Staff
ALEX DESHAZER - INSTRUCTOR (NAUI), OWNER
Alex has over 16 years of diving experience with NAUI, PADI, and NACD diving the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf and Florida Springs. Born and raised in Southern California Alex traveled extensively until he made Orlando his permanent residence after the birth of his twins at Florida Hospital South. Alex's priority is to enable people to enjoy underwater activities as safely as possible by providing the highest quality education. Along with owning and operating ADI, Alex still finds time to act as Dive Master and tour guide for Walt Disney's Dive Quest program at the Living Seas.
SPECIALTY: Underwater Photography; Underwater Videography; Wreck Diving; Kelp Diving; PSI Inspector for VCI, O2 and Valve Repair; Ocean Technology Systems, Atomic Aquatics and Zeagle Certified Repair Technician.
JAMES PENNOCK - INSTRUCTOR (NAUI), OWNER
James received his certification as a NAUI scuba instructor in 1988 while serving in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division. He was deployed to Sinai, Egypt for a year where he logged over 1,000 hours bottom time in the Red Sea and trained over 500 U.S. and U.N. soldiers how to scuba dive. While in Egypt, James received a Letter of Commendation for his actions in a scuba rescue emergency. His accomplishments include winning the Rescue Diver portion of the National Public Safety Divers Forum for 3 consecutive years and being awarded the rank of Public Safety Dive Professional - Master Rescue Diver.
SPECIALTY: Search & Recovery, Rescue Diving
AMBER WHITMER - ONLINE DIVE SITE COORDINATOR
Born in Virginia Beach and child of a Naval officer, Amber is an ADI trained Advanced Diver and ADI Adventurer. Amber enjoys seeing the world from a different perspective through diving and flying. Her life goal from age five is to visit and dive every continent, including Antarctica. Amber has taken on the role of ADI Online Dive Site Coordinator, sharing her love for diving and exploring, by showing the world with the ADI Dive Site Library how to experience it.
ACADEMIC ADVISORY PANEL
DR. THOMAS FISHER - ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Dr. Thomas Fisher is Graduate Program Coordinator of the Health/Wellness and Applied Exercise Physiology Program as well as Graduate and Undergraduate Instructor in Applied Exercise Physiology and Sports and Fitness at the University of Central Florida. While working as an EMT/Paramedic in Tallahassee, he attended Florida State University. After moving to Orlando, he graduated from FTU/UCF with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology in 1981. Dr. Fisher served from 1981-1986 as a Naval Aviator and qualified as both a fixed wing & rotary wing pilot. He obtained his first Master’s Degree in 1989 from Rollins College in Counseling Psychology & Human Development. In 1993, he earned his second Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from UCF. He was awarded his Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction in Exercise Sciences from UCF in 2003. He has been actively involved in diving since his initial Open Water Certification in 1972, and currently holds a Dive Master Certification through the National Association of Underwater Instructors.
DR. LARRY DESHAZER - ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Dr. Larry DeShazer, a diver since 1966 through Los Angeles County, served as a Liaison Scientist for the U.S. Office of Naval Research in London assisting U.S. scientists in establishing European contacts, developing many international contacts. He had tenure at the University of Southern California in the departments of physics, electrical engineering and materials science as a teaching and research professor of laser physics and quantum electronics, serving for 13 years. He founded the Center for Laser Studies at USC, an applied research organization interfacing between the university and industry. Larry has extensive experience in industry working for McDonnell Douglas Aerospace as division director, and Hughes Research Labs in Malibu as head of laser optical materials section. Larry received a Ph.D. in physics at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. He is Fellow of the Optical Society of America and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers with the citation, "for contributions to fundamental research in laser spectroscopy of rare-earth and transition-metal solids and the development of lasers using these materials." Larry was awarded the NASA Certificate of Recognition for Technical Innovation in Thermophotovoltaics.
