About Steve Vanik

Welcome to Divespecialist!

For those I have not had the pleasure of meeting, I taught 'safe scuba' from 1975 after graduating from the NASDS Instructor's College in San Diego until my retirement from scuba instruction a few years ago. ('Safe scuba' meaning no accidents or injuries during the instructional process or afterward to the divers I trained and certified during my entire career. That is, as we say, the Bottom Line!)

My interest in diving began as a young man free diving in the chilly waters of the Northeastern US primarily to spear fish. Always being aquatically inclined, I earned my Mile Swim from the Boy Scouts at age 14 and was working as a lifeguard at age 16. After receiving my first scuba certification at Joe Dorsey's Diver's Den in Baltimore, MD I found myself enrolled at the NASDS Instructor's College (aka the Greenhouse) in San Diego CA in 1975. From there I wound up in south Florida working in local dive shops and eventually opening Blue Water Dive Center in 1980.

My Instructor Background:

• Graduated OWIC-275 from the NASDS Instructor's College San Diego, California in 1975.

• PADI Instructor #6749 in 1976 with the following specialties: Deep Diving • Equipment Specialist • Navigation • Night Diving • Search and Recovery • U/W Hunting & Collecting • U/W Photography • Wreck Diving.

• CMAS (World Underwater Federation) International Instructor in 1977.

• United States Coast Guard Master's License issued in 1987.

• SSI Advanced Open Water Instructor #3821 in 1989 with the following specialties: Boat Diving • Computer Diving • Deep Diving • Drysuit Diving • Equipment • Navigation • Night & Low Visibility Diving • Search & Recovery • Spearfishing • Stress/Rescue • U/W Photography • Waves, Tides & Currents • Wreck Diving.

• SSI Platinum Pro 5000 Instructor Award in 1995, the first year the award was given.

• SSI Dive Control Specialist Instructor #534 in 1990.

• NASDS Open Water Instructor Trainer #124 in 1998.

• SSI Platinum Pro 5000 Diver Award (5000+ dives logged) in 1999.

• PDIC International Instructor #75336 in 2000. • PDIC International Nitrox Instructor #1863 in 2000.

About Patricia McAvoy-Vanik

Patty joined Blue Water in 1983 rapidly advancing from Open Water Diver to Instructor. She ran our Club Aquarius dive club in addition to teaching classes, running dive charters, and working in the shop.

Patty's Instructor Background:

• NASDS OWI-2162 San Diego, California in 1984 with all NASDS specialties.

• United States Coast Guard Master's License issued in 1987.

• SSI Advanced Open Water Instructor #3820 in 1989 with the following specialties: Boat Diving • Computer Diving • Deep Diving • Drysuit Diving • Equipment • Navigation •Night & Low Visibility Diving • Search & Recovery • Spearfishing • Stress/Rescue •U/W Photography • Waves, Tides & Currents • Wreck Diving.

• SSI Platinum Pro 1000 Diver Award (1000+ logged dives) in 1998.

• SSI Platinum Pro 1000 Instructor Award (1000+ students taught) in 1999.

• PDIC International Instructor #75332 in 2000.

• PDIC International Nitrox Instructor #1229 in 2000.

About Blue Water Scuba Centre

Steve opened Blue Water Dive Center as a full service pro dive school/store in Dania Florida in 1980 and after a few years moved the shop to nearby Hollywood. The name eventually changed to Blue Water Scuba Schools and finally Blue Water Scuba Centre. In more recent years Blue Water Scuba evolved into an online repair service after discovering there were more divers in need of our services in land locked areas outside of Florida then there were locally. For a stroll down memory lane, photo galleries of the shop over the years and through its various transformations can be found here: COMING SOON.