Casey Harthorn

Casey Harthorn is originally from Holland, Michigan. After 21 years of service in the United States Air Force, where he specialized in electronics, he retired, and now resides in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Not being ready for retirement, Casey perused his second passion, wildlife, and earned a degree in Fish and Wildlife Science from Eastern New Mexico University. After graduation, he began working as a fisheries biologist for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, a position he still holds. Casey soon realized the value of scuba to fisheries research and became Open Water certified in the spring of 2001. In March of 2007, he became a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor and currently holds the Master Scuba Diver Trainer rating. Casey is also certified to teach scuba through the Handicapped Scuba Association. In 2009 Casey took his passion for adaptive teaching to the pinnacle and became a Course Director for the Handicapped Scuba Association. When it comes to diving in New Mexicos waters, Casey is the resident expert. He dives in all conditions, warm water-cold water-good visibility-poor visibility, and enjoys them all. When asked where his favorite dives are he replys in the water. Casey just enjoys diving and explains that each dive location offers something unique and while conditions very from dive to dive; each dive offers a memorable experience.

JR CALKINS

Gilbert Calkins, really only known as, J.R. has been diving since 1989. The passion for being an instructor has been there all along, but it wasnt until March of 2007 that it finally came to pass. He now holds the Master Scuba Diver Trainer certification. J.R.s favorite dive is any dive when there is a student or dive buddy along and they get the look of Ive never seen one those before or Ive never done that before. His favorite specialty teach is Night Diver, to start a dive just before dark and watch the daytime fauna leave and new come out so the colors go from yellows and oranges to grays and blues, then to your world being the size of your dive light beam. There are some animals that are out only at night. Bioluminescence is the coolest thing to experience. J.R. has been a water baby since a very young age, swimming, snorkeling, water skiing, riding jetskis, sailing and boating have always been a part of life. J.R. works for the US Forest Service as an Engineer as his make a living job, and stays very busy during fire seasons being part of a Type 1 Incident Management Team. Confusion seems to run rampant with the staff of the dive shop. J.R.s confusion was how to bring the Florida Keys to his life everyday and scuba diving and the pictures on the wall of his office are his escape the days he works. J.R.s wife, Deb, has been his best dive buddy for more than 10 years and has earned the level of Rescue Diver. The mascot of the shop, Michael, is his next milestone scuba student; we will have to wait a few more years until that comes to pass. J.R.s description of Heaven on Earth will be diving with Michael and Deb on a reef off of St. Somewhere Caribbean.

DENNIS TaLLEY

Dennis is a native Californian, who grew up in Deming, NM whos heart is somewhere in Alabama. Confused? He is too. He joined the Army to see the world and they sent him to Fort Bliss. After recovering from that he managed to travel all over creation for the Army as a pilot. After the Army he and his family moved back to this area and settled down. He has been diving for 20 years and every dive is better than the next. He is an alumni of the NMSU Business College, holding a Bachelors degree in Human Resource Management. He is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and holds more than 15 specialties that he can teach. Dennis is also an instructor for the Handicapped Scuba Association. His greatest satisfaction as an instructor was the day he was able to dive with his wife for the first time. Dennis' motto can best be described as "Dancing through life like a one man conga line". Live every day as though it was your last.

KELLY COLLINS

Kelly is another California transplant, growing up outside Santa Cruz then moving to the Las Cruces area in 1985. Always loving being in and around the water there werent too many water sports he didnt enjoy, from Fishing, Wakeboarding, and Tubing to Racing Jet skis. It wasnt too long before he noticed those funny looking red flags sticking up out of the water. Towards the end of 2002 he wandered into a dive center and it was all over. From the first confined water dive he knew he was hooked and starting looking into turning Pro. Kelly Adopted the Motto Never miss a Dive. From wreck diving in San Diego in February in 49° water to playing with the Sea Lions in San Carlos in 98° water, there is no such thing as a BAD Dive!

In 2006 Kelly took the plunge and turned Pro and got his Dive Master rating. He enjoys helping others learn this sport not only during the classes but also on trips. He enjoys taking beginning / advanced divers down and showing them things they have never seen or done and helping them build up their confidence by letting them push their limits during a supervised dive.

2012 will bring a few new changes for Kelly as its time for the Dive Master to become an Instructor.