Meet the Ocean Adventures Dive Team

"LA's most experienced dive instructors make the best teachers."

Steve Ladd

PADI Master Instructor #160670

Emergency First Response and Divers Alert Network O2 Instructor

Emergency Medical Service / EMT

Steve earned his Open Water certification at age 15. Now the owner of OADC/PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center spreading his life long passion for the ocean to his community. He offers high quality equipment, instruction and dive travel. Having a family of divers and a network of diving friends has kept Steve's enthusiasm strong. His passion is watching our local dive community flourish, as the dive club grows and the barbecues get bigger! Steve encourages his staff to excel and provide advanced instruction. Steve is also a past volunteer presentation diver at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

E-mail Steve:

Andy C. Huber

IANTD Adv. Recreational Trimix Instructor

TDI Adv. Nitrox Instructor

SDI Open Water Instructor

PADI IDC Staff Instructor

DAN Diving Emergency Specialist (DES) Instructor
Life Support Systems Service Technician

GUE Tech 1 Diver

GUE Cave 2 Diver
TDI  Adv. Trimix Diver

IANTD Full Trimix Diver
SAG Member

Fluent in German

E-mail Andy:

SZILVIA GOGH

PADI Course Director

PADI Specialty Instructor Trainer

EFR Instructor Trainer

DAN Instructor Trainer

Dive Travel Specialist
SAG Member
Stunts and Water Safety

Since 1989 Szilvia has been involved in International Competition Level Orientation Diving, and has logged close to 5000 dives, including training, competition, and recreational dives. She decided to travel around the world and make a living of scuba diving. She has lived and dived pretty much all around Europe, Australia, Thailand and Mexico. In 2003 she became a Course Director. She is proud to be the youngest female world-wide ever excepted to become a CD. She teaches dive instructor courses for the LAPD Dive Unit leaders, works as a safety and stunt diver in the motion picture industry. Recently she worked on Green Hornet, Piranha 3D, Flash Forward, Desperate Housewives and doubled Drew Barrymore for her latest movie, Everybody Loves Whales.

She loves to travel off the beaten path to expose herself to anything new and unusual, as she believes this is how we learn more about local culture and people. You can see some of her pictures at www.szilviagogh.com. She is a founder of Miss-Scuba, the online resource for female divers. www.miss-scuba.com. Miss Scuba is a culture of its own; an expression of free will, untamed souls, a rebellion against mediocrity and the yearning for finding adventure and excitement in life.

E-mail Szilvia:

Stewart Tanner

PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer #237601

TDI Nitrox and Trimix Blender

Emergency First Response Instructor

DAN Instructor

Multiple Specialty Instructor Ratings
DSAT Trimix Gas Blender Instructor

PSI Visual Cylinder Inspector

SAG/ Stunts/ Water Safety

Stewart grew up in Laguna Beach California. An avid surfer and free diver as a young man, it was only natural for Stewart to discover SCUBA. Stewart’s wife an avid SCUBA diver suggested he get certified for their honeymoon. Once certified Stewart’s passion for the ocean drove him to become a PADI Instructor. Stewart shares his passion and love for the ocean with each of his students. “It’s awesome to see the eyes of your students when the encounter a sea lion for the first time. Every encounter with sea creatures brings a smile like that of a child to your students and you know they get it”. Stewart recently trained the main talents for the Scooby Doo Movie. Stewart started a clothing line, see his apparels at www.hillbillystar.com

E-mail Stewart:

Tim Balcomb

PADI IDC Staff Instructor #234976

Emergency First Response Instructor

Underwater Video Specialist
DSAT Trimix Gas Blender Instructor
TDI Nitrox and Trimix Blender
PSI Visual Cylinder Inspector
Underwater Filmmaking Instructor

UTD Tech 1 Diver

Tim learned to dive right here at Ocean Adventures Dive Company! Initially certified to work on a movie he was soon bitten by the bug and diving every weekend possible. Now an instructor, he wants to share the fun, beauty, and most of all, the community of diving with all of his students. “Ocean Adventures has become like a second home to me over the years, and I want each and every one of my students to feel as welcome as I did.” Tim is also an aspiring underwater filmmaker, and is always available to answer questions about capturing the ocean world on film. Tim worked as Camera Operator and/or a Safety Diver on Outside, Clear Blue, Shark Swarm features. See his reel at www.timbalcomb.com

E-mail Tim:

Piotr Czyzykowski "Peter"

PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer #254590

Emergency First Response Instructor

PADI Specialty Instructor

Piotr started diving when he was 15 years old in Egypt. He continued diving for a few years in Egypt, Poland (in his home country) and Czech Republic before at age 18 he became a Divemaster. Piotr decided to travel to the USA and get his Instructor training. Piotr still today is continuing his education. “Underwater I found peace and quiet, nothing is more relaxing than watching marine life, and spend good time with your friends who share the same passion with you,” said Piotr.

