 Denver Divers is a family business dedicated to sharing a love of diving and the marine environment that spans decades. We celebrate the past nearly 50 years of divers and snorkelers certified through Denver Divers. But we understand the future of diving lies in the hands of young diving professionals like Alexandra Miller and Wendelinus Benjamin, business partners who lead a team of instructors whose combined knowledge and experience is second to no professional group in the region. Our certified diving professionals offer you more than 200 combined years of experience in travel, training, and equipment knowledge and most have been affiliated with Denver Divers for more than 15 years. |
|
 Denver Divers’ newest dive professional, Brittany Miller, is a Teach for America teacher in Phoenix, Arizona, during the school year. She will spend summers in Denver creating and managing children’s programs for Denver Divers.
Rounding out the management team are Carl Miller and Bonnie Sherman. Carl spent 20 years as an editor and columnist for the Denver Post, followed by 20 years as head of government and regulatory affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield. Bonnie also comes from health administration. She spent 12 years building the children’s insurance program – Child Health Plan Plus – followed by eight more years as an executive and certified project manager for a variety of payor organizations including United HealthCare. She has a master’s in health administration. Together, Bonnie and Carl have turned their lifelong love of diving from an avocation to a vocation. |
 |
 |
We are very grateful to be able to offer our knowledge and services to both diving and snorkeling veterans as well as those new to the ocean. We are truly a family organization!
Our Mission: Inspiring all to learn about, understand, protect, and enjoy the majesty of the underwater world.
As the new owners of Denver Divers, Our Vision for the future is “green” healthy oceans.
Through continuing education, on-going investment in emerging “green” technology, and role modeling, Denver Divers staff will create divers who practice and advocate sound ecological practices, improving the health of our oceans and their inhabitants for generations to come.
We Value:
- Environmental Stewardship
- Delighted Customers
- Adventure and New Frontiers
- Serenity
- Children
|
DENVER DIVERS STAFF (click for a list of names)
|
Wendelinus Benjamin
Instructor Trainer
Partner
Born in Indonesia, Wendel was born to dive! His love of traveling and the ocean led him to dedicate his life to teaching others about the wonder and beauty of the underwater world. Wendel has been affiliated with Denver Divers since 1995 and he is currently an owner and Training Director for the organization.
Wendel is also a TDI/SDI Instructor, a TDI Nitrox Blender, a ScubaPro Technician, and a Sea Signs Instructor. He has been diving all over the world - Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Bonaire, California, Fiji, Florida, Hawaii, Bay Islands Honduras, Cayman Islands, Indonesia, Martinique, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, and Turks & Caicos.
Wendel received his B.A. in Business from Metropolitan State College in Denver. |
![]()
|
Ali Miller
Advanced Open Water Instructor
Training Coordinator
Dive Travel Manager
Partner
Ali Miller wore her first mask and snorkel when she was 18 months old. She was certified at the age of 14 in Roatan, Honduras, and went to college in California to be close to the ocean. She is using her degree in Environmental Studies to develop a number of ecological SCUBA and snorkeling programs for Denver Divers, of which she is now an owner.
Ali has been employed at Denver Divers for most of the four years since she graduated from University of Redlands, except for the brief period during which she had a “real job.” Ali is now working on her MBA in recognition that running a business requires some business skills.
Ali embodies the Vision of Denver Divers. “If we let people discover the beauty of the oceans, they’ll protect them for future generations” |
|
Daniel Leif Skaar
Advance Gas Blending Instructor
Technical Decompression Procedures Instructor
Dive Control Specialist Instructor
Leif Skaar has been a diving instructor since 2002. He presently holds professional dive instructor credentials from TDI/SDI as a Technical Decompression Procedures Instructor and Advance Gas Blending Instructor and SSI as a Dive Control Specialist Instructor. Leif also teaches First Aid/ CPR and Oxygen Delivery as well as a long list of specialty classes including Underwater Photography www.seascapephoto.com.
