Captain Steve Thacker: Owner, Operator of Florida West Scuba School.
Steve began scuba diving in 1974 on Andros Island, Bahamas and was certified as an Open Water Instructor in 1977. He graduated with a degree in Geology from Ohio State University and worked at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency before starting his own hydrogeologic consulting firm in 1984. While in college, he worked for Central Ohio School of Diving, a dive store still in business today, over 30 years later. Capt. Steve sold the consulting firm in 1990, worked a few more years in Ohio as a consulting geologist, retired, and moved to Florida. Early retirement was too boring so he started Florida West Scuba School, Inc. in 1998. He holds a masters license from the US Coast Guard. Capt. Steve ran a scuba charter boat for many years as part of our operation, but he sold the boat to Megalodon Charters in 2009. When Capt. Steve is diving today, you will normally find him diving in the Florida caves or the wrecks in the Gulf of Mexico. Capt. Steve is an accomplished photographer and has traveled the world shooting stills. His philosophy regarding training is well known by many. He believes that scuba training should be comprehensive and he has designed his dive training courses with this philosophy. Most students trained at the facility will go through at least one session with Capt. Steve. He has logged thousands of dives and attempts to pass on his vast experience to each of his students. He is certified as a Dive Con instructor and full cave diver.

Captain Ken Davis has been a scuba instructor since 1969! He also holds a Masters License from the US Coast Guard. Capt. Ken is certified as an Open Water Instructor, Advanced Instructor, Divemaster Instructor, Technical Diving Instructor, and a full cave diver. You will not find a more patient instructor than Capt. Ken. He has also traveled the world diving and his background includes managing one of Ohio's largest dive stores. He managed Sub-Aquatics dive operations, located near Columbus, for many years. When diving for himself, you will find Capt. Ken either diving the wrecks of the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida caves and springs, or somewhere in the Caribbean. Capt. Ken was also one of the early wreck divers in the Great Lakes. It was not unusual to find Capt. Ken hammering away at some artifact on a Great Lake wreck. (It was legal then, too!)  He is certified in almost every scuba specialty there is so if you want a specific course, Capt. Ken can probably teach it.  He also teaches and manages the training for CPR and First Aid for divers and non-divers.

Captain Marie Gaona was certified by our facility when she was 14 years old. She has accomplished much since then! Capt. Marie holds a Masters license from the US Coast Guard. She is also our newest instructor, having obtained her Open Water Instructor rating in 2009. Even though she is young, don't let her age fool you! She is an accomplished full cave diver, one of the youngest women to have achieved this rating.  Captain Marie worked as a divemaster on our dive boat for over four years and was responsible for getting thousands of divers safely in and out of the water.  She also ran numerous charters as the boat's Captain. She is intimately familiar with running a USCG Certified dive vessel. She obtained her Associate's Degree in Science at The State College of Florida and is now pursuing her Bachelor's Degree at The University of West Florida in Pensacola.

Do you have a fossil you need identified? Then come on in and let Gary have a look!  Gary has been diving the Venice area for fossils for nearly 30 years and is an accomplished hunter and diver. Gary has been around to remember the "Golden Years" of diving here in Venice when nice fossils would wash right up on the beach. He is also very active in several local fossil clubs. When it comes to diving, he takes a minimalist approach to his equipment. If it is high quality, lighter, and more streamline, then Gary will be using it!  Many divers could learn something from Gary's recreational gear. He is a certified gas blender and can accommodate all your needs while in our facility.  Gary is also an accomplished electrician, and if something broke on the boat or in the store, Gary was fixing it fast. He has fixed lots of "stuff" that we gave up for dead! Once again, if you have a fossil you cannot identify or simply need an air or nitrox fill drop in and let Gary help you.