E-mail Piotr:

Karen Praxel

PADI Instructor

SAG Member 

AAUS scientific diver

Underwater photographer

 

Karen has been a certified diver since 1984. In college she flip-flopped between marine biology and theater arts majors. Life went in the direction of acting professionally but a passion for learning about life in the seas never waned.

Karen has been volunteering as a diver at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach since 2002. There she started training as a scientific diver, became certified by the AAUS and joined many research projects. She started to work on some local boats and to DM for aquarium and scientific dives and to assist with some training. Now an instructor Karen is able share her passion for the oceans in the best way yet: training new divers and taking divers on their continuing education and being a part of their growth, confidence and enthusiasm.

Having traveled all over and done some thrilling diving in places including Fiji, Cocos, Socorro, Sea of Cortez, Indian Ocean (The Seychelles), Karen always loves coming home to the incomparable waters of Southern California Pacific and the beautiful Channel Islands! It is a pleasure and a constant adventure to be able to contribute to people's love and understanding of the ocean at the aquarium, to contribute to conservation and research with scientific diving, to be able to help guide new divers as an instructor!

Karen is also an enthusiastic underwater photographer and has worked as dive safety on films. Still a professional actor (Karen can be seen in national commercials, recently Off-Broadway in New York and in award winning indi films) she is a true believer that you really can do it all and doing what you love is what it’s all about! Karen is committed to opening up what has traditionally being a male dominated sport to the unique energy of women and creating space for women to explore and grow both in the industry and in the adventure.

 

E-mail Karen:

Leonard Seagal

PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer #242532

UDT Tech 1 Diver

Multiple Specialty Instructor

Emergency First Response Instructor

Founder and Managing Director of AquaPhotic.com

Underwater Filmmaking Instructor

Underwater Lighting Instructor

IATSE Local 728

Safety Diver

Artist

Having grown up in Los Angeles Leonard has spent his lifetime in and around the water. One of his greatest pleasures is to dive with his teenage daughter, who at 13 became a PADI Master Scuba Diver with over 100 dives.

My hope is to be part of a process that creates a greater awareness of the fragile beauty of our oceans. -LS

E-mail Leonard:

Steve Cramer

PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT) #193572

DAN Instructor

Steve started diving several years ago while stationed in Hawaii. As a helicopter crewman and Search and Rescue swimmer, he had a natural affinity for the water. Over the years, he was out of diving while raising a family and building a career, but returning to So Cal three years ago gave him the opportunity to return to his roots. "I grew up in Santa Barbara and Ventura, so I feel a strong connection to the ocean and the islands off the coast. What I didn't know untill I started diving here is how spectacular it frequently is". Steve trys to work on a personal level with each student, and build a sense on community in the class. "I want people to relax and have the time of their lives. Learning to SCUBA takes commitment, but it tends to bring out the best in people. The positive energy and sense of accomplishment is contageous. It's gratifying to lead people through different courses and watch them become more profiecient, confident and safe. You get to watch the lights go on and I love being a part of that."

Shawna McLean

President, Ocean Adventures Dive Club

Dive Master

Shawna learned to dive in the Philippines, then began diving at each Caribbean island she visited until she landed at Ocean Adventures gearing up for a trip to Bonaire. We invited her to dive Santa Barbara Island in March 2005 and after playing with all the sea lions she was hooked on diving the California coast and all the Channel and outer islands. She quickly began logging dives, taking courses, working part-time in the shop and planning dives and après-dive parties. Steve recognized that these skills might be put to good use when the Ocean Adventure Dive Club needed a new president. Shawna is continuing her education.

E-mail Shawna:

Canyon

Future Master Diver

He has a smile for you anytime you come in and will let you scratch him all over.