Scuba Venture, Inc.

Staff

Instructor Certifier

Mark’s diving career began way back in 1977. Since then he has traveled all over the world and has over 6,800 dives under his belt.
He progressed through the training ranks to SSI Instructor Certifier, and also teaches SDI, and TDI certifications. From snorkeling through scuba instructor, Mark teaches all levels of scuba students, and is certified to teach 42 different specialty courses.
He teaches Enriched Air courses through SSI, SDI, and TDI. He is an instructor certifier for the National Safety Council’s First Aid, CPR, and AED Programs as well as an Instructor Ceritfier for all DAN courses. He also holds TDI certifications in Gas Blending, Enriched Air Nitrox, and Oxygen Equipment Service Technician. One course Mark really enjoys teaching is Scuba Rangers, which is for children ages 8-12.
In 2001 he achieved a Platinum Pro 5000 instructor rating. When Mark is not running the store, or teaching students, he can be found in the Tech Room helping Scuba Venture’s main repair technicians. Mark loves both wreck diving and running trips to the Pacific and the Caribbean.

Jorge Del RIo

Instructor

Jorge has always been fascinated with water since he was a young boy. Growing up in Puerto Rico, he would love exploring the local rivers and streams with his friends. He also loved watching documentaries concerning the ocean and different fish habits. The first time he watched Jacque Cousteau on TV, he knew he wanted to be a scuba diver when he grew up. In 1992, Jorge became an open water diver, and AOW diver in Puerto Rico with PDIC.

In 1993 Jorge moved to Pennsylvania and took Drysuit training in 2000 and started diving cold water environments. Since then, he has taken several diving courses with SSI, including Divemaster and Assistant Instructor.

Jorge is also an amateur underwater filmaker and loves to share his videos and pictures with his friends and followers on social media.

Chad Frankhouser

Instructor

Brett Galambos

Instructor

Brett is a Middle School teacher from the local district of Owen J. Roberts. He has been a certified diver since 1989, where he completed his open water skills at Kutztown University. His interest in diving came from watching divers retrieve fishing lures from Indian River Inlet, Delaware as a seven year old. After completing his open water class at eighteen, he bought his own equipment and began diving in local quarries and off the coast of New Jersey. In 1995 he completed his divemaster rating and immediately went to work on local dive boats in New Jersey, with an interest in spearfishing and lobstering. He has extensive experience as a boat diver and says that shore diving is a way to experience the ocean without the high expense of chartering a boat. Along with Mark Stitzer, Brett is the only other instructor certified at Scuba Venture to teach Waves, Tides, and Currents (Shore Diver). In 2004, he completed his instructor rating, and anticipates working with many new students as well as continuing his innovative intervention diving program that he uses to teach scuba adventure education and other activities to his Middle School students.

Charlie Haldeman

Instructor

Charlie started diving in 1974. He went to Northern Michigan University in 1980 to get his PADI Instructor Certification. He worked his way up to an Instructor Trainer, Developmental Staff Instructor and Master Instructor. In 1991 he joined Scuba Venture, and switched over to SSI, DCSI instructor. Since then, he has over 10,000 dives under his weight belt and has certified over 2200 students. In 2001 he received his Platinum Pro 5000 instructor rating. Two more years and Mark will have to give him the Gold dive watch for continuous service. He teaches Boat, Deep, Night, and Drysuit diving specialties. Cozumel, Mexico and the Cayman Islands are a few of his favorite warm water spots, and New Jersey wrecks and buggin’ are high on his fun to do list. Usually he can be seen (fins at least) during the Florida mini season looking for those tasty treats.

Shawn Kane

Instructor

Richard Mitchell

Instructor

Charles Ogborn

Instructor

Chuck has been a diving since 2002 as a recreational diver traveling to places such as the North Atlantic, North Carolina, Florida Keys, the Philippines and throughout the Caribbean. In addition to recreational diving Chuck is also an avid technical diver challenging himself with deep wreaks and cave adventures. He has been active Dive Master for several years and during 2016 he joined the Scuba Venture staff.