|
|
 |
|
|
Introducing...
THE CREW
Our captains, our crew and our instructors await your arrival. Their combined efforts and experience will insure that you will have the best time possible while aboard the D/V Seafari or the D/V Leisure Lee & D/V Island Diver.
Tilden Billiter
Tilden has been diving professionally for over 38 years in a variety of related areas that include salvage, commercial, search and rescue, recovery, stunts and special effects in the motion picture industry. For the last 15 years, he has been an “Angel” for the rescue helicopters of the offshore powerboat racing teams of Drambuie on Ice, Restore Marine, Nemschoff Racing, Tommy Bahama, and Zerodefect.
In his 27 years of teaching scuba classes, Tilden has personally taught over 3000 students to learn to dive or become scuba diving instructors.
Tilden and Sally, his wife of 24 years, opened their first dive shop in 1984 and still enjoy working with the public.
Tilden has two children, Tilden & Joy-Del.
Sally Billiter
Sally has been a certified dive master for over 25 years and an instructor for 15 years. She also was certified as a Scuba Ranger instructor for children when this program began. Along with 30 years of experience in the scuba diving and hospitality industry, Sally is your best choice for personalized assistance with arranging your dive trips, accommodations or customized packages.
Captain Tracy Brenner
Captain/Diving experience includes Cayman Islands, Bahamas and the Florida Keys. Tracy began diving in 1995 in Key West, and hasn't stopped yet. She received her Padi Diver Master Certification in 2001; Padi Instructor Certification in 2002; USCG 50 Tonnage Masters Captain License in 2003; and is currently a Padi Master Scuba Diver Trainer. Tracy also ran charters on her sailboat "Gypsy Spirit" through the Keys and the Bahamas.
Captain Joe Hall
Joe grew up in Texas on a working cattle ranch where a passion for all outdoor activities was developed. He has been a scuba instructor since 1998 with teaching experience in all recreational areas of skin and scuba diving. His experience also includes training students with the use of nitrox, rebreathers, decompression procedures, and the development of instructors. Joe has a great deal of appreciation for the underwater world and gains personal satisfaction in sharing it with others. Joe and his wife Wendy now manage our Duck Key location.
Wendy Hall
Wendy is a Navy brat who has always lived near the ocean. She was a dental assistant for 11 years and spent all her cash going to tropical places to scuba dive. On her last vacation she threw in the towel, quit work and moved to the Keys to go to dive school. Wendy is an active NAUI and PADI instructor and now manages our Duck Key location with her husband Joe.
Scott Fryer
Scott was born, raised and learned to dive on the central coast of California. He received his Instructor Certification in San Diego in 1982, then went to work in the Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Fiji and the Cayman Islands. He spent 8 years as a commercial hardhat oilfield diver and has now made the Florida Keys his home for the last several years. He has worked all aspects of the dive business, from the shop to certification classes, dive master and equipment repair. He spends most days off either spear fishing, fishing or just cruising and taking pictures of the wonderful reefs off the Keys.
Captain Mike Wise
Mike is another of our experienced and personable captains. Formerly, a math and science middle school teacher, he is now using that expertise to assist divers and snorkelers in their quest for both information and adventures. He is very knowledgeable about the waters surrounding the Middle Keys as he and his wife, Frankie, lived aboard their customized motor vessel for several years in Marathon. He is always happy to be back out on the water, taking passengers to our beautiful reefs and wrecks.
Captain Billy DeSilver, Jr.
Billy’s diving experience has included Cape Cod, Southern California and Catalina Island; as well as the Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean. Billy’s diving experience and education include: PADI Junior Basic Certification at age 14, PADI Master Instructor in 1997; PADI International College Gold Curriculum Graduate 1986 (OWSI), Staff Member of Aquarius Diving Center 1987 to 2002; Dive Manager for Premier Cruise Lines 1990 to 1992; Owner/Operator of Lil Squirt Dive Charters from 1996 to 2002; Staff Member of Buzzards Bay Dive Center 2003 to 2005; and has held a 25 Ton Masters Coast Guard License since 1995.
Ted Harty
Ted was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. and spent most of his life there. He was a sales rep for Bell South and had to wear a suit and tie every day.
After leaving BellSouth he worked as a magician and is now an active NAUI and PADI Instructor here at Tilden’s. His career choices just keep getting better and better. After coming to work in a bathing suit he says “No more suits and ties for him”. He and his 100 pound golden retriever Sammy are enjoying living and playing in the Florida Keys.
Bob McCormick
Bob left the cooler temperatures of Massachusetts to enjoy island living in the Keys with his wife, Sandy. Most of his diving was in the temperate waters off the New England coast. He is a PADI instructor who enjoys showing his students the wonders Mother Nature has to offer here in the Keys.
Jessica Pritt
Jessica was born and raised in Northern Virginia, where she received her dive certification as part of her training for the Rescue Squad. In college she joined the Va Tech Scuba Club (Go Hokies!) which made frequent trips down to the Florida Keys. After graduation she decided to make the Keys her home. She started out working at a hotel, but has since traded in her heels for flip-flops. Addicted to diving and lobstering, she acclimated to the Keys lifestyle and weather quickly. She is an active PADI instructor and has been working for Tilden's since early 2006. Jessica is easy to pick out among our crew, she's the one wearing a fleece when it is 80 degrees out!
Jason Elliott
I was born and raised in California and have lived from San Diego to the border of Oregon. I was the production supervisor of an injection molding company for most of my 20's. I left to work behind the bar at my father's pool hall for a few years then decided to start a new life. After becoming a dive instructor I decided to live and work in the wonderful Florida Keys. I work as a dive instructor at the best dive shop around, Tilden's Scuba Center.
Erin Magee
Erin learned to dive in rock quarries near Charlottesville while attending college at UVA. After graduating in 2006, she ditched the dry suit and headed toward the warmer Florida waters. She is a PADI instructor and worked as a writer for the local newspaper before coming to Tilden's. When she's not at work, Erin is often out kayaking or taking her dog, Cuda, for a run on the beach.
Mike Pullis
Mike moved to the Keys from the coldwater state of Michigan. He worked as a brick and tile mason until he and his wife, Shannon, decided to follow their dream of living in year-round sunshine. Mike became an instructor right after the move and said that his two sons, Wylan and Finn, are enjoying Marathon and are happy to be part of the Tilden's family.
Anita Weeks
Anita was born in Maine but moved to Florida when she was three. She says that since then her blood thinned out and she became allergic to snow. When her husband wanted to learn to dive she says she joined in just to be with him. After that first day in 2004, scuba became her new passion. Then she borrowed a friend's camera and she said, "Look out underwater world! Here I come!" Since then she became a Master Scuba Diver Trainer who loves sharing her passion with others. She and her husband spent a year teaching in Crystal River where the manatees are awesome but the water is cold. In 2008 she made the move to the beautiful Florida Keys where there are more tropical fish than room on her camera. Heaven! She has made her home here and loves it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
