ScubaTech of Northwest Florida was formed in April of 1986 – forged from a passion for the sport and in pursuit of living the dream! As a woman-owned, full-service dive center serving the Destin area for nearly 40 years, we pride ourselves on being a top-tier operation. Our objective is to offer a safe and enjoyable experience for all, while sharing our enthusiasm for SCUBA and the wonders of the underwater world. Whether you are new to the sport, a seasoned diver or simply prefer to stay on the surface, our knowledgeable and experienced crew and staff are here to provide you with outstanding service. We hope to sea you soon!
"The Queen" Nancy Birchett
Nancy was certified as an Open Water Diver in 1980 and became an Open Water Instructor in 1982. She earned her USCG Captain’s license 1989 and achieved Master SCUBA Diver Trainer status in 1998. Nancy is an SSI and PADI Instructor. She is also a Factory Trained Service Technician for several equipment manufacturers and certified DSAT Gas Blender.
Theo "Quint’ Tison
Theo has become one of the most important people at ScubaTech, and we are not sure what we would do without him. He received his Divemaster certification in 2018 and quickly learned that wasn‘t enough. Since then, he has received his PADI Instructor’s license as well as his 100-ton captain’s license. Home grown in Georgia, he is truly a gem and one of the most polite and friendly folks around.
Marianne Christie
Marianne began working at ScubaTech over 10 years ago. She was medically and honorably discharged from the Air Force after 11 years of service and worked as a contractor for a few years before moving to Destin. She got her Advanced OW certification in 2010 from her husband Greg Christie. She keeps the store, social media and the schedule running, with a lot of help from everyone!
Lyle Moore
Lyle has lived in the area since 1975, which ALMOST makes him a local. After college (War Eagle!), he worked in the wholesale electrical business for 30 years. Nancy was his advanced open water and rescue diver instructor during the 90‘s so he’s been a ScubaTecher for a long time. After finally wearing Nancy down, he was hired October 2018 to work in the shop and anywhere else there is a need.
Jonathan Bush
Diving since he was 9, Jon has been diving all over the world and in all kinds of conditions. He retired from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Underwater Investigation Unit in 2011, where he was the commander. Jon is an SSI Open Water Instructor, PADI Open Water Instructor, Swiftwater Rescue Instructor, Police Diver Instructor Evaluator, Emergency Medical Technician, Mermaid Instructor, Cavern Instructor and a Cave Diver. He has also recently gone to captain school and obtained his 100-ton captain’s license. So, you’ll be seeing him on the water one way or another.
Iina ‘Ester’ Antikainen
Originally from Finland, Iina Ester did her first discover dive in Bali in 2015. She completed her dive training in the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia and in Bali and Gili Trawangan in Indonesia over the following two years becoming a PADI Open Water instructor in 2017. Iina’s favorite types of dives are drift and night dives. When she is not under the water, she enjoys kayaking, paddle boarding, dancing, yoga, and performing stand-up comedy.
Wendy Spolarich
Wendy found her love of scuba diving with a discover scuba adventure in 2005, became open water certified in 2006. She found her passion in helping others love the scuba world as much as her while living in Hawaii, where she got her Dive Master Certification, and then jumped into Instructor Certification when she arrived in Fort Walton Beach in 2021. She loves sharing her passion for diving, while in awesome colored leggings with a bubbly personality. Let’s become mermaids!!!!
Matthew "Seabear" Silverman
Matt is a retired Army helicopter pilot from CA. He learned to scuba dive in the Philippines and later earned his PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer certificate in Hawaii. He has dived up and down the Florida coast, Thailand, and even Utah. Matt is a Public Safety Diver with the Houston County Rescue Unit. He is currently available on weekends to teach over 19 PADI specialties and basic/advanced courses. This will be Matt’s seventh season being the loud one on the Sea Cobra, much to Nancy’s chagrin.
Reid “Big Toe” Henley
Reid is a retired Air Force navigator. Originally certified to dive in California’s cold water in 1980, he rediscovered his passion for scuba diving after a 35-year break. He repeated his PADI Open Water training right here at ScubaTech in 2016 and certified as an Open Water Instructor in 2020. He’s lived in Florida for 23 years and if asked what he wants to do when he grows up, he’ll tell you helping others learn to dive is a lifelong dream. He’s currently available on weekends to teach PADI basic and advanced scuba courses plus 8 PADI specialty courses.
Corbin Minnick
Corbin was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up Air Force brat style, moving all over to as far as Central America. He loves to surf, read and of course, scuba dive. He just received his certification a few years ago and loved it so much he decided to come work for us after receiving his rescue diver certification. Since then, he decided to trek to Utila during the winter months and get his PADI Divemaster certification as well! We are lucky to have him, he is super friendly and a motivated individual!