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Meet the Crew

We are a family business and the best part of that, is the large dive family that shares our love of the underwater world! The professional staff here at Stuart Scuba have many years of dive experience and are waiting to share that with you.

In the Shop:

 

Peter Friedman 

Peter has been scuba diving both recreationally and technically since the 1970’s in New York and New England. Peter is also an avid cave diver and Cave instructor. An Electrical Engineer by trade he opened his first dive shop in the Orlando area in 2004 and divided his time between his engineering company and the dive shop. In 2011 Peter and his local Martin County partner opened another store, Stuart Scuba and shared the time between the dive shops and their primary occupations. Not long after opening Stuart Scuba Peter sold his engineering company and retired to work exclusively in the diving industry. Peter currently holds instructorships in multiple recreational agencies (NAUI, SDI, IANTD, DAN PADI) with Course Director Level and Course Examiner level instructorships in NAUI, SDI/ and TDI. Peter teaches and holds certifications for Cave, Multiple models of Rebreathers and Technical instruction with TDI, NACD, IANTD and NSSCDS he continues to be a very active Technical diving Instructor, Instructor Development instructor and is the Director of Operations in both dive shops.

 

Matt Siegel – Operations Manager

Matt has been scuba diving and managing the complexities of the dive business for nearly a decade. You will find Matt an excellent diver when you dive with him, but more importantly, he knows about recommending the right dive equipment, training, and dive sites. So feel free to avail yourself of his expertise and concern for customer satisfaction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephanie McGrath - Instructor/Training Supervisor

Stephanie comes to us from North Carolina. She began diving in 2000 in Honduras while studying for her geology degree. She even lived in Roatan, Honduras in 2006 for a Divemaster internship with Subway Watersports. Stephanie then became a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor later in 2006 with Rainbow Reef in Key Largo, FL. She taught for three years with Bermuda Triangle in Asheville, NC (diving in Lake Jocassee…ew). Stephanie also was a full-time high school science teacher in North Carolina for 10 years before moving to Florida with her husband Dustin in 2014 and crossing over to SDI in 2015. When she’s not in the shop or teaching, you’ll find her in the gym (watch out, she’ll kick your butt), or chasing around her son or crazy dogs, and her wallaby, Mick.

 

Su Hallenbeck - Instructor

Originally from Ohio, Su learned to dive in 2012 in Northern Virginia on a whim before a vacation. However, after trading the dark quarry of her certification for the bright blue water in Costa Rica, she was hooked for life. Su became a PADI divemaster in 2016, an instructor in 2017, and PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer in 2018. She is also cross-certified as an instructor through SDI. After moving with her husband, Bill (also a diver) from the DC area to Port St. Lucie, Su joined the instructors at Stuart Scuba and is now "living the dream." Her dive travels have taken her to the Philippines, Central America, Mexico, the Middle East, Hawai'i, and all over the Caribbean. Her favorite dive experience so far was watching a whale shark off the Tubbataha Reef at 60 feet. Su loves to teach Open Water so she can introduce students to their superpower: flying undewater! She's also a bit of an "eel whisperer," so if you want to know where the eels are, just follow her!    

 

In the Water:

 

Christy Campbell – Instructor Trainer

Christy started diving in 1989 off the coast of San Diego. After taking a twenty one year long hiatus from diving to attend school and pursue a career Christy moved to Florida 2001 taking a position with a local area Dentist. Christy returned to diving some years later by being recertified as an Open Water Diver. As luck would have it Christy’s PADI Instructor was actually a PADI Course Director that mentored what turned out to be her part time occupation all the way to achieving certification as a Scuba Instructor. Christy is an avid underwater photographer and leads dive trips all over the world.

