Aaron's Dive Shop

OUR OHANA

Aaron’s Dive shop ohana is full of Aloha!

Get to know our staff!

About me

I was born and raised in California. I started diving in the 70s but really got serious about it much later in life. I eventually became an instructor and taught diving in the cold waters of Northern California. After 35 years working as an engineer in the semiconductor and defense industries I retired. Much to the envy of all of my dive buddies, I moved to Kailua and took over Aaron’s Dive Shop. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to retire early and follow my life’s passion for diving.

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

Worrying about what happened in the past and what might happen in the future will prevent you from making good things happen in the present.

One item you can’t dive without

My sense of adventure. Every dive has the potential to see or experience something for the first time.

Favorite Dive Site & Why

My favorite dive of all time was on February 1, 2014. I was diving at 90 feet in Bluefish Cove near Carmel, California. The conditions were stellar. 50°F and over 60 feet of visibility. I had my camera and I happened to see a Giant Pacific Octopus (GPO) land on a large rock. Since I saw it before it went camo on me I was able to slowly approach it. I signaled to my dive buddy and he captured the encounter on video. I was expecting the GPO to swim away or ink me and swim away. But as I got close it became curious and grabbed on to my camera rig wrapped its arms around it and me. Once I started to back away it lost interest and swam away. However, the experience was exhilarating one of my most memorable.

Course Director – PADI #37744

About me

The ocean has been my home since I started diving in 1972. I have been sharing the beauty of the world’s seas since I started teaching over 35+ years ago. The ocean has humbled me with its playfulness, and caused me to ache in my heart, when missing its gentle embraces. I love watching the rain dance upon the mirror of the ocean as I am sending laughing bubbles from beneath the other side!

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

“I have seafoam in my veins, I understand the language of waves.” ― Le Testament d’Orphée

One item you can’t dive without

PADI Instructional / Teaching cue cards

Favorite Dive Site & Why

1800 Building on Wake Island- Deep blue drop off with sharks, coral, and a chance to look at the cobalt abyss that beckons you deeper…

MSDT/Manager – PADI# 273854

About me

While growing up I realized at a young age and with being obsessed with “The Little Mermaid” I was made for the water. Born in Alberta, Canada I felt pretty landlocked and out of place. I got Open Water Certified when I was 14 and never wanted to leave the water. I moved out to Hawaii as soon as I could to start living my dream in warm water! Over the last decade I have grown to love the islands and the water that surrounds us, always at a loss for words from its natural beauty. I even tried to take home some fish with me so I can be around them all the time in my house! I have three large salt water aquariums and can’t get enough of the fish. I love teaching SCUBA diving to all I come in contact with to share my love and excitement for the ocean.

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacque Cousteau

IDC Staff – PADI# 316381

Divemaster & Marketing Coordinator – PADI #458292

About me

I’ve been called a “professional DSD” because I did so many DSD’s around the world before getting certified. I have been diving since 2015 and certified since 2018. 

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

You’re only given a little spark of madness. You  mustn’t lose it. – Robin Williams

One item you can’t dive without

My knife. There is always fishing line to clean up.

Favorite Dive Site & Why

Navy Tug & Pinnacles. Full of sea creatures – big & small! No dive there is the same.

Shop Staff

OWSI/Shop Staff – PADI# 458290

MSDT/Assistant Manager – PADI #515988

About me

Ever since I frog kicked out of the birth canal, my parents knew that I was destined to be a diver. Just kidding, I can’t swim. 

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

Let the waves guide you to where the light will not.

One item you can’t dive without

Colorful headbands! Hair be wildin’

OWSI – PADI #504639

About me

I’m a Marine Vet from Texas whose life goal is to sail the ocean blue aboard a self designed, self sustainable 40′ Ketch.

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

A smile costs nothing but gives much – Dale Carnegie

One item you can’t dive without

Can’t Dive without my prescription dive mask, the ocean is beautiful I just need a lil help to see her

Favorite Dive Site & Why

Silfra, Iceland. The clearest (and also the coldest) water I’ve ever been diving in, 100m of visibility is absolutely surreal.

OWSI/Kids Program Coordinator – PADI #448630

About me

During my time in University my passion for the world and my curiosity for other cultures took me across the ocean to places all over Europe, Japan, South East Asia, and Australia. After a few years working in the corporate world, I decided to pack my life into a backpack and start traveling the world full time. It was then during my time in Australia and Thailand that opened my eyes to the world’s oceans and made me fall in love with Scuba Diving. I then spent several months on the Island of Koh Tao training with PADI instructors and falling in love with teaching diving. After several years of teaching I grew to love diving and the community so much I decided to purse a full time career in it!   

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

Keep Moving Forward!

One item you can’t dive without

Anything that makes me as colorful as I can be to help me look like a parrot fish! 

Favorite Dive Site & Why

Ewa pinnacles & The Navy Tug. The marine life is always very active as well as I get to see my favorite resident Octopus I have named Steve!

OWSI/Shop Staff – PADI #531046

About me

Penn State grad. 

Life Motto/Favorite Quote

“How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks.”
― Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night

One item you can’t dive without

My Pokemon card bookmark in my dive log – it matches my first dive buddies card from when we got certified together. 

Favorite Dive Site & Why

Koko Craters because I LOVE turtles. 

MSDT – PADI #393585

About me

My name is Lauren and I’m an Open Water SCUBA instructor and marine biologist working with marine debris. I grew up by the ocean, with my mom being a SCUBA instructor back in the day, so diving was always a part of my life. However, it took on a new meaning to me when I had the opportunity to do diving research on coral and parrotfish in the Florida Keys for several years with Clemson University. When I left that to pursue my Master’s in Marine Science at Hawaii Pacific University, I knew I had to keep diving. That’s when I decided to become a SCUBA instructor. Through this, under the amazing guidance of Larry Grayson, I discovered I have a deep love for teaching people about diving and showing them the ocean for the first time. It’s such a joy to take people out on the water and share my love of the ocean with others.

