the adventures of Mike Nelson (played by Lloyd Bridges) on re-runs of “Sea Hunt”.

I went to the library to check out books on scuba diving and one of the first ones that I read was “Silent World” by Jacques Cousteau.   I read everything about diving that I could get my hands on.   There was no dive shop or diving at the time in Bryan, the small town in Texas where I grew up.   My first experience with “snorkeling” was at the municipal pool with a mask of cheap rubber, and a snorkel with a S-curve with the little cage at the bottom with the ball to keep the water out )

I took a “Skin Diver” course at our local pool as a teenager and finally got my scuba certification after joining the Navy as a young adult.

I was fortunate to get stationed in Florida and that is where the adventure continued for me.   I say continued because for me the adventure had really begun as a boy of 10 watching those Sea Hunt re-runs and had continued in my imagination as I grew and read books about diving all over the world.  I eventually would dive all over Florida.   I acquired a book called “Diving Guide to Underwater Florida” by Ned Deloach.   It had actual directions to dive spots all over the state.  I used to get buddies to go with me and we would drive to these places to dive.   It was a tremendous resource to me and had a lot to do with my being able to dive as much as I did early on.

In recent years I’ve dived extensively in Japan.  Those dive sites would include Tokyo Bay at Yokosuka, Sagami Bay at Hayama on the Miura Pennisula;  Izu-san and Izu Ocean Park near Futo on the Izu Pennisula.   Suruga Bay (also on the Izu Pennisula) at Ita and Osezaki.   I made a recent trip to Okinawa.    I’ve also been able to make multiple trips to the Philippines diving at Malapascua Island, Moalboal, Anilao, Puerto Galera, Puerto Princesa, Tubbataha, El Nido, and Coron.

I made one previous trip to Guam in 2007 where I dived sites like the Blue Hole, Tokai Maru, Gab Gab, Haps Reef, and Pete’s Reef.

My photography background includes 10 years as a US Navy Photographer.   This included experience in studio portraiture, Public Affairs, investigative, engineering documentation, reconnaissance, and anything else the Navy needed photos of.   We used to say that we did everything from ID’s to autopsies    I also received extensive experience in laboratory work, including chemical mixing and quality assurance.

After leaving the Navy,  I attended college in Florida and was later hired to work for photographic services at Cape Canaveral on the US Space Program.   I started out working in the motion picture laboratory.  After 2 years I moved to Camera Operations.  There I was involved in still photography, video, high-speed motion picture, and photo-optical tracking.

Next I worked as a photo lab manager for 2 years.

I started doing underwater photography in August 2007.    I currently shoot with a Nikon D300 in an Ikelite Housing.  I use dual substrobes.  One Ikelite DS125 and the other a DS160.