 

 

 

Paul Seldes – Course Director

Paul Seldes took his first NAUI dive class in 1978. He can often be found serving as crew or guiding dive trips along Florida’s Treasure Coast with Stuart Scuba. He is an SDI Course Director and dive instructor for most SDI specialty classes, a TDI Technical Dive Instructor, and a NAUI instructor. He holds advanced training certifications in dive medicine, search & rescue, and emergency response. When he is not diving, Paul works for a government contractor providing homeland security and emergency management services. Paul also holds certifications in Fire/Rescue, EMS and law enforcement and is a certified Florida Professional Emergency Manager (FPEM) and a Florida State Fire College Instructor.

 

Shawn Robotka - Technical Instructor

  

Mr. Robotka is one of our resident technical instructors and has a fondness for seals and sea lions. He is a Staff Instructor and is certified to teach all levels of recreational and technical diving including Advanced Trimix on both open circuit and multiple closed circuit rebreather units. Shawn's favorite dive spot to date is the Ande wreck out of Palm Beach that sits in 195' of water.

 

 

Jennifer Jennings - Technical Instructor/Crew

Jennifer is  from the Philadelphia area, Bucks County northeast of the city.  Just an hour away from the New Jersey shore and an hour away from Dutch Springs, a lake in Bethlehem, PA!  This is where much of her diving experience has come from. She has been diving for 27 years and began that journey when she was just 14 years old.  Her parents took her on a trip to St. Maarten where she got to experience a Discover Scuba course.  It was something Jennifer had always wanted to do, and finally had the opportunity to try it.  After that experience, she knew she needed more diving in her life.  It was that summer that Jennifer received her Open Water Diver certification at Dutch Springs.  Each summer from then on, she would take a continuing education course or two in order to continue diving and gain experience.  In June of 2003 Jennifer became an Instructor and is currently an Instructor for both PADI and SDI/TDI teaching courses from entry level through technical diving including the Inspiration closed circuit rebreather. Jennifer is also the operations manager for Silent Diving LLC, the exclusive distributor for the AP Diving Inspiration Closed Circuit Rebreathers and all Ambient Pressure Diving LTD products for North America, Central America and the Caribbean  Outside of diving, Jennifer also gone through college and has earned an MBA. Jennifer loves the deep walls of the Cayman Islands,  the ease of shore diving in Bonaire, and North Carolina’s amazing wrecks from WWI and WWII. Sea turtles are her favorite creature that graces the underwater world.

 

Nick Barrett - PADI IDC Staff Instructor/SDI Instructor 

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Donna Barrett - PADI MSDT/SDI Instructor

Nick and Donna are originally from Washington DC area but are now retired from Corporate America living the dream in South Florida. Nick and Donna have been diving over 15 years, and they have both been Instructors for over 10 years. They love teaching Rescue Divers, Nick says,  “it’s one of the most valuable life lesson courses for the whole family, it teaches you how to mitigate risks, and calmly assist in all types emergency situation, even when you are not diving. I was with a group of coworkers at lunch, a stranger in the restaurant started having a fit. I calmly used my Emergency First Responder training, while all around stood frozen. My reward for my service as well as assisting was extra special VIP treatment at that restaurant whenever I returned.” Donna says, “once we started diving we both knew immediately what our future looked like and it helped us plan and implement our retirement goals”. Nick and Donna’s favorite Diving is reefs and wrecks, they have dived all over the world and try to plan an annual bucket list dive trip every year. Both are accomplished sailors and own their own Sailboat. “We regularly make the short hop to the Bahamas just 60 miles away and you guessed it while we are there we enjoy the local diving around the islands. I think you could say we are Shark Dive junkies. Any chance we get to be in close proximity to these fantastic creatures  is a bonus.” Favorite Dive Sites: Bonaire, Indonesia Wakatobi, British Virgin Islands, Micronesia Palau and Yap, Bimini Bahamas.

