Columbia, MO

Meet our team

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Ryan Oestreich

Area Director
Independent Open Water Diver Instructor

As a level 5 diver, I enjoy helping teach students about the awesome sport of diving. Diventures is the reason I am a dive professional, have developed skills and gained experience diving. I love being able to share what I learn with our customers.

Phone: 417.883.5151
Email: [email protected]

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Connor Hendricks

Scuba Experience Manager
Independent Open Water Diver Instructor

Connor started his career in the water where he earned his degree in Marine Biology. His passion for teaching scuba emerged while volunteering at his Aunt and Uncle’s dive shop. Diving since 2012, Connor has dove throughout the Midwest and Caribbean and is an Open Watter Diver Instructor. He enjoys helping new divers discover their own passion for the water.

 

Phone: 573.442.3483

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Daniel Diaz-Arias

Independent Divemaster

Daniel grew up in and around the water. He’s been diving for 21 years. Daniel began diving with his mother, and he quite literally did a giant stride into it. He used to be a Search and Rescue Swimmer and a Navy Corpsman. After getting out he furthered his diving career by pursuing his goal of becoming a Divemaster in 2020. Daniel considers himself a lifetime student because he plans to continue to learn all that he can and grow as a recreational and professional diver.  His favorite place to dive is Devils Grotto in Grand Cayman. Daniel loves all the swim-throughs of the giant coral heads. He has been teaching in a different industry for over 15 years now and loves teaching. He loves seeing a student get that “light bulb effect” when they get something they’ve been struggling with. That is the greatest feeling in the world for a teacher, and Daniel looks forward to bringing that passion and teaching experience that he have been blessed with for the last 21 years to new and old divers alike.

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Danny (Doc) Diaz-Arias

Independent Assistant Instructor

Danny (Doc) Diaz-Arias to the Columbia Diventures Team! He was originally certified through Captain Nemo’s in 2001, spent time in Mexico furthering his career, and just completed his Assistant Instructor Certification. He is very passionate about scuba and being an educator. You will be impressed with his kind and welcoming demeanor along with his knowledge and experience of scuba diving. We are very excited to have him on board, and for everyone to meet and go diving with him!

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Dave Martin

Independent Assistant Instructor

Dave has been diving for 30 years and has assisted with scuba classes as an Assistant Instructor for 28 years. He is patient, safe and thorough when teaching. He has helped thousands of students take their first breaths underwater. Dave has a calming effect on everyone especially beginning scuba students. He would be the first to tell you that he gets a kick out of seeing the new things his students can come up with when teaching them skills!

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Dwain Gardner

Independent Assistant Instructor Trainer

Dwain took his first scuba class when he was 19 at the University of Missouri in Columbia. After the first day of scuba class, he knew what he wanted to do with his life. For four and a half years, Dwain helped teach a course at the University of Missouri, then continued to teach scuba and managed several dive stores before starting Capt. Nemo’s Dive Shop 36 years ago. Now, 42 years after that first scuba class, Dwain enjoys giving newcomers the same inspiring experience he had in his first lesson, teaching beginning students and helping over 2,000 divers become certified.

Phone: 573.442.3483
Email: [email protected]

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Jerry Hess

Independent Assistant Instructor

Jerry first started diving in 2013 after attending a Try Scuba in Jamaica. He has been hooked ever since and enjoys anything ocean. Progressing his way to Assistant Instructor, teaching Scuba, and developing new divers is something he is passionate about as well as underwater photography. Jerry’s favorite dive destination is Fiji, especially for their soft corals.

Phone: 573.442.3483
Email: Rebecca_Diventures

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John Robinson

Independent Assistant Instructor

John started diving in 1989 and has been a Divemaster and Assistant Instructor since 1992. He enjoys assisting beginning students and certified divers on their journey to experiencing the wonderful world of scuba diving. John dives in fresh water and salt water whenever he is able and enjoys meeting customers at the dive shop.

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Ken Campbell

Independent Advanced Open Water Instructor

Growing up on healthy doses of the TV series Flipper and Jacques Cousteau specials, Ken turned his underwater fascinations into his own story when he became a certified diver in 1978. He is now a Level 9 Diver and Advanced Open Water Instructor. Ken spent 30 years teaching middle school science and is excited to bring the world of underwater adventure to every diver.

Email: [email protected]

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Mary Stanford

Independent Advanced Open Water Diver Instructor

As a child, Mary was always near an ocean and spent much of her time swimming. She has been diving for 36 years and feels like she “can’t live without it.” Mary has been an active instructor for 28 years and loves teaching scuba. She and her husband, Dwain, have owned and operated Capt. Nemo’s Dive Shop in Columbia, Missouri, for 36 years, introduced thousands of people to scuba and conducted close to 100 escorted diving trips to the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean. Her boundless energy comes from a passion for introducing new divers to the beauty of being underwater and “getting them hooked on not just getting certified, but becoming a diver.”

Phone: 573.442.3483
Email: [email protected]

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Raymond Legg

Independent Open Water Instructor
Independent Classified Diving Instructor

I first started diving in 1981 while visiting Guam when I was in the Navy. I have been an SSI dive pro since 2017 and am passionate about teaching new divers and helping them develop as confident, safe divers. In addition to being a dive pro, I am also a PSI-PCI certified visual cylinder inspector and valve repair technician. I’m a level 8 diver and have been privileged to dive in the western and southern Pacific, the Sea of Cortez, California, Hawaii, Florida, and throughout the Caribbean. I also enjoy diving year-round in lakes and quarries in the Midwest.

Phone: 573.442.3483
Email: [email protected]

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Rose DeVincentis

Independent Assistant Instructor

Rose has been diving for 33 years and has assisted with scuba classes as an Assistant Instructor for 30 years. She has traveled the world diving and enjoys introducing people to scuba diving. Rose instills confidence in students and is a serious, precise, safe but very fun, and encouraging instructor. Rose is excited to be part of the Diventures family.

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