SCUBA Team Members

Michael has an MS degree in Biology from the University of West Florida and a BSE in Environmental Engineering  from the University of  Central Florida.  He is a PADI Master SCUBA Diver Trainer and a PADI IDC staff instructor.  Mike is qualified to teach numerous PADI specialties as well, including:  Enriched Air (NITROX), Emergency Oxygen, Wreck Diver, Peak Buoyancy Diver, Underwater Navigator, Underwater Naturalist, Night Diver, Underwater Photography, just to name a few.  Mike is also a Medic First Aid and  Emergency First Response instructor.  He has certified hundreds of divers from the Junior Open Water level through Dive Master and Assistant Instructor.  Mike has been involved in Marine and Environmental research projects in the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, Florida Keys, Northern California and Bimini, Bahamas.   He has been an invited speaker at national conferences, a judging captain at State Science and Engineering Fairs, is the author of fourteen books, and writes for national magazines and biology textbooks. Mike is a biologist and has taught at the high school and college levels for the past 18 years.

Carie has a BS degree in science education from the University of Central Florida, and has been a PADI Dive Master and Assistant Instructor  since 1992.  She is also a medic first aid and emergency first response instructor.   When not diving, Carie teaches high school biology in Orlando, Florida.  Carie has been a group leader for over 35 travel trips, both local and  international.  Before leading trips for Awesome Guides, Inc. Carie  was a team leader for numerous travel camps for the Orlando Science Center.  Carie has been involved in environmental education programs in Germany, Grand Cayman, Colorado and Jamaica.  She is a principle reviewer for biology textbooks and sponsors a local ecology club that teaches hundreds of children about  wildlife conservation through hands on interaction.  As an avid diver, Carie has logged hundreds of dives in areas such as:  natural springs, Florida caverns, continental shelf (wall) and numerous reefs.   Carie designs and manages websites and was the chief editor of eight instructional guides. Carie is the Co-Director for the Orange County Regional Science and Engineering Fair.  As a parent and teacher her number one priority is the safety of her students.  

Heather has a MS degree from Florida State University in science education.  She is a PADI Dive Master who has actively been diving since 1992 as well as a water safety instructor.  Heather is currently the science department chair at a new high school in Orlando, Florida.  She teaches Honors Biology, Anatomy and Physiology and Environmental Science.  Heather has many years of experience coaching high school soccer.  Heather has participated in numerous travel trips as a team leader for Awesome Guides, Inc.  Heather's diving portfolio includes many different experiences, such as: night, wreck, wall, reef, drift in many areas world wide.  As an Underwater Naturalist, Heather has been able to bring  awareness to our oceans as a valuable resource to human kind.  Heather's involvement as a leader in student extracurricular activities has given her the experience to safely direct trip participants to their next level of diving.

Mike is a PADI  Dive Master and a NAVY veteran.  Mike's diving experience includes extensive local and international sites, and numerous travel trips, monitoring and assisting student's dive training in beginning through advanced levels.  As a  Navy veteran, Mike served in Operation Desert Storm as a cryogenics expert.  Mike has taken an active role with high school students and has mentored them with science research projects.  Mike volunteers many hours each year supporting students in Public Schools.  Thanks to Mike's school involvement, his business is now a partner-in-education and conducts tours of their cryogenics and cogeneration plants, as well as sponsoring the Regional Envirothon and local Science and Engineering Fair.  Mike is actively involved with the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum restoring vintage combat aircraft.  He has combined his love of diving and warbirds into an interactive "treasure hunting" program, where he researches crashes, then dives the site in an effort to recover WWII aircraft in Florida.