MEET THE STAFF

Greg has had 40 years of diving experience and has personally instructed thousands of diving enthusiasts. He’s operated the Vancouver Diving Locker since 1972.
Greg and the dedicated Diving Locker crew will provide you with friendly, knowledgeable equipment services, guided diving adventures and world recognized scuba certifications.

Greg has degrees in physical education and marketing, and ensures customers get top value, and excellent service when they do business with The Diving Locker.

He is presently enjoying semi-retirement and if he’s not in the shop, you can usually find him on the golf course!

Chelsea is a certified instructor and has been diving for almost 10 years. She has been diving all over the Caribbean, and spent quite a few months in Thailand, but her favorite place to dive is right here in British Columbia! She’s been at The Diving Locker for almost 8 years. Her favorite part of her job is helping divers choose what gear to buy! You can find her in the shop Tuesday-Saturday, where she’d be more than happy to help you with all your diving and equipment needs. She loves night diving and has a huge passion in underwater photography.

Professional Qualifications:

Open Water Instructor, Care for Children w/ AED Instructor, EFR Instructor.

Specialty Instructor Ratings:

Drysuit, Night, Digital U/W Photography, Underwater Naturalist, Nitrox, Peak Performance Buoyancy

Paul has been diving for over 10 years, and began in the chilly waters of Puget Sound (Seattle). He worked and earned his Instructor rating in Roatan, Honduras.

Paul’s passion in diving has taken him to both sides of the Pacific and many islands in between. He has also had the opportunity to dive all over Mexico and the Caribbean. He would be happy to help you add to your diving experience. You can find him in the classroom and pool in the evenings, and in the ocean most every weekend.

Professional Qualifications:
Staff Instructor, Care for Children w/ AED Instructor, EFR Instructor.

Specialty Instructor Ratings:
Drysuit, Deep, Digital U/W Photography, Nitrox, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Shark Diver, Search & Recovery, Underwater Navigation, Wreck.

Tess has been diving over 10 years now, German background, left Vancouver twice and returned on a permanent visa the third time to make the beautiful Emerald sea her final home. She just cant live without her drysuit anymore.

An absolute passion for our local coast and full of energy and enthusiasm, Tess is taking care of our social media, local trips and activities trying to keep our divers busy exploring. You can also find her out teaching courses, on the retail floor and in our beautiful upstairs space for workshops and shop talks.

Needing some assistance with your adventure life, she is the right girl to talk to!

Professional Qualifications:
Master Scuba Diver Trainer, EFR Instructor, Care for Children w/AED Instructor

Specialty Instructor Ratings:
Night, Deep, Wreck, Equipment, Self-Reliant Diver, Nitrox,  Drysuit, O2 Provider, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Project Aware, Emergency First Response

“One day I’m going to travel the world and see all the animals” – Matt age 3
Matt strapped on a tank in search of more animals 8 years ago. This quest has taken him all across the world from Australia to Italy, Fiji to Thailand and everywhere in between! Lucky for us, he landed in Vancouver, and decided to stick around for a little while!

Taking a course with us? Matt will most likely be one of the many friendly faces you will find here. His patience, sense of humor, and british accent (just don’t call him an aussie!) make him a valuable part of our instructional team!

Professional Qualifications:
Master Scuba Diver Trainer, EFR Instructor, Care for Children w/AED Instructor

Specialty Instructor Ratings:
Emergency Oxygen Provider, Drysuit, Night, Wreck, Deep, Navigation, Naturalist, Peak Performance Buoyancy

Iveta has a Masters Degree in Economics, and has experience working as a marketing assistant with a variety of dive gear manufacturers, including BARE in the Czech Republic!

She has always had a passion for the water, and when she completed her PADI Open Water in 2012, she was hooked! Since then she has dove and traveled all around New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Europe, Hawaii and Mexico. When not diving she is paddling Dragonboat, playing beach volleyball, surfing, hiking, climbing , SUP or skiing.

If you’ve noticed an improvement in our website graphics and brochures, flyers, etc. it’s because of her! She’s our marketing secret weapon You can find her working away on her computer in the store Monday-Friday.

Qualifications:
Divemaster, Equipment Specialty, Drysuit Specialty, Underwater Navigation Specialty, Sherwood Service Technician

Drew never achieved his childhood dream of becoming a belly dancer. Diving seemed like the next logical step. He is now a certified instructor and service technician and loves every minute of it. Ask him to go for a dive and the answer will always be yes! Any day in the water is a good day.

Professional Qualifications:
Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Equipment Specialty, Night Diver Specialty, Nitrox Specialty, Drysuit Specialty, Deep Diver Specialty, EFR Instructor, Scubapro, Mares, Sherwood Service Technician

Growing up on Bowen Island, Ashley spent the majority of her childhood in the water. In adulthood, she strives to do the same. She received a degree in Environmental Science from UBC, and is very passionate about coastal conservation. She started diving here at the Diving Locker, and has since travelled around the world, diving and working on marine conservation projects in places such as the Seychelles, Oman, and Indonesia. She returned to Vancouver to become an Instructor, and hasn’t looked back since. If she isn’t diving or working in the shop, you can probably find her hanging out with plants at her second job as a horticulturalist (or binge watching Blue Planet). She’s always down for an adventure, so if you ever want to go for a night dive (or binge watch Blue Planet) her answer will definitely be heck yes. 

Professional Qualifications:
Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Equipment Specialty, Wreck Diver Specialty, Nitrox Specialty, Drysuit Specialty, EFR Instructor, Scubapro, Service Technician, Emergency Oxygen Provider

Growing up in Northern Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan Makenna always was intrigued by the Ocean.  The mucky lakes her parents got her to were not doing the trick. Makenna was always looking for the next adventure and always on the move. She found a passion for travelling and naturally diving caught her interest. She decided to follow her passion and see where it would take her. She landed herself in Koh Tao Thailand, with no return ticket. There she fell in love with Diving and eventually got her Dive Master certification. She has been chasing this dream ever since. She knew when she got home she had to pursue it further. Makenna found herself with a job at the Vancouver Diving Locker (been stuck with her ever since ) and moved forward getting her Instructors. If she isn’t out on some dives you can find her in the shop. Her passion is interacting with students and watching them conquer there fears. She works hard to make sure students have some laughs and have some fun during the course. Not only does she love teaching she also loves helping out our customers on the sales floor. You can find her juggling emails, phone calls, and equipment sales in the shop. 

Professional Qualifications:
Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Equipment Specialty, Fish ID Specialty, Nitrox Specialty, Drysuit Specialty, EFR Instructor, Scubapro, Service Technician, Emergency Oxygen Provider