Mark was first certified in 1976 in Lake Ponchatrain. He went to Israel where he worked as a dive center volunteer, filling tanks and renting out SCUBA equipment. He eventually ended up operating dive boats as a Dive Guide for Red Sea Divers in Na’ama Bay. Mark returned to the USA where he received his Instructors rating at PDIC (Professional Diving Instructors College) in Monterrey, California. Mark has worked for several shops in Louisiana, Redondo Beach, California, Israel, Texas and Florida. He has also worked for several Agencies training Law Enforcement in Search and Rescue. Prior to moving to Florida, Mark worked as Photojournalist for The Baton Rouge Advocate where he received numerous awards for photography in Sports, Spot News, and Wildlife. Mark moved to Pensacola 2 years ago with his wife Becky, three dogs, and a cat. Mark enjoys Bow hunting, Photography (land and underwater), SCUBA Diving for fun and teaching, and just about anything outdoors.  In addition to being a PADI & PDIC certified SCUBA Instructor Mark also currently holds PADI Specialty ratings in Underwater Photography, Enriched Air Nitrox, and spearfishing.