Leif is also an Advanced Tri Mix diver with dives logged at depths over 300 feet. He recently joined the "silent diver" ranks by diving a Sentinel CCR. His diving credentials are enhanced by his professional engineering background and his Electronic Engineering degree from Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, California. |
 |
Al Giese
SSI Platinum Pro 5000 Instructor
PADI Master Instructor
Al Giese’s first open water dive at age 12 in Lake Mead, Nevada, did not presage his 5,000th logged dive in Cozumel, Mexico! From 1958 to July 2009 – this man has done a lot of diving!
Al Giese and his partner and wife, Dianna, opened Fantasy Dive and Travel in Denver. After a successful nine years as entrepreneurs, the Gieses sold their retail, training and travel facility, and Al joined Denver Divers as a critical part of the staff.
Except for a brief, two-year interlude, Al has served Denver Divers students as both a PADI and SSI instructor; Denver Divers customers as a service technician several equipment manufacturers including ScubaPro and Oceanic; and Denver Divers travelers as an advisor. Denver Divers is fortunate that Al returned to the shop. |
![]()
|
Eric Esser
Dive Control Specialist Instructor
Esser began his diving career in 1996 in the unlikely location of Puerto Vallarta while vacationing with his family. He dove for several years before he began his dive leader training in early 1999, obtaining his Dive Control Specialist Instructor rating in 2002. Eric now enjoys diving with his new wife, Beth, and family whenever possible and finds great satisfaction in introducing his passion to new divers at Denver Divers.
In Eric’s other life he works with his brother and father at Odyssey Mfg., Inc., manufacturing futons, mattresses, and bean bags made out of shredded foam and distributed to many local and national retail outlets. Eric was born and raised in Colorado and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a finance degree. |
|
John Route
Dive Control Specialist Instructor
Certified in 1992, John Route has logged over 400 dives in both salt and fresh water throughout the worl. He earned his Dive Control Specialist in 1997, followed by his Open Water Instructor Certification in 1999.
He teaches a variety of specialty courses including First Aid, Dan O2, Night Diving, Wreck Diving, Stress and Rescue Diving, Dry Suit Diving, Nitrox (both SSI and TDI), and Deep Diving. As Denver Divers builds its technical diving program, John will join David Beebe, Leif Skaar, Nelson Paynter, and Eric Evert in pursuing increasing training and expertise in this extreme version of scuba diving.
John uses his technical skills on another front as a data center manager for a disaster recovery data center. He earned two bachelor’s degrees from Regis University. |
|
Nelson Paynter
Dive Control Specialist Instructor
The best-kept secret about Nelson Paynter is that he went to Brigham Young University on a football scholarship, receiving his B.A. in History and Spanish. Nelson started diving in the early 80’s, was certified as SSI Open Water Instructor in 2001 and as a Dive Control Specialist Instructor in 2006.
As the owner of Front Range Decorative Concrete Company, Nelson is refinishing the floors at Denver Divers as well as teaching frequently. He has experience diving all over the world at sites including Cozumel, Sea of Cortez, Fiji, Hawaii, California, Florida, Caribbean, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Australia, and the Bahamas. |
|
Chris Pruchnic
Advanced Open Water Instructor
Chris Pruchinic joined Denver Divers’ instructor staff in 1999. He is an Advanced Open Water Instructor, able to teach the finer aspects of diving through numerous specialties. His love of travel and passion for diving has led him to all seven continents and many of the oceans and seas of the world.
Chris has leveraged his advanced DU degree in anthropology to learn about the history and cultures where he travels. When not underwater, you can find him on top of the world, leading expeditions to numerous remote locations to attempt classic high altitude climbs.
Chris advises students, “The best way to become a well rounded diver is to go on a dedicated dive vacation to the destination of your dreams! My motto is ‘Get out and explore the world!’” |
|
David Beebe
Advanced Open Water Instructor
David Beebe started diving in 2000, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Then – on his third trip ever – he dove with four whale sharks and was hooked!
