Jeff Smith

President

PADI Master Scuba Diver - Certified 1978

Diving Experience: Includes extensive logged dives in Southern California with additional diving experience throughout Mexico, Costa Rica, Bonaire, Roatan, Hawaii, Fiji, Galapagos, Grand Turks & Caicos, Australia, Cuba, the Red Sea, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Yap, Palau and Truk Lagoon (Micronesia).

Special Achievements: Has served as test diver & gear evaluator for US Divers,  Scubapro, SeaQuest, Oceanic, Zeagle, U.K., Princeton, Draeger Rebreathers & Catalina Cylinders. Contributed in the design of the US Divers’ "Pivot" console and design contributions for Oceanic, SeaQuest & Zeagle Dive Equipment. Professional Awards of Support from PADI, US Divers, Dacor, Oceanic, Sea Pearls, Catalina Conservancy Divers, Los Angeles Black Underwater Explorers (LABUE), Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation, Project Aware, Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation & the Los Angeles Fire Department.  HAZMAT Certification / Trainer for - Compressed Air Tanks, Fill Station Operations, Tank Inspection & Hydro Ops.  Underwater photos published in California Diving News and the Los Angeles Times.

Diving Philosophy: Can best be summarized with my favorite quote by Cousteau…"From birth man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free. Buoyed by water, he can fly in any direction, up, down, sideways. Underwater man becomes an archangel." Diving is about peace. Diving is freedom in its’ purest form.

Contact Jeff Smith: Jeff@pacificwilderness.com

Back to top

Kevin Crosier

Sales Associate / DiveMaster

PADI Divemaster - Certified 1994

Diving Experience: Southern California and Channel Islands, Hawaiian Islands, Great Lakes, Panama and Baja Mexico.  

Special Achievements: HAZMAT Certification for compressed air tanks, filling station operations, tank inspector. Rated equipment repair technician for ScubaPro and Oceanic.

Diving Philosophy: Diving Noted Author and Futurist Arthur C. Clark once said "How inappropriate to call this planet Earth, when it should clearly be named Ocean" 

Contact Kevin Crosier:  Kevin@pacificwilderness.com

Back to top

Rodrigo Gallego

Sales Associate / Travel Specialist

PADI Instructor - Certified 2004

Diving Experience: Southern California, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel, Huatulco, Argentina and Brazil.

Special Achievements: HAZMAT Certification for compressed air tanks, filling station operations, tank inspector. Rated equipment repair technician for Aqualung

Diving Philosophy: Deep in the ocean, closer to nature...a great place to find peace and to find yourself.

Contact Rodrigo Gallego:  Rodrigo@pacificwilderness.com

Back to top

Jeff Highley

PADI Master Instructor - Certified 1992

Diving Experiences: Central and Southern California, Channel Islands, Costa Rica, Bonaire, Hawaii, Mexico, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Indonesia, Florida, Yucatan and Cuba.

Special Achievements: Has evaluated gear for U.S. Divers (AquaLung) and Oceanic. Equipment   HAZMAT Certification for compressed air tanks, filling station operations.

Diving Philosophy: Just get wet and have fun doing it, unless you're in a dry suit (but still have fun!).

Contact Jeff Highley: JeffH@pacificwilderness.com

Back to top

Seann Bogguess

PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer - Certified 2002

Contact Seann Bogguess: Seann@pacificwilderness.com

Back to top

Brian Johnson

PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer - Certified 2003

Diving Philosophy: I feel privileged to be one of the few members of society that is able to appreciate what mother nature has given us.

Contact Brian Johnson: Brian@pacificwilderness.com

Back to top

Julia Mewbourne

PADI Instructor - Certified 2003

Diving Experience: Riviera Maya-Cenotes, Cozumel, Costa Rica, San Diego Wreck Alley, Channel Islands and Catalina, Southern California 

Special Achievements: Hazmat certification for compressed air tanks, filling station operations, amateur marine biologist

Diving Philosophy: In a world where we all live connected by cell phones, pagers, and text messaging - why not plunge into a world where the connection is made without saying a word.

Contact Julia Mewbourne:  Julia@pacificwilderness.com

Back to top

Carlos R. Hernandez Llamas

Our Cozumel Diving Connection

PADI Instructor - Certified 1992

Diving Experience: Divemaster, instructor, and dive shop operator in Cozumel, Mexico for 7 years, including comprehensive diving experience in Southern California and the Channel Islands. San Diego and Coronado Islands, Gulf of Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Denver CO, Oaxaca and Manzanillo (Mexican Pacific), caves and caverns in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Special Achievements: HAZMAT Certification for compressed air tanks, filling station operations, nitrox and trimix blender, tank inspector. Rated equipment repair technician for ScubaPro, AquaLung, Suunto, and SeaQuest.