 

 

Rich Barrett - IDC Staff Instructor

Rich is originally from the Baltimore / Washington DC area.  Rich earned his Open Water certification on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns Australia.  Rich went on to become a PADI IDC Staff Instructor, SDI/TDI Instructor, and DAN Instructor.  After conducting hundreds of training dives at Dutch Springs in Pennsylvania, Rich moved to Florida to dive and teach in warmer waters.  Rich has enjoyed diving in Bonaire, Australia, Mexico, Roatan Honduras, Dominica, Puerto Rico, and Turks and Caicos. Rich loves shore diving in Bonaire, recreational wreck diving off North Carolina, and technical wreck diving.

 

On the Boat:

 

 

Brad Kassay - USCG Captain/ Instructor 

Brad is originally from Chicago and has been diving for more than two decades. He holds his USCG 100-ton Master License as well as Instructor qualifications from both SDI and PADI. When he’s not captaining or crewing with us, he drives and dives for a salvage operation based here on Florida’s Treasure Coast. Best dives sites for Brad have been anything on Cayman Brac where you can find the Caribbean Reef Squid, or locally he recommends Lemon drop off Juno Ledge. If you’re lucky enough to dive with him, you’ll be sure to see his lobster hunting skills in action.

 

 

 

Scott Stulb – USCG Master/Captain, SDI Instructor, PADI MSDT

Scott’s lifelong love and respect for ‘Mother Ocean’ runs deep. He grew up on the bay of Shark River & the beaches of Avon by the Sea & Belmar, NJ. His first childhood memory was being in the Ocean with his parents. Scott was baptized by his pastor in the Ocean. His childhood hero & inspiration was, and still is, Jacques Cousteau. Scott began diving in 1982, and finally got certified in 1984. He’s dove the jetties and shipwrecks of the Jersey Shore and worked in Ocean Rescue for 6 years. He then enlisted and served as a U.S. Marine (infantry), and was eventually placed on Disability Retirement due to injuries sustained in Combat Operations, Middle East. He eventually healed and returned to his passion of diving. Scott has worked for dive centers throughout the Caribbean as a Divemaster, Instructor, and boat Captain and most recently worked as a diver at The National Aquarium in Baltimore. He was also training County Sheriff Deputies and firemen for their dive teams in West Virginia.

He now resides in Martin County with his wife and daughter, who are both certified divers. Scott is now part of our amazing crew at Stuart Scuba.

 

 

 

Mark Nevin – USCG Master/Captain, Technical Instructor 

Mark is an avid technical diver, Rebreather Instructor and 100-ton captain. He enjoys sharing his knowledge of diving and decompression theory with his students and clients. Some of his favorite dive spots in West Palm Beach are Shark Canyon, The Ande, Korimu, and Sloan’s Curve. If Mark isn’t driving the dive boat, guiding dives, or teaching rebreather, you will find him with his camera or diving in caves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jay Perreault - Instructor/ Divemaster/ Guide

Jay grew up in the New England and lived in Northern Virginia before relocating to Port St Lucie in the spring of 2019. He was fortunate to discover scuba diving in 2003 while in Cancun, and he continued to dive strictly as an open water diver for many years before expanding his diving knowledge and experience. He later became a Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, and finally on to Instructor for SDI and PADI. He very much enjoys helping nervous divers overcome their anxieties. Diving locally, Jay enjoys the Juno Ledge and the numerous wrecks and artificial reefs including the Ana Cecilia. Jay’s top aquatic creature is the Scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae) whose yellow eyes shine so brightly against a dark backdrop in photographs. Don’t blink or you may miss them due to their superior camouflage. Jay is never without a smile and dry sense of humor. Look out for him guiding on our charters!!

 

 

 

 

 Kyle Durjan - Divemaster

Kyle is a local hailing from Palm City! His entire family has always been into diving starting him at a young age in the pool with his grandparents. Kyle has been more seriously diving for over a decade progressing from Open Water through Rescue and stage decompression. His favorite dive sites include Jupiter’s deep ledge and The Rankin. Kyle is an avid hunter, and his top aquatic life is anything that tastes delicious!! Outside of diving, Kyle enjoys hunting, fishing, mountain biking, kayaking, he is a Fire Fighter and builds boats!!  

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