Since then he has earned advanced instructor ratings including Navigation, Wreck Diving, Computer, Stress and Rescue, Deep Diving, Night Diving, and Limited Visibility Diving – all enhancing his instructor certification. David has continued his training in the realm of technical diving and is certified in Nitrox, Advanced Nitrox, and Decompression Procedures. He is also an avid underwater photographer.
David has a B.S. in Business from Miami University (Ohio). To pay for his passion, he designs and installs commercial kitchens. |
|
David Gilbreth
Advanced Open Water Instructor
David Gilbreth started his diving journey in 1999. Realizing his passion for SCUBA, he made the transition to Dive Professional in 2000 and is currently an Advanced Instructor with more than 400 dives. |
|
Glenn Tucker
Advanced Open Water Instructor
Glenn Tucker started his diving career in 1988, doing his certification dives at a dive location that’s good as it gets - Heron Island on the Australian Great Barrier Reef. Glenn subsequently earned all his advanced degrees through Denver Divers, earning his SSI Dive Control Specialist certification in 1999 and his Instructor Certification in 2005.
Glenn retired early after more than 30 years with the federal government to devote himself to diving. In addition to teaching, Glenn works part time at Denver Divers helping customers and students on the retail floor. He served five years as a volunteer diver at Colorado’s Ocean Journey and is an active member of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation.
Glenn’s goal is to go on at least three dive trips a year with Denver Divers. Glenn worked for over and has recently retired from that service. He works part time in retail at Denver Divers in addition to teaching scuba classes. My ultimate diving goal is to spend three or four months exploring the great dive sites of the South Pacific islands.” |
|
Mark Andreatta
Advanced Open Water Instructor
Mark first discovered his love of the ocean in 1966. Only five and from Colorado, it took his father’s best persuasive powers to coax him into the water at Puerto Penasco, Mexico. He remembers being “awestruck and scared to death at the same time!”
A 17-year-old Mark received his open water certification in Pueblo Reservoir during a 1979 December snow storm. And he still kept coming back. After graduating from college Mark moved to Denver and became a customer of Denver Divers in 1983. His relationship with the store thrived and he became a dive-con in 2004 and an Advanced Open Water Instructor in 2006. |
|
Michael Baclawski
Advanced Open Water Instructor
Born and raised in Denver, Michael had his first taste of salt water surfing as a student at San Diego State University. Open Water certified in 1992, Michael went to Australia to earn his Advanced Diver certification. Michael worked in the U.S. Antarctic Program for five seasons as part of the Hyperbaric Medical Team. He volunteered to serve as surface support for research divers under the Antarctic sea ice. He has traveled to all seven continents, diving in most of the Earth’s oceans along the way.
“I gain a great deal of satisfaction when I see new and seasoned divers have an "ah ha" moment, achieve something they thought they couldn't, or become filled with a sense of wonder.” - Michael B |
![]()
|
Jamie Walthall
Open Water Diver Instructor
(PADI)
Like most Denver Divers’ dive professionals, Jamie Walthall began diving as a child. After multiple water vacations to Mexico with two diving parents (one of whom was Mark Andreatta of Denver Divers), she received her Open Water Diver certification through Denver Divers when she was 12.
After learning Spanish in college, Jamie “hit the currents”, backpacking and diving her way through Central America. She settled on the Bay Island of Utila, Honduras, and became a PADI dive master. Another diving tour of South America ended again in Utila where she earned PADI Dive Instructor certification.
Now back in Colorado, Jamie is using her experiences, including whale shark and turtle research, to finish college. She joined Denver Divers in January and is working on “crossing-over” to SSI. She also continues to work for PADI’s Project Aware. |
|
David Hunter
Dive Control Specialist
After spending years sandwiching snorkeling between his skiing and golf outings, David Hunter “took the plunge” in 2004 and learned to scuba dive. He enjoyed it so much that he kept getting more advanced certifications until he became a Dive Control Specialist at Denver Divers.