Diving Philosophy: There is no such thing as a bad dive site, you make your own dive. Just enjoy being underwater and keep your eyes open. What you can find down there, you can't find up here.

Contact Carlos Hernandez: Carlos@pacificwilderness.com

Back to top

Patrick Farina

PADI Instructor - Certified 1994

Diving Experience: Southern California & the Channel Islands with additional diving experience in Central California, Nevada/Arizona, New Mexico, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Great Barrier Reef & Melbourne, Australia, an exotic rock quarry in Virginia, and the warm waters of Belize.

Special Achievements: Has evaluated gear for U.S. Divers (AquaLung), Oceanic, and Zeagle. Equipment Repair Technician for U.S. Divers and Oceanic.   HAZMAT Certification for compressed air tanks, filling station operations

Diving Philosophy: Hey Walter Mitty, life is passing you by, get off the couch. Go outside, make new friends, find a buddy - go to an exotic world in your own backyard - GO DIVE.

Contact Patrick Farina: Patrick@pacificwilderness.com

Back to top

Wayne Rolle

Pacific Wilderness Dive Club President

PADI Divemaster- Certified 1997

Diving Experience:   Southern California, Channel Islands, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Mexico, Belize, Bonaire, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Egypt, and soon Costa Rica and Yap with many more places to follow. 

Special Achievements:  HAZMAT Certification for compressed air tanks & filling station operations.

Diving Philosophy:     I love to dive, I have never once worried about things terrestrial when I am diving.  I find the ocean environment to be full of wonder and inspiration, and I never tire of it.  I am comfortable and at peace when I’m in the water, but the ocean must also be respected as it is a perilous place for humans … and at the same time constantly at peril from humans.  Leave all your cares at the shoreline.  Live simply.

Contact Wayne Rolle: Wayne@pacificwilderness.com

Russ Wells

Sales Associate - Divemaster

PADI Divemaster- Certified 1973

Diving Experience:   Southern California, Catalina & San Clemente Island, La Paz, Bermuda, Kona and even a few lakes.

Special Achievements:  HAZMAT Certification for compressed air tanks & filling station operations.

Diving Philosophy:     Our Oceans are the common link between all of us.  Understanding this fascinating and tranquil world through diving is a great experience to be shared by all.  It allows us to enter this silent world and for a moment leave behind our terrestrial roots.  Let’s go diving…

Helen Johnson

PADI Divemaster - Certified 1997

PADI Divemaster- Certified 1997

Diving Experience:   Includes Southern California, Channel Islands, Cozumel, La Paz, and coming soon the Philippines and Galapagos. 

Special Achievements: Has made over 500 with 90% in Southern California.

Diving Philosophy:     In our fast pace lives of today going under the water provides you with a place where you set the pace.  I find diving to be the only activity that I can truly get away from it all.  Go diving and find yourself in a world that is quite, colorful and exciting. Diving truly puts you in another world.

Contact Helen Johnson: Helen@pacificwilderness.com

Sonja Johnson

Sales Associate - Divemaster

PADI Divemaster- Certified 1997

Diving Experience: Southern California, Channel Islands, Colorado River,  Fiji, Belize, and Cuba.

Special Achievements: Volunteer diver for the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific since April 98 and dive team leader since November 98. Designed the Pacific Wilderness web page.

Diving Philosophy: I was born and raised in Southern California, and although I love it dearly, the sheer number of people and day-to-day situations can get to be quite exasperating. Diving is my way of escaping the crowds and the only way I can  truly achieve a completely peaceful state of mind.

Michelle Van Vliet

Shop Photographer / Divemaster

PADI Divemaster - Certified 1998

Diving Experience: Southern California, the Channel Islands, Palau, Cuba and Fiji.

Special Achievements:  Michelle had been immersed in photo chemicals long before she jumped into the ocean with her camera. A third generation photographer, she has enjoyed a career as a dry commercial photographer for over 20 years. "Shooting Royalty, Rock Stars and Politicans is easy compared to the challenges the wet world of UW photography presents... but what a delightful environment to work in to achieve a new goal!"  HAZMAT Certification for compressed air tanks, filling station operations

Diving Philosophy:  In the water we humans stumble down a few links from our comfortable position on the evolutionary chain. It's quite humbling, in a good way, to be amongst creatures who are much more savvy with the sea environment than you. Diving helps you recover your soul, and puts things in better perspective ... Go ahead...strap on a tank, and jump in. Glide through the saline chemistry from where you came, and make friends with a Garibaldi. You know what? You can't smile any better than they can ... you're going to have to make a good impression without an expression. We all look the same down there!