Alumni

From the Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, this young man has taken the tourism industry by storm.

Coast Guard Master Captain with 3 years of experience in Maryland as a jet ski tour guide, another 2 as a parasail Mate, and a year as a fishing boat Mate, Malakhi had an excellent foundation for furthering his expertise by achieving his PADI Divemaster certification with Keys Huka Dive.

Oh, did I mention that Malakhi earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia in between flying customers 800 feet above the North Atlantic? In a major leap of faith (no, not moving from Maryland to Venice, Florida) he accepted a Captain role with Keys Huka Dive with full knowledge of Captain Jerry’s outrageous social media presence!

Malakhi next breezed through four levels of dive certification training, achieving his Divemaster certification in a few short months. Malakhi could be found leading customer adventures safely inside of, and underneath, Keys Huka Dive boats.

Malakhi plans to summer in the Chesapeake and winter in the Gulf of Mexico, but we hoped he would abandons any plans of crossing the Mason Dixon.

Malakhi’s Quote: “So, tell me how that makes you feel.”

From Vernal Utah (home of Dinosaur National Monument, the largest quarry of prehistoric bones in the world), Deegan quickly made himself right at home in the Venice Boneyard!

In his pre-KHD life, Deegan worked as a bike mechanic and snowboard instructor while studying outdoor recreation at Southern Utah University. Continuing on his outdoorsman path, Deegan worked in the Oil Field for a number of years. He repaired oil rigs and worked on an oil spill cleanup.

He was one of Keys Huka Dive’s most skilled underwater fossil hunters. Deegan was also a great help with MANY projects around the Dive House.

Deegan’s quote:
“Is there anything I can help you with?”

Taylor came to Keys Huka Dive from Wisconsin. She moved to the town of Northport were the boredom drove her to look for a career were her love for the environment and wildlife could come into play. That’s when she found that Capt. Jerry was looking for a divemaster trainee. She met with the good Captain and decided to take the jump to become a Divemaster.

Taylor worked her butt off for several months; training while holding down two part time jobs. Taylor earned her PADI Divemaster and then her Instructor certification. Don’t be surprised to see Taylor out-diving most of the guys, making them eat bubbles. She could always be found competing with the other crew members to see who could find the biggest Megalodon tooth.

The Siren call of the Florida Keys struck again, Taylor followed. Capt. Jerry’s connections in the Keys gave another opportunity for a crew member to grow.

Taylor’s Quote:
“Five minute beach clean-up, anyone!?”

Michael hails from the cold state of Illinois. He started his working career, in his early 20’s, as a mortgage broker. He was a super successful broker, acquiring all the things that are supposed to make us happy. A beautiful wife, a BMW, a McMansion of a house. Michael just wasn’t happy with the so called successful life of a desk bound guy.

So one day, as he was perusing the internet, he found an ad for a job as a professional scuba diver. Upon reading the ad, the idea of a fun and exciting career grabbed Michael’s interest (like a pit-bull in a school yard). He then began daydreaming of days spent on and under the water and what living a fun, rewarding career might bring.

He had one major obstacle to get through in order to become the Aqua Man that he envisioned: how to get the wife onboard with this life style change. He was fortunate that his wife worked in the health care industry (particularly in dermatology). A pretty easy sell for a professional salesman, like Michael. What better place than Florida to advance a career in dermatology?

He then moved to Florida, got himself established and made a phone call to the good guys over at Keys Huka Dive.

Michael started his dive training with absolutely no experience at all. After the first couple of days, it became apparent to Captain Jerry that Michael was no dummy, making great strides through the Divemaster program. After completing the dive master program, he went on to earn his PADI Dive Instructor.

Michael was a hard worker and did a lot for Keys Huka Dive. For all the hard work, Michael was given the position of Dive Operations Assistant Manager.

JD came to Keys Huka Dive from Colorado; though originally from Ohio. He had already succeeded in a myriad of careers, including ownership in a Colorado brewery, before moving to Florida and bumping into Captain Jerry at a tiki bar.

Is JD lovable….? Yes.
Is he a great diver…? Yes.
Is he left-handed…? Sadly, yes.

This man consistently found Megalodon teeth. He might’ve even grabbed them with his left hand. He’s strong enough to move a piano, or steal your heart.

When JD wasn’t leading divers, he could be found with a beer in his hand (most of the time someone else’s beer), enjoying the local tiki/sand bars.

JD’s Quote:
“It’s for sale, 2 for 1, today only! (Megalodon teeth of course, get your mind out of the gutter!)”

Kasey is a dive master with a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University. He worked and dove the Texas Aquarium until he heard the hypnotic song of one specific Venice, Florida Siren. Kasey immediately left the Texas waters and vowed never to return.

Kasey is a graduate of the Keys Huka Dive Divemaster Program. He is a poster child for “Venice Strong” after he survived Hurricane Ian in a 1969 Airstream, boondocking at the Venice Jetties.

Kasey’s Quote:
“Those mountains aren’t blue!”