David loves to travel and he has been scuba diving around the world. David graduated of the University of New Mexico with a degree in Management Information Systems. |
|
Eric Evert
Dive Control Specialist
As a little guy, Eric Evert decided he would be Jacque Costeau. To practice, he would lie on the bottom of the local public pool blowing bubbles, panicking more than one lifeguard! He started diving in earnest in 2000 at Denver Divers. For his open water certification, Eric went to Cozumel. Two days after coming back, he bought all his own gear. He was convinced that diving would be a life-long endeavor. Eric became a Dive Control Specialist in 2003 and is now working on his Instructor certification.
Born Lincoln, Nebraska, Eric is still a Huskers fan. You can also find him parked in front of “Larry, the Cable Guy!” He originally moved to Colorado as a part of the U.S. Olympic shooting team, making it to the 1996 trials in Atlanta, before discovering scuba as his primary passion. Eric received his bachelor’s degree in food science from the University of Nebraska for food science major and completed a Colorado Institute of Art for Culinary Arts advanced degree.
He explains his love of diving. “As in life, the ocean offers endless possibilities.” |
|
Gary Upchurch
Dive Control Specialist
Gary started diving in August 2003 and within a year had completed his Master Diver certification and earned his Dive Control Specialist certification. Gary’s nearly 200 dives have been undertaken in Cozumel, The Bahamas, The Caymans, Grand Turk, Bonaire, The Blue Hole, Belize, Roatan, Catalina Island, and the Sea of Cortez. He has also earned specialty certifications in Boat Diving, Deep Diving, Navigation, Night/Limited Visibility, Stress and Rescue & TDI Nitrox.
Gary graduated from Duke University in 1982 and owns a successful oil cleaning franchise in Denver. |
|
Gregory Oberley
Dive Control Specialist
Greg Oberley’s professional life revolves around water. As an executive with the Environmental Protection Agency in Region 8, Greg’s expertise is water use. As a dive professional, Greg’s interests include Carribean diving and underwater photography. As Denver Divers develops an underwater photography program, Greg’s photography knowledge will be invaluable.
Greg has experience diving some unusual spots still close to Denver. Ask him about diving the Socorro Islands (Revillagigedos Islands) in Baja Mexico; Mahaual and Banko Chinchoro in Mexico on the border with Belize; and the San Juan Islands of Puget Sound.
He received his B.S. in Geology at the University of Southern Colorado and his M.S. in Environmental Science at the University of Colorado. |
|
Kim Rogers
Dive Control Specialist
Kim Rogers’ first dive experience was in Bodrum, Turkey – the site of a rather unfortunate experience with a sea urchin. She didn't return to the water until she moved back to the United States from England, graduated from University of Maryland, and completed law school at DU. In June 2004, Kim received her open water pool and classroom training at Denver Divers. She did her certification dives in Cozumel and quickly fell in love with the island - above and below the water. Kim received her Dive Control Specialist certification in August 2006 and returns to Cozumel to blow bubbles as often as possible. Kim’s long term goal is to complete her instructor certification in 2010 and, someday, call Cozumel "home". |
|
Lin Szydlo
Dive Control Specialist
In addition to being the heart and soul of Denver Divers’ Club Aquarius, Lin is frequently seen teaching at the shop. Her passion led her to become Denver Diver’s first SSI Master Diver in 2006. In 2008, Lin was certified as an SDI Solo Diver – another first.
During surface intervals Lin likes to raft, hike, read, bike and explore canyon country. To support her habit, Lin works in mortgage banking.
She claims she got “hooked” on scuba diving in Cozumel and returns frequently. |
|
Mark Mulligan
Dive Control Specialist
“I received my open water certification in 1988 in Hawaii because snorkeling just wasn’t enough,” reports Mark Mulligan. After a long career pause, Mark returned to the pursuit with a vengeance. He received his Master Diver certification in 2001 and his teaching certification in 2007. Mark has certifications in five specialties, including wreck diving. When Mark is landlocked, he volunteers at Denver’s Downtown Aquarium, diving, supporting the Rocky Mountain Streams exhibits and portraying SCUBA Santa! About working with students, Mark “…loves working with beginners - especially as they take their first breath under water.”