One item you can’t dive without

I’ll also never dive without my trusty dive knife because you never know when you’ll see debris that needs to be removed!

Favorite Dive Site & Why

Diving in Hawaii is always amazing but I will say that my absolute favorite spot is when the conditions are just right and we get to dive Spitting Caves, especially in winter when the whales are nearby singing to us!

OWSI – PADI #412871

About me

I grew up swimming off the coasts of Southern California and started diving a few years back on Catalina Island. I enjoy instructing and learning as much as I can about the local reef life here in Hawai’i. Marine Biology always has and always will fascinate me, which means I’m basically a Sylvia Earle wannabe.

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

“One can never have enough socks.” -Albus Dumbledore

One item you can’t dive without

my peepers

DM – PADI #525660

About me

My name is James and I am first and foremost a father and a husband. My wife and I both became Open Water certified together on our honeymoon to Thailand and I haven’t looked back since. Taking advantage of being able to live in Hawaii has been nothing short of an amazing experience. I decided to become a Dive Master the minute I jumped into the Hawaiian waters. I have a passion for teaching and helping others experience the underwater world and look forward to continuing my Instructor certifications. I am a native of Austin, Texas and on the weekends if I’m not exploring the underwater world you can find me spending time with the fambam, watching Texas Longhorn football or cheering on Ferrari to a win in Formula 1.  

 

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

Life Motto – “Everything happens for a reason” – My Mom
Quote – “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too” Paulo Cohelo – The Alchemist

One item you can’t dive without

One Item I can’t dive without – My DSMB, I’m easily distracted by shiny things.

Favorite Dive Site & Why

Favorite Dive site – Oahu has so many amazing sites and I’m constantly amazed that I see something new everytime. But anything that has Honu flying around or taking a nap is the best site for me!

DM – PADI #535769

About me

Aloha! My name is Miles, i am from Niagara Falls/Buffalo New York. I was born a gill-less fish, always wanting to be in or around the water. When the time came, after high school, I got my one way ticket to Hawaii to study Marine Biology at HPU. Upon graduating college I had already fell in love with the ocean and decided to stay in Hawaii to continue pursuing my passion for the ocean and building my career in marine biology. Scuba diving and surfing became my two big hobbies- always keeping me in water and my vibes high! As I continue my career, I am lucky and grateful to have landed a spot in the Aaron’s Dive Shop Ohana! Here I continue to build my diving skills/knowldege while also helping to teach and share our passion for the ocean and marine life with others. 

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

“All I need me is some tasty waves, a cool buzz and I’m fine.” -Jeff Spicoli 

One item you can’t dive without

Aloha! Spread the love and passion!

Favorite Dive Site & Why

The reef tank and Sea Life Park. I use to work there as an aquarist where we would scuba dive our 300,000 gallon tank filled with 9 sharks and hundreds of native fish species! The white tip reef sharks loved our bubbles and would often “play” in them, go tonic and fall on our heads!

OWSI – PADI #458566

About me

Aloha! I’m originally from Minnesota but even though my roots are in freshwater, the ocean has always held my heart. I grew up in the water, from competitive swimming to teaching swim lessons to playing in the waves during family vacations. I got my open water certification in Belize during college and was immediately obsessed. After graduating I spent a few years living, working, and diving at a field station in the Turks and Caicos where I became a Divemaster, fell in love with eagle rays, and had the privilege to participate in marine research. I’ve been on Oahu for about a year and became an Open Water Scuba Instructor. Since my first underwater breath I’ve wanted to share the world beneath the waves with other people and I’m so thankful I get to do that at Aaron’s!

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

“I know a cure for everything. Salt water… in one way or the other. Sweat, tears, or the salt sea.” – Isak Dineson 

One item you can’t dive without

A tank-banger! So when I get really excited about something I can make sure everyone else knows 😛

Favorite Dive Site & Why

My favorite site is anywhere I can find an eagle ray or a nudibranch!!

Shop Staff

About me

I first walked into Aaron’s Dive Shop in 1973, when it was a shack down on Maluniu Ave. Jack was running it pretty much alone. I was an enthusiastic 15-year-old, just certified, and was bound to be on Jacques Cousteau’s dive team. Well, at least in my mind. Jack was intimidating and encouraging at the same time. My friends and I would motor out to Moku Manu when the waves were smaller in a soggy 13 ½ foot Boston Whaler with a Johnson 20hp of unknown vintage that was rescued from a junk pile at Makani Kai, before the condos were built there. The diving was exquisite! A captain’s license, ocean-related career in Hawaii, masters degree in California, another career that moved me around the planet a bit. Then: retiring and fulfilling a decades-long dream of sailing my beloved Islander 44 from California back to my old mooring spot in Kaneohe Bay. And the magic of working at the Best Dive Shop in the world, with the Best Crew, and absolutely The Best Customers you could imagine. Living the dream!

Life Moto/Favorite Quote

We shall not cease from exploration.
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

T.S. Eliot

One item you can’t dive without

A keen power of observation.

DM – PADI #534605

MSDT – PADI #438642

IDC Staff – PADI #531047

OWSI – PADI #530689

OWSI – PADI #517418

OWSI – PADI #512763

MSDT – PADI #273050

DM – PADI #536586

MSDT – PADI #303237

OWSI – PADI #543553