Banned together by their passion of teaching the recreational sport they love, five scuba instructors launch their new adventure Davy Jones Explorers, a full service RAID certified dive center serving the greater Houston area.
“We have long lived by the code ‘why not???’ said crew leader Barbara Thompson with a smile that showed a warmth for the endeavor. “We have a long history of working together, collaborate on the best practices for every student we come into contact with, and have a shared desire to share the underwater world with anyone and everyone that is interested at every ability level.”
Depth of Experience
Instructors include Thompson who is a RAID Instructor Certifier and RAIDaptive Instructor Trainer, Sophie Wimberley, an SSI Instructor Trainer and SSI Classified Instructor Trainer, Gillian Tilbury, John Oldmixon and Jean Jones, all three RAID Open Water Instructors and RAIDaptive Instructors.
“It’s just who we are,” said Sophie Wimberley. “With this background in the industry and the fact that Barbara and I were co-authors on the SSI and Raid adaptive diver certification standards, it’s been a lifelong adventure, and this takes it to a whole new level.”
All About Relationships
“We take this bold step thanks to the people we have partnered with along the way, we can’t say enough about working with RAID as a training agency, and we are excited to be working with Scuba Gear Services, LLC to service and repair all dive equipment for our crew and our students,” Thompson continued. “Our dive center will also be teaching DAN First Aid, O2 and Pro Programs and encouraging our students to use Divers Alert Network (DAN) for dive and travel insurance.”
Dive Pirates Foundation Chapter
As all instructors teach adaptive scuba and assist with The Dive Pirates Foundation, it was a natural fit for Davy Jones Explorers to be a chapter for the Foundation celebrating adaptive diving for more than 20 years; winning the “Chapter of the Year” award from the Foundation at its gala this spring, the new dive center’s first mention on the public stage. In the background the group was finalizing its launch, preparing for today’s announcement.
What’s Next
In the coming weeks Davy Jones Explorers will be announcing a region-wide adaptive buddy training event. Details will be announced on the chapter’s Facebook page, Linked In and website.
Davy Jones Explorers is a RAID Dive Center qualified to teach Recreational Scuba Diving from Try Scuba experience all the way through Instructor Training, both for Open Water divers and Adaptive divers and their buddies. For more information go to DavyJonesExplorers.com.
