Greg preparing to go DIVE!

Greg Gapen

General Manager

IDC Staff Instructor

    

Greg was born and raised in the cornfields of Illinois then moved to the scorching heat of Phoenix in the 70’s.  In 2005, he met Mel and swept her off her feet as she pulled him underwater.  He had to get certified before she made him her forever dive buddy.

Greg has dove chilly California waters, Mexico, Florida Keys and across the Eastern Caribbean.  He is a 6-pack boat captain as well as a PADI and SDI IDC Staff Instructor, working on his Master Instructor.  In 2009, Mel and Greg left the dry heat of Phoenix and headed to Utila for their IDC and then on to St. Kitts and eventually ended up in St. Croix in 2010.  And here is where they hope to stay!    

Favorite Dive Site: Davis Bay West

Favorite Restaurant: Hanging out at Brew Pub

Favorite View: Pt. Udall at Sunrise

Favorite Drink: Cruzan Dark Rum on the rocks  



Mel at fabulous Carambola Beach!

Mel Gapen

Retail Manager

IDC Staff Instructor

   

Mel grew up in one of the hottest places on earth, El Centro, CA!  In 1989 while in college she learned to dive in San Diego in the winter, brrr.  After college, life got in the way and she did not hardly dive for 15 years until she met Greg in Phoenix, AZ. She dreamed for 20 years of being a dive instructor and living in the Caribbean! She told him she would not marry him until he got certified (they got married 2 months after he got his C- card). And the rest is history.  

Mel has done a lot of diving throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and California.  In 2009, Mel and Greg made the dream come true and became PADI Staff Instructors, and there is no looking back.  St. Croix has become home and she cannot imagine ever joining the rat race again! 

Mel loves teaching people scuba diving and showing them the underwater world.  “it truly is an amazing world down below that everyone should see!”

Favorite Dive Site: Frederiksted Pier at night

Favorite Restaurant: Bombay Club

Favorite View: From a sailboat at Buck Island

Favorite Drink: Cruzan Banana Rum on the rocks 



Ryan sailing in South Florida

Ryan Fagan

Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Ryan was born in Memphis, TN but called Jacksonville, FL home since 1998. He began scuba diving 13 years ago, in 2000, with his father and has been hooked ever since, jumping at every chance to get wet!

After serving on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, Ryan pursued his diploma in commercial diving and performed underwater construction, inspection, salvage and welding on dams, bridges, piers, and boats across the country, and still freelances in that capacity.

After two years, the fun, laid-back atmosphere of recreational diving called to him like a siren song on the sea, and Ryan went running to the Florida Keys to become a Scuba Instructor. The beauty and unique culture of St. Croix brought him to Sweet Bottom Dive Center, where he is a full-time PADI and SDI/TDI Instructor.

Favorite Dive Site: Frederiksted Pier

Favorite Restaurant: La Reinne Chicken Shack

Favorite View: Point Udall

Favorite Drink: an ice-cold Bud Light, or single malt scotch on the rocks!



Sam at the helm

Samantha Barnett

Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Sam is originally from Sonoma, CA and began diving in 2005 in the Bahamas and Australia. While traveling through Africa in 2007, Sam completed her Divemaster certification and worked both as a DM and private island manager in Lake Malawi.

She has been teaching on St. Croix since 2007 and loves both the unrivaled beauty and convenience that the island offers. Sam's greatest joy in teaching scuba diving is teaching Discover Scuba Diving courses, as it allows her to expose people to the underwater world, which means so much to her.

Favorite Dive Site: Northstar

Favorite Restaurant:  Salud

Favorite View: View of Ham's Bluff from her balcony

Favorite Drink: White Empress



Dana August

Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Dana was born, raised, and trained to dive in San Diego, California.  She immidiately fell in love with the sport and started studying biological, marine, and environmental sciences at Fairfield University in Connecticut.  Although the diving was much different in the northeast, she continued diving on and off in the Long Island Sound.  She lived and studied in South Caicos, TCI for half a year looking at correlations of urchins, conch, and lobster in relation to hard corals and algaes, while falling in love with the Caribbean. After graduation, she began work at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT where she worked as an Educator and managed the shark dive educational program.

In 2012, she began working on her Masters in Biological Sciences at Long Island University, and found the opportunity to do research on stony coral depth profiles and disease identification in St. Croix.  Since being on island, Dana has become a PADI Instructor and is excited to combine her loves of teaching and diving, and sharing her love of Caribbean marine species with locals and visitors alike!

Favorite Dive Site: North Star East

Favorite Restaurant: Rowdy Joe's

Favorite View: The Wall at Davis Bay West from a depth of 75 feet

Favorite Drink: Pain Killer or an ice cold Red Stripe