Consider Aqua Safari Adventures

A professional scuba instructor since 1993, Dave has trained and guided thousands of students and divers, and passed on to them his zeal for the sport. Dave has dived extensively throughout Florida, the Bahamas, Caribbean and Central America as a professional instructor and guide. His knowledge and expertise both locally in Florida and abroad in yacht and land-based diving excursions has made Dave a highly sought-after professional for both Florida and remote destination dive clients.

Dave is a Lifetime Member of the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). He is a NAUI Instructor, NAUI Instructor Trainer, NAUI Course Director and NAUI Course Director Trainer.

Dave served on the NAUI Board of Directors from 2008 to 2020, and served as Chairman of the Board from 2012 to 2018. Dave continues to serve NAUI on special committees and projects.

While working a professional career in the defense industry and transitioning successfully from a Human Factors Engineer to Senior Leadership roles with Capture Management, Rob also became a SCUBA Pro in the early ‘90s. Having found a passion for the underwater world, there was a strong desire to teach and educate others about our beautiful aquatic realm. Working close to the Florida Coast enabled Rob to work weekends as Crew on various Dive Boats, guiding divers and focusing on safe operations. Eventually acquiring a Master, 100-Ton Coast Guard License, Rob quickly found that his interests were under the waves instead of captaining dive vessels.

For several years after becoming a PADI Instructor, Rob continued to learn through dive mentorships and teaching opportunities with Florida Coast SCUBA. As a Master SCUBA Diver Trainer, he developed a fondness for many dive specialties (Deep, Wreck, Cavern, Boat, Drift, Fish Identification, UW Naturalist, UW Photographer, Kayak Diving, EAN, Tec, Spearfishing, Shark Conservation, Coral Reef Conservation) while continuing to teach as an independent.
Retiring from the defense industry in 2019, Rob now focuses on PADI diving instruction, and running multiple kids summer camp programs each year with Hatt’s Diving Headquarters in Melbourne, Florida. Additionally, Rob is thrilled to be guiding individuals and groups with Aqua Safari Adventures. Doing over 225 dives annually, Rob also works to plan and lead several international dive trips each year, both liveaboard and land based. Sharing the joys of being underwater and helping to educate divers on conservation is his goal while ensuring safety for all involved.

Andrea Whitaker is a passionate advocate for ocean conservation and exploration. Graduating from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Andrea's focus on Ecology, Environmental, and Conservation Biology has been the driving force behind her career. Her journey underwater began in 2004, and she has been actively diving ever since. Holding certifications as a PADI Divemaster, Open Water Scuba Instructor, and Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Andrea's expertise and love for the underwater world shine through in her work.

Currently based in West Palm Beach, Andrea serves as a Scuba Instructor, Dive Guide, and Underwater Photographer at Aqua Safari Adventures, Inc. Here, she provides personalized, concierge-style training and guiding services for discerning clients, along with conducting captivating underwater photography workshops. Andrea's dedication to excellence extends to her role at Pura Vida Divers, LLC, where she serves as an Underwater Photographer, Scuba Instructor, and Dive Guide. Responsible for customer relations, booking dive experiences, and conducting guided dives and scuba courses, Andrea has certified over 100 students across various levels of underwater education.

In addition to her commercial diving endeavors, Andrea is deeply involved in ecological research and conservation efforts. As part of DB Ecological Services in Palm Beach County, she conducts beach surveys, monitors sea turtle nesting activity, and assists with nest evacuations and relocations for data collection. Her commitment to marine life extends to past roles, including assisting with Bull Shark pup survey research in Miami and conducting wetlands monitoring with the Washington State Department of Transportation.

With a rich background that includes internships with environmental laboratories and wetlands monitoring, Andrea brings a diverse skill set and a genuine passion for environmental stewardship to everything she does. Whether she's teaching the next generation of divers, capturing the beauty of the underwater world through her lens, or contributing to vital ecological research, Andrea Whitaker is making waves in the realm of marine conservation and exploration.

Rich has been diving for 31 years with 30 of those off the coast of Northern California. The cold waters can be a dynamic place to dive, and demand a lot in exchange for the beauty beneath. Rich was part of the Cal Poly Humboldt diving program for thirty years as a student, then instructor, and for 19 years as the Diving Safety Officer before bringing his talent and passion to south Florida. Over the years he has been privileged to work with thousands of students as they learned to dive.

Rich believes that his primary purpose in life is to provide a safe, fun, and engaging environment for divers in his care to develop and hone their skills while learning to love the underwater world. Over his years as a diver and instructor, Rich has accumulated many certifications and awards including:

• 1996 NAUI Divemaster Member #30773
• 1998 NAUI Instructor #30773
• 2005 NAUI Scientific Diving Specialty Instructor, Reefcheck California Specialty Instructor, First Aid Instructor, Drysuit Instructor
• 2011 NAUI Instructor Trainer designation
• 2014 NAUI Course Director designation
• 2019 NAUI/DAN First Aid Instructor
• 2020 SDI Instructor #31437 (inactive)
• 2021 NAUI Public Safety Diver
• 2021 NAUI Public Safety Diver Instructor
• 2023 AAUS Scientific Diving Instructor

George Mills is a dedicated scuba professional. He is passionate about scuba diving and loves developing this passion for diving in others. He is enthusiastic about helping divers at all levels be the very best they can be. Whether you are someone just learning to dive or a seasoned or even career diver, George will instill in you both a love for diving and greatly increased competence and confidence in your diving abilities.

George Mills enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in November 2002, embarking on an active duty journey. He had the honor of serving in prestigious units, including the Presidential Security Detail, the Marine Corps’ Anti-Terrorism Battalion, and Marine Corps Special Operations Command as a Marine Raider. George fulfilled roles in both active and reserve capacities, completing (5) combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He received an Honorable Discharge from the Corps in March 2021.

Concurrently, George dedicated himself to his local community as a Firefighter/Paramedic and Public Safety Rescue Diver.

Having obtained his NAUI Open Water Diver certification at the age of 13 in Lake Erie, George has remained devoted to NAUI throughout his life. Finding solace and healing in the depths of the ocean, he coined his own term for inner-healing “Aqua Therapy." George passionately shares the transformative gift of scuba, which significantly impacted his life, as a NAUI Instructor, Public Safety Diver Instructor, and DAN/NAUI Medical Course Instructor.

George is happily married to his wife Patti, who also happens to be his favorite dive buddy.

Hanna Reed is a self-proclaimed waterwoman, environmentalist, and ocean safety professional. She has a joyous and energetic personality, and gets the most fulfillment from being a diving educator. Hanna has spent the last 12 years searching for the best way to bring a new type of leadership to the recreational and scientific dive communities.

She seeks out, studies, and creates leadership that inspires, breaks down barriers, and creates space in the diving field for more diverse populations. Hanna takes pride in facilitating thoughtful, empathy-first education with a focus on risk assessment and mitigation, open communication, outreach, and a person-first approach for client services. 

Steve has spent the greater part of his life in, on, and around the water. This aquatic life sparked his interest in diving, boating and all sorts of other watersports. SCUBA diving became a focus and as he worked his way through the various diving courses, he found that he enjoyed instruction. Steve gets to relive the excitement he felt when he first put on a mask and looked beneath the surface every time he teaches a new diver.

Steve has now been instructing SCUBA for over 30 years and has certified over 1000 divers at all levels from first time divers to instructors. In providing the best education possible and creating a safe leaning environment, Steve believes that we can meet the needs of each individual students learning style. He has found that customizing courses to the students helps them master their skills and gain the confidence to keep diving and learning for years top come.