Terry Stephens - Instructor

How long have you been diving?

I have been diving since 1987.

What type of diving activities do you enjoy?

I love diving on any of the world’s coral reef system!  I have always had an interest in marine biology and I am simply fascinated with marine life behavior.  I enjoy learning about and then watching the unique (and often bizarre) life cycles of fish / creatures that inhabit coral reefs.  I particularly enjoy underwater photography – something that has proven to be both a challenging and a rewarding activity!   After logging well over 510 open water dives, I have yet to have had a dive I didn’t enjoy! 

Where have you been diving? ( ) = weeks on location.  Noted only if more than 1 week at destination.

Aruba, Barbados, Bimini (Western outer islands of the Bahamas) (7), Bonaire (3), Bonne Terre Mines, Cancun (3), Channel Islands (California), Cozumel (3), Freeport, Bahamas,  Galapagos Islands, Grand Cayman (3), Hawaii – both Oahu and the “Big” island of Hawaii (3), Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Monterey, CA (3), Oronogo (Missouri), Placentia (Belize), Port Lucaya, Bahamas, St. John, USVI, St. Maartin, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, USVI, Stockton Lake, Table Rock Lake (too numerous to count), Utila (Bay Islands, Honduras), Weeki Wachee Springs, FL and West Palm Beach, FL (6).

What was the most challenging skill for you to complete during your open water training?

Mask removal and clearing proved difficult for me at first.  After a little practice with my airway control, I was able to master the skill and I actually enjoy doing it now.      

Why did you become an Instructor?

I thoroughly enjoy the sport and I find it rewarding to help others learn how to do something for which I have a passion.   I also liked learning new things about diving along the way to my instructor certification – which made my journey toward my instructor rating as much fun as teaching the sport to new divers.  

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

To help students master the skills necessary for them to become a safe diver and then watching them increase their comfort level while diving on SCUBA.  It is also rewarding to watch students have as much fun underwater as I have when I dive.

How do you stay current with the changes in diver education?

I remain current by continuing my education.  I enrolled in PADI / SSI course certification advancement courses as I made continuous progress toward my PADI and SSI Advanced Open Water Instructor certification.  I read the standards update provided by both PADI and SSI and I enter all new information into my Instructors Manual.  I also read the DAN publications on diver safety on a monthly basis as well as other diving related journals. 

What courses are you certified to teach?

As both a PADI Open Water Instructor and a SSI Advanced Open Water Instructor, I am certified to instruct Try Scuba, Discover Snorkeling, Scuba Skills Update, Advanced Open Water, Stress and Rescue, Rescue Diver, perform dive site orientations as well as conduct all portions of the classroom / pool / open water instruction for Open Water Scuba Diver and Advanced Open Water certifications.  I am also certified to instruct a number of SSI Specialties, including Enriched Air Nitrox, Underwater Photography, Wreck Diving, Underwater Navigation, Limited Visibility, Deep Diving and Search and Recovery. 

My current certifications include SSI Open Water Diver, PADI Advanced Open Water, PADI Rescue Diver, PADI Divemaster, SSI Dive Control Specialist (DiveCon), PADI Assistant Instructor, PADI Open Water Instructor, SSI Open Water Instructor and SSI Advanced Open Water Instructor.  I also hold Oxygen First Aid, DAN O2 Provider, Emergency First Responder, Gas Blender - Nitrox and Enriched Air Nitrox, certifications.