Faculty

Principals

Sergio Smith, CEO  - President of International Diving Institute, formerly known as East Coast Dive Connection.  He has been diving for over 35 years and he has been the East Coast Regional Director for NASE Worldwide since 2000.  He has lived throughout the world and has been a diving instructor in many places including the Gulf of Aquaba,, Jordan; Souda Bay in Crete, Greece, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea.  Mr. Smith also worked with the University of Sassani in Sardania as an archeological diver.  He is fluent in English, italian, French, and Haitian.  He served with the Navy Special Warfare Group and was assigned to EOD Mobile Unit 12 in Charleston, SC  where he was responsible for all air/mixed gas systems.  the Navy certified him as a Master Repair Technician and instructor in 1983.  He opened East coast Dive Connection in 1996 before retiring from the Navy after 20 years.

Dr. E. Lee Spence - Vice President
Internationally Known Shipwreck Expert

Dr. E. Lee Spence is an internationally known expert on shipwrecks and sunken treasures. Spence found his first shipwrecks in 1960. The late Peter Throckmorton (who is frequently described as the "father of marine archaeology") once compared Spence to Heinrich Schlieman. Schlieman is considered the founder of historic archaeology. Spence graduated Cum Laude from the University of South Carolina in 1976, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an academic concentration in marine archaeology.

Spence's past work has been funded by such institutions as the Savannah Ships of the Sea Museum, the College of Charleston, the South Carolina Committee for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 1991 and '92, Spence served as Chief of Underwater Archaeology for Providencia, a 40,000 square-mile archipelago in the Western Caribbean. He has worked on the wrecks of Spanish galleons, pirate ships, Great Lakes freighters, modern luxury liners, Civil War blockade-runners and submarines. He has authored more than two dozen books, and has served as editor for a number of nationally distributed magazines.

Spence was the discoverer of the Civil War submarine Hunley, and in 1995, at the official request of the State of South Carolina Hunley Commission, he donated all of his rights to the wreck to the State. The Hunley has been described as the most important underwater archaeological discovery of the 20th century.

Although he has discovered numerous historically significant shipwrecks, including the Confederate cruiser Georgiana, and has salvaged millions of valuable artifacts, Spence considers his identification of George Trenholm, who was the owner of the Georgiana, as the "Real Rhett Butler" to have been his most important literary discovery.

Spence is also an award-winning cartographer and has published a number of maps and charts dealing with shipwrecks and treasure.

Certifications, Memberships, Accreditations:

Michael Hielscher - Vice President

Mr. Hielscher attended Technical College/University, Roskilde Denmark and earned a degree in mechanical engineering in 1983.  He entered the Royal Danish Navy in 1983 and served as a Senior Diving Instructor and Assistant Chief Instructor.  After military services Mr. Hielscher continued his diving career in the North Sea as a Saturation Diver and Supervisor for Inshore Marine Service A/S in Denmark.  Mr. Hielscher transferred to the Gulf of Mexico where he worked as a Saturation/Mixed Gas Diver for Global Divers International, and Cal Dive International.  Mr. Hielscher has over 20 years of offshore diving and supervisory experience, before joining the International Diving Institute.  Mr. Hielscher is certified as: Bell Saturation Supervisor, (IMCA 1990); Air Supervisor (IMCA 1990); Navy diving Supervisor, Bell Saturation Diver (IMCA 1987); NDT - Det Norske Veritas (DNV 1988); U/W Welding - U/W Blasting 1986, and Safety Offshore Certification 1989.  Mr. Hielscher speaks Danish, ,Swedish, Norwegian, German, and English.  He is currently working as a consulting dive Superintendent for offshore diving companies to include Deep Marine Technology (DMT), 2-W Diving and Bisso Marine.

Instructors

David Sharpe - Diving Supervisor / instructor

Mr. Sharpe has been diving for over 13 years.  He began diving in 1993 and became recreational SCUBA certified.  Mr. Sharpe continued to work towards a career in diving by becoming certified in Technical Nitrox in 1996, SSI Assistant Instructor, and NSS Full Cave Diver in 1997.  In November 2003, he became a NASE Instructor and graduated from Commercial Diving School as class valedictorian.  Mr. Sharpe's commercial diving experience includes service with Superior Offshore, Triton and Madcon Diving Companies where he was instrumental in the Gulf Hurricane Recovery Effort

Kim Gissendanner - Diving Supervisor / instructor

Kim Gissendanner has been diving since 1975 when he became active in offshore wreck diving, cave diving in Northern Florida, and archeological diving in the black water rivers of South Carolina.   His SCUBA certifications have included YMCA Goldstar Instructor, PADI Open Water Instructor, NAUI, and National Speleological Society Cave Diving Instructor.  In 1981 Kim graduated from Florida Institute of Technology (Distinction) with an Associate of Science Degree in Underwater Technology.  He was honored with the school’s Underwater Technology Award in  1981.   Kim is certified for surface-supplied and mixed gas diving and is qualified on a variety of diving helmets including Mark V.  Upon graduation    Kim worked for 15 years in the commercial diving industry as a project manager and diving supervisor with UCD, Wiswell, Inc. and Aquatic Marine Systems, Inc.   His diving experience includes ship’s husbandry, power plants and dams,  inspection work and heavy underwater construction involving welding and concrete encasement of various structures throughout the US and abroad.  Kim has been involved in underwater construction projects in the US, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Honduras, Curacao, and Aruba.  

Administrative Staff

Janilee Chesky - Head of Administration

Ms. Chesky retired from the U.S. Navy with 20 years of administrative experience, and 12 years as office manager for a local land clearing business.  She is IDI’s certifying school official for VA/Voc Rehab and also manages the admin office including finances and student records.

