is
first students how to dive in 1959, seven years before
the organization known as PADI was established! In
that time, Bill has become a dive industry legend. He is a founding member of
both PADI and NASDS. Stop by the store and have him show you his museum of
artifacts that he has collected in his underwater wanderings or walk down the
halls of history and take a look at dive equipment of the "good" old days.
Ask him to tell you what it was like diving in Lake Superior before the
invention of the BCD, or what it is like to go diving for sunken D-8
Caterpillars tractors in a peat bog. (Skindiver Magazine did an article on this dive
adventure!)
Bill is more than great stories. Over the years he has built quite a
resume of dive credentials. His list of certifications includes being a
recreational diving instructor for PADI, NASDS & YMCA. Bill is also
certified to teach 12 PADI specialty courses. As owner of the
Minnesota
Commercial Diver Training Center and Underwater Commercial Divers Inc., Bill
has extensive experience in the commercial dive industry. TDI instructor
certifications that he holds includes Basic and Advanced NITROX along with
Gas Blending and Semi-Closed Rebreathers. Bill is also NITROX Instructor
Trainer for TDI. Over the years Bill has been a certified repair technician
for several company's including U.S. Divers, Scu
bapro, Oceanic, Nemrod,
Farallon, Sherwood, Dive Systems International and Diving
Unlimited
International.
For many years, Bill was the only qualified search and recovery diver
in the area. For this reason Bill obtained a vocational license to teach
drowning recovery and Surface Ice Rescue techniques to Rescue squads and
other interested groups throughout the state.
Along with owning and operating one of the oldest and most respected dive stores in Minnesota, Bill has a Masters degree in Math Education and taught Mathematics for 34 years in the Brainerd School District. Bill is a instrument rated pilot, the 1956 all Arm Forces diving champion, a eagle scout, ham radio operator, DOT/ hydrostatic cylinder tester and he has his sea captain's license.
Bill has lead dive trips all over the world but his favorite spot to dive has to be Truk Lagoon.