Mark has an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA, and an MBA from the University of Maryland. |
|
Phillip Bell
Dive Control Specialist
Phillip Bell learned to dive at Denver Divers and earned his Dive Control Specialist certification in 2004. Phil has recently applied his Colorado School of Mines engineering degree to further his understanding of technical diving and underwater photography. He has earned certifications in ten SSI advanced classes since 2002, and continues to dive whenever he has a chance. |
|
Sandy Martin
Dive Control Specialist
Sandy Martin received her Dive Control Specialist certification very recently, after years of study and loyalty to her task in the midst of ownership change at Denver Divers. Just since January 2001, Sandy has been diving in Bonaire, Belize, the Florida Keys, Little Cayman, Cozumel, Saba, St. Martin, the Channel Islands, Fiji, Komodo, Indonesia and Pemba, Tanzania.
Sandy is a Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado (AMC). She received her bachelor’s degree in human biology and her PhD in biochemisty. |
|
Tonita Young
Dive Control Specialist
Tonita Young has a zest for living, and she’s generally more than willing to share her enthusiasm for diving with her students. “I love to see the little stuff underwater, like nudibranchs and shrimp. I've seen the reflection of shrimp eyes that looked like Christmas lights around a rock, and I love looking through my book on reef fish before going on an underwater treasure hunt!” she says.
Tonita started diving 2001, becoming a Dive Control Specialist and Sea Signs Instructor in 2005. Her bachelor’s degree in Spanish helps on dive trips. Tonita also earned an MBA. |
|
Troy Leach
Dive Control Specialist
Troy Leach joins Sandy Martin as Denver Divers’ newest addition to the teaching staff. Troy’s love of diving has grown exponentially. He became open water certified in 2007 and has since received certifications in First Aid/CPR, Dan-Oxygen, Nitrox, Deep Diving, Computer, Search & Recovery, Navigation, Night & Limited Visibility, Wreck Diving and Stress & Rescue. And to think it was his wife who wanted to dive…
Troy is a trained architect working as a general contractor to support his diving. He has been the primary contributor to the changes at Denver Divers, making his home away from home a much nicer, warmer place!
Troy says, “I take pride in my hobby and want to convey the wonder of diving by teaching it to others to enjoy. “ |
|
Wade Welch
Dive Control Specialist
After taking a short break from diving to greet his new baby son, Wade has returned to his teaching role at Denver Divers. Wade was originally certified in 2001 and has tucked more than 300 dives under his belt since then. Among the many dive sites Wade has frequented throughout the Carribean, Roatan remains his favorite destination.
Wade attended Colorado State University and currently serves as a Sales Representative for Atrium Windows. |
|
William Anthony (Tony) Wilkins
Dive Control Specialist
Tony Wilkins is a very interesting guy. It’s the stuff he cannot tell you that makes him intriguing. What he will tell you about, until you say “uncle!” is diving.
His first dive was a “Try SCUBA” on the Great Barrier Reef while on a vacation in Australia in 2002. Since then he has earned a strong of advanced certifications and added lots of stamps to his passport.
Since becoming open water certified at Denver Divers in September 2004, Tony earned certifications in Advanced Open Water, Boat Diving, Deep Diving, Underwater Navigation, Stress and Rescue, Master Diver, Dive Control Specialist, and is certified as a SCUBAPRO service technician.
His diving experience includes Cozumel and the Sea of Cortez in Mexico; Baja California; Kadavu, Fiji; Roatan, Honduras; Grand Cayman; and Belize.
Tony earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of the State of New York. |
![]()
|
Jody Gamel
Bio coming soon... |
|
©2009 Denver Divers. All Rights Reserved. | 557 Milwaukee Street, Denver Colorado 80206 | 303-399-2877