ALEXANDRIA LEONARD

Born and raised in the US, I've been lucky enough to dive all over the world, live in several different countries, and learn so much in the process.  I've been diving for about 5 years, and I love sharing my passion with others and helping them discover the other world that lies beneath the waves. Working in New Zealand has given me the chance to make many new friends, but I love and welcome the opportunity to make more!  There are three things I love about diving: I love wrecks.  I love promoting environmental awareness. And I love a challenge. http://diverkat.wordpress.com/

TRISH KEEFER

I am Director of Marketing for Ocean Enterprises in San Diego. I have been diving since 1992 and am Rescue Certified.  I have dived all over San Diego and have also dived in the Philippines for Whale Shark and Black-tip Reef Shark research, and for fun in Fiji.  It is my dream to dive all over the world, and to make a difference in our environment through marine biology education.  I hope to encourage other divers to adopt the motto I hold close to my heart, "Dive with Purpose."  I would love to hear from other women interested in diving and traveling.  http://www.oceanenterprises.com

LANA McGLYNN

I am a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and owner of Diving Divas.  I am a perfect example of it is never too late to take up the sport of SCUBA diving.  I was 52 when I got my open water certification and found the underwater world so exciting and loved it so much, that in less than two years I became a diving instructor. 

One of the reasons I became an instructor and created Diving Divas is to provide a supportive and nurturing environment for those who wanted to learn to SCUBA, but for whatever reason felt it was not possible--whether through a fear or a physical challenge. Since becoming a certified instructor  I have focused on individual instruction for those potential divers that needed a little extra attention rather than larger classes.

I have enjoyed diving all over the world, from Indonesia to Antarctica and all over the Caribbean.

http://www.DivingDivas.Com

JILL MILLER

I live in Colorado and am a PADI diver since the early 90's. I became an instructor in 2000. I lived and worked on the main island of Providenciales (Provo), Turks and Caicos. I traveled (with my husband) across the Caribbean and Pacific, diving along the way. My favorite dive sites to date are Tons of Sponge in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Galapagos, and the wreck of the Yongala in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. www.underwaterphantaseas.com

I grew up on the water and have never been far from it, falling in love with the ocean before I can even remember. I have spent the last 10 years pursing opportunities that keep me in the water as much as possible and it has been an incredible adventure. Sharks have always been my passion and I have traveled around the globe to work with them, from research with National Geographic on tiger sharks in Western Australia to filming white sharks at Isla Guadalupe. As executive director of Oceanicallstars I am constantly filming, photographing and writing about the conservation of these animals. I am also a writer and curriculum developer for Shark Savers, a PDIC scuba instructor, rebreather diver and underwater model. I never know where I might end up for the next project and I love every minute of it.

KRISTINE ORVELL

I am from San Diego and have been diving for seventeen years.  I was hooked once I dove the beautiful kelp forest at San Clemente Island.  I wanted to learn more about the sport after I got certified so I continued through the classes and became a PADI instructor. I was hired as the Southwest Business Development Manager for Dacor Corporation.  I acquired several other lines of products to represent including Pelican and Deep See.  When the Southwest Sales Representative for Scubapro products retired ten years ago I was hired to take his place.  This was a wonderful change for me as I always secretly dove their product!  While with Scubapro I have had the opportunity to represent them all over the world including Guantanamo Bay Cuba, Japan and Puerto Rico. My current territory includes Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada. www.scubapro.com

Now that I live at the New Jersey Shore, I dive frequently. Born in Jersey City, I never had the opportunity to dive until I married and came to live 6 blocks from the beach. I have been snorkling forever, but only started diving in 2001 after life changing surgery in my late 40's...Sea Hunt was my favorite show and I longed to see life under water.  I am active in New Jersey Historic Divers Association, have been on may archeological digs in New Jersey and Florida. I belong to Shore Aquatics Club and love to wreck dive. The Jersey Shore is littered with wonderful wrecks and artifacts. Its like going on a treasure hunt every time I don either a wet or dry suit. (Water temps are a little chilly here in winter). I have become a  decent fisherwoman and only hunt with a knife and only in season!!!  I have participated in making many artifical reefs. (My buddies and I like to give back what we take. Being a 2nd generation Italian American, mussels from the sea are a family favorite. Dinner from ocean to table in 2 hrs.... I love diving and cant imagine my life without it now...

I am Norwegian, currently living in Oregon, California. One of my nicknames is Plankton, given to me by a marine researcher friend in honor of my desire to wander widely and fluidly over all surfaces of the planet. I've been a certified scuba diver since 1982, back when my life's ambition was to crew on Jacques Cousteau's Calypso.  I enjoy weaving scuba into my chronic addiction to travel, and after 25 years I still find diving a semi-miraculous experience.  I especially like introducing children to the beauty and mysteries of the sea, so that they can help us do a better job of saving our Blue Planet. 

I grew up in the Philippines, now living in th US. I love traveling, boating, scuba diving. I am working on my Divemaster training, but in the past months I was just carrying the book with me to Switzerland, Italy, Orlando, La Paz MX, and Aruba without opening it. I keep it under my pillow hoping for osmosis. I work hard as a CPA, but play even harder when the tax season is over.

NIKKI PIPER

I’m originally from Ohio but moved to sunny California in 1989.  I’ve always loved to travel, meeting new people and absorbing as much about their culture as I could.  When I became scuba certified, my travel destinations changed to mostly coastal locations or had to be on the water, literally.  The Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, Galapagos, Malaysia, and Philippines have all captured my heart.  I’ve been diving since 1996 and made a career of it in 2001 when I became an instructor.  What made me fall in love with diving was combining my ‘snap-shot-mania’ with the amazing world we have to explore under water, and now I’m actually a descent underwater photographer.  I get such a kick showing non-divers pictures of the bizarre and wonderful creatures we as divers get to see. 

MARGO PEYTON

I am a Divemaster and owner of Kids Sea Camp www.kidsseacamp.com My company has been in business 9 years and is all about taking families with kids scuba diving. It is not just for girls or woman, but all children age 4-15 and we do have many single moms with kids that travel with us and we do offer them 10% discount on all our trips.  Kids Sea Camp is geared to teaching kids about the ocean and teaching them to dive and snorkel while parents are diving or also learning to dive. I was a single mom when I started my company after owning and operating Caribbean Adventures and World Dive Adventures for 10 years.  

I was born in London to Betty and Bert. Mum loved the home and dad loved to travel, and boats and water especially. I learned to swim very young. I travelled extensively with and without parents for whole life. I earned a BA in graphic and a/v design in 1988, and worked in film and tv on and off since then. I learned to dive in 1997, and found another love.I became an instructor in 2002, worked in Caribbean, South Pacific and America, but it's a blue planet!

"It's a tough life, but some-one has to dive it!"
www.scubabitches.com