 

Debbie Gregory - Dive Shop Manager/ Retail Sales

Debbie Lynn Gregory is the Retail Dive Shop Manager at International Diving Institute Dive Locker and works in the Admin Office.  Debbie has been in the Diving Industry for 15 years. She has been in the Retail Industry for 20 years. She earned her Open water in 1998, Advanced and Nitrox in 1999, Rescue Diver in 2000 and Asst Scuba Ranger Instructor in 2001. Debbie is also licensed CPO/SPA (Certified Pool Operator) through the state of South Carolina. She loves Diving the Cooper River looking for artifacts.  The International Diving Institute Dive Locker is one of the most well equipped dive shops on the East coast offering the latest in Sport Diving Equipment as well as equipment needed for commercial diving.  The state of the art facility includes test tanks, 2 recompression chambers and multiple air stations and a mixed gas mixing facility.  The shop is staffed and equipped for repairs of all diving equipment both SCUBA and surface supplied.

Contract Instructors

Linn Boughamer - Instructor of Physics, Physiology, & Dive Medicine

Linn Boughamer became a Scuba Certified Diver in 2004. He holds a B.S. degree in Radiologic Technology and Biology from Alderson Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia, an M.S. degree in Radiology from the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a D.M.D. degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. During his 37 years in the medical profession he has 28 years of teaching experience and has served on numerous education and medical committees.

 

C. Russel (Rusty) Whiting - Instructor

    Certifications, Memberships, Accreditations:

    NASE Instructor Trainer NASE/WASI

    NASE Regional Director NASE/WASI

                                               SRS Open Water Instructor SRS

                                               SRS Instructor Trainer SRS

                                               SRS Regional Director SRS

                                               PADI Instructor 1978 PADI

                                               NASE Regional Training Director NASE/WASE

                                              Natl. Acad. of Police Divers (NAPD) National Training Director

                                               MDEA Level 5 Instructor

                                              Classes:

                                              PSD (Public Safety Diver)

William (Bill) Hoolahan - Instructor

Captain Hoolahan has worked worldwide as a commercial diver for 26 years, covering both the inland and offshore markets. He obtained his commercial diving certification from the Professional Diving School of New York in 1982. Captain Hoolahan also holds his 1600-ton Master License that was issued by the United States Coast Guard. He was a diver with Oceaneering International in addition to being one of their dive support vessel captains. Through the dock-builders/divers union, he has worked on bridges, dams, power plants and salvage operations with numerous companies. Amongst his ocean crossing voyages, Captain Hoolahan has towed cargo through the Panama Canal with tugboats and carried out classified work for the government. Additionally, he is a published author and a screenwriter.

Certifications, Memberships, Accreditations:

John Stoddart - Instructor (Substitute)

Mr. Stoddart is retired from the U.S. Navy with 16 years of military and civilian diving experience. He was a qualified Master Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician, Hull Maintenance Technician, Unit Operations Officer and Instructor. In 1990, Mr. Stoddart completed SCUBA diver training at the Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He then qualified as a U.S. Navy Diving Supervisor in both SCUBA and the MK16 Gas Underwater Breathing Apparatus in 1994. His U.S. Navy responsibilities included academic/practical instruction in a variety of EOD and diving related evolutions to include the training of international armed forces in the area of Port Security/Harbor Defense diving operations. Mr. Stoddart’s tours of duty included 8 years at an Underwater Mine Countermeasures Unit, 3 years in ordnance publications and render-safe procedure development and 3 years with an Ordnance Clearance Unit (both surface and underwater). Mr. Stoddart is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician Basic (EMT-B), although not currently performing duties as an EMT; he is active as an American Heart Association CPR and First Aid Instructor.

Certifications, Memberships, Accreditations:

John Chalfin - DMT Instructor

John Chalfin is President and CEO of Hartland Diving LLC which does work in power plants and industrial sites. He also holds a membership in The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society and he is a board registered Hyperbaric Medical Technician and Clinical Hyperbaric Technician.

Chalfin became an Emergency Medical Techncian (EMT) and a public Safety Dive (PSD) Instructor in 2000. He received his DMT Instructor certification in 2003.

Chalfin served in the U.S. Navy and is a Vietnam veteran. Chalfin holds a bachelors degree in General Studies with a concentration in Industrial Management from the University of Indiana.  He also has a degree in Electrical Engineering from Terra Technical College. He comes to IDI once each year to teach his course.

Certifications, Memberships, Accreditations:

Classes:

Johnny Cercopely - HAZ-MAT/Saftey Instructor

Johnny Cercopely has more than twenty-four years in industrial safety and security for the private industry. He holds a Hazardous Material Technician Certification from Georgia Technical College and owns Nine Eleven Emergency Response Training Solutions, which offers training in: Confined Space, Entry and Rescue; First Aid & CPR; Hazardous Material, Operations Response; and Basic Fire Fighting.

Cercopely is a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Captain for Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels - (OUPV- 6 Pack). He earned an Emergency Medical Technician certification for the State of South Carolina in 1980. He was certified as a Rescue Diver and a Master Diver with PADI in 1993. He is a NASE Instructor.

Certifications, Memberships, Accreditations:

Classes:

Carl Whitaker (contract instructor) Rigging/Crane/NASE Master Instructor

Carl Whitaker has been diving for over twenty-five years and has been a certified NASE Master Instructor since 2000.

Whitaker has more than twenty years of experience in diesel and hydraulic engines and has instructor certifications for mobile Cranes, Forklifts, and Rigging from the Crane Institute of America.

Certifications, Memberships, Accreditations:

Classes: