Ocean Quest Scuba
Dive Through Life......Don't Just Float!!!
561-776-5974
Ocean Quest Scuba Charters West Palm Beach
Team Ocean Quest Scuba....meet our crew! Spending time on our boat is like hanging out with friends...your only a stranger the first day...then your part of the tribe"
We run rescue scenarios on a regular basis, everyone is current on CPR and First aid training. Every crew member can handle the boat, use the radio and provide emergency oxygen...we are a rock-solid team, and our safety record supports that .... we are easy going, friendly and professional...and we get the job done...Captain Sandy runs this operation the "Coast Guard" way Semper Paratus..."always ready"
Capt Sandy, Padi Elite MSDