OUR STAFF

Kim Tucker – Owner, OW Instructor, EFR Instructor, Diving since 2005

I started diving when I met my husband. He jokes that it was a criteria for us to be in a relationship. I don’t think it was a joke, but luckily I loved it. It was a whole new world that I never dreamed I would be exploring. I love the fact that as soon as you go under the water every day life just disappears. I enjoyed it so much that my husband and I bought the dive shop. I never would have guessed this is what I would have been doing as a career, but I found my niche where I can do everything I ever wanted to do; teach, work with kids, sign language and travel. I couldn’t think of a more perfect career.

Favorite Dive Location – Ask me in a couple of years. So far I have only experienced Costa Rica (which I love and where I became engaged) and Roatan, which was wonderful (my honeymoon) but my favorite dive site there so far was Spooky Channel. .....Okay I have now been to Bahamas, two of the ABC Islands, Channel Islands, Fiji, Cozumel and they are all my favorites.  I am looking forward to many more.

Terry Tucker – Owner, IDC Staff Instructor, Service Tech, EFR Instructor, EFR Instructor Trainer, Diving since 2001

I “Dove into diving” in 2001, being a Durango native I always longed for the salt water I had never been to. I spent most of my summers at any body of water Durango had to offer (Navajo, Molas, McFee, and so on). I became an Instructor because it kept me diving and I love to see the look on the face of a new diver, the first time they experience the three dimensional world of diving.

Favorite Dive Location--- Any body of water that most people shudder at, My Thought is the deeper, the darker, the colder, the better. I love to push my limits. What the heck, GO DEEP OR GO HOME!!!!!!!

Mark Oliger - IDC Staff Instructor, Diving since 2000

I enjoy the relaxing aspects of tropical diving and tropical climates. I also like the challenges of technical diving and pushing my limits with decompression diving and using alternative breathing gases. Whether it’s a warm water coral reef in Bonaire or a cold and dark drysuit dive in a mountain lake, I feel equally comfortable and I enjoy both extremes and everything in between.

Favorite Dive Location – Caribbean, Pacific & Technical sites. The tropical destinations put my mind at ease. The technical dives give me a challenge.

Allisa Waldo – IDC Staff Instructor, Diving since 2002

“Diving has become a passion in my life – I feel blessed to have discovered it. Breathing underwater is the most amazing experience. Being able to move around the underwater world in all directions instead of being stuck on the ground is one of my favorite aspects to diving. Becoming a dive instructor has brought me the additional thrill of seeing new divers experience the underwater world. My favorite type of diving would have to be warm tropical water with lots of fish and other creatures. I like the feeling that I am swimming around in my own private aquarium.”

Favorite thing about diving – No cell phones! (Ha Ha) It’s peaceful magical, weightless, usually beautiful

Favorite Dive Destination – Fiji, Cozumel and Bonaire

Why – Fiji - Diversity and beauty underwater as well as topside overall experience

Cozumel – Great Diving, easy to get to

Bonaire – Beautiful diving and freedom to dive when and where you want.

Barry Mason – IDC Staff Instructor, EFR Instructor, Diving since 1977

I am a 4th generation Durangoan, that developed an enthusiasm for being underwater at an early age. At the age of 14/15, I was employed to clean the deep end of the Durango Swimming Pool using mask and surface supplied air. This led to a lifetime of Scuba enjoyment and world travel. I have dove with whale sharks in Belize, the whales off Maui, the hammerheads of Galapagos and the Mantas of Fiji. Hopefully this is just the start of many more dive adventures.

Favorite Thing about Diving – I enjoy the warm, clear waters of planet earth. The worlds reef systems and fishes are exciting to explore.

Favorite Dive Destination – Cozumel & Palau

Why – Been to Cozumel over 15 times and continue to go at least once a year. For a close and affordable dive vacation Cozumel and the Mayan Riviera can’t be beat.

George Brenton – Master Instructor, Diving since 1973

I am a retired firefighter and have been certified to dive since 1973. I enjoy teaching new divers and seeing their reaction the first time they dive in open water. I have started to photograph underwater and find it to be very challenging. Besides scuba my other hobbies include playing ice hockey and building/restoring hot rods.

Favorite Thing about Diving – Seeing new things and being with friends. I also like the feeling of being weightless.

Favorite Destination – Caribbean, Sea of Cortez, California Coast, Florida Keys

Why – Warm, clear water with lots of sea life and corals to see and photograph.

Kristen David – Master Scuba Diver/OW Instructor, EFR Instructor, Diving since 2006

I discovered a whole new world when I became a certified diver in 2006. It gave my life a new meaning. I love the sense of freedom I feel when I’m underwater and I am able to let go of the everyday worries. I have recently become a Dive Master and I am excited to be a part of the open water classes and meeting new divers.

My favorite type of diving is in warm water with good visibility, the Caribbean being my favorite. Though, I am looking forward to the challenge of cold water, dry suit diving. Being underwater is my favorite place to be.

My favorite thing about diving: Hearing my bubbles and the sounds of the underwater creatures. Diving in new places around the world is a dream come true.

Zane Bilgrav – Course Director
I first became interested in diving when I was 8 years old by watching Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt. The next year we moved from Maryland to Hawaii and I was convinced that I was going to scuba dive and have grand adventures in the underwater world. While flying into Honolulu for the first time, I saw surfers riding waves, and that immediately became my passion - putting scuba diving on hold for the next 13 years. Although I did surf just about every day for the next year, my parents decided to move back to Maryland limiting my ocean activities. Fasting forward to Colorado College, I took a scuba certification course completing my 1 “open water” dive in a muddy and ice-rimmed pond. This course was in preparation for a summer session scuba oriented marine biology program with UC San Diego in La Jolla. That summer changed my life as I began exploring the underwater realm and decided that the marine environment was to be my career. I then transferred from Colorado College to UC Santa Barbara where I finished my marine biology degree in 1979, and immediately moved to the north shore of Oahu because I wanted to be in tropical waters and surf the best waves in the world.

On Oahu my first job was teaching marine biology to middle school students off boats in Kaneohe Bay. That turned into teaching University of Hawaii students on 18 day outer island field trips. A year later that turned into my founding of Pacific Quest, and outdoor adventure/education company specializing in trips through Hawaii and New Zealand. At about the same time I became a PADI instructor, purchased Pacific Quest Divers, and became a Course Director. By the late 1980’s I took on a full time job with Hawaii Pacific University teaching primarily field oriented courses in the marine science department. Life was busy and good and I was involved with surfing, diving, teaching, and supervising my 30 staff on a daily basis.

In 1996 we moved to Durango where I founded Splash Down Diving due to the high interest in scuba and ocean oriented travel. In 2007 Splash Down was sold to Terry and Kim Tucker since the diving business was expanding rapidly and I had to devote more time to my primary job with real estate sales at Durango Mountain Resort.

Through this extensive involvement with the ocean, I remain so excited every time I go to the ocean and stand ankle deep in the water wondering what the next dive will bring. The adventures never stop no matter how many dives I have. Along with my own excitement, my passion for introducing others to the ocean realm has never dimmed.

The adventures are calling – Life is Short - Go!

Erik Schlom – OW Instructor, EFR Instructor, Diving since 1977

I was born loving the ocean. I surf, sail and scuba dive. I currently hold a Captains license, own a cruising catamaran and love to sail away with my family. I love to travel to remote islands in the Pacific and the Caribean. I am currently working on my second degree black belt in Taekwondo. My job keeps me way to busy as I am in charge of all machinery at Wolf Creek Ski Area for the last fourteen years. I have two great kids, a daughter and avid dive partner and a son and gear hauler. My girlfriend won’t haul my gear, but does dive with me!

Favorite Thing about Diving – Everything! I love the freedom under the water, the strange but fascination critters, I like the new people and places my wandering takes me. I love the closeness diving gives me with my family.

Favorite Dive Destination – Somewhere warm! I have dove the Caribean, Honduras, French Polynesia, Fiji, Southern California, and the Bahamas.

Jeremy David – OW Instructor, EFR Instructor

I became a certified diver in 2006 and it has changed my life. Breathing underwater and being weightless is phenomenal. I loved diving so much I continued my education to Advanced, Rescue diving and Master Scuba Diver. I am now a Dive Master and loving it. I look forward to meeting and assisting new divers in our Open Water Classes. Diving has opened up a whole new world for me, including traveling to new destinations around the world and submerging myself in new cultures. I can’t think of a better, more positive way to spend my life.

My favorite thing about diving: The freedom I have underwater, exploring the most amazing creatures and terrain.

My favorite destination: Bonaire, because I can dive easily on my own time and schedule, as many times a day that I want and breathe unlimited Nitrox. The water is a beautiful, protected marine park with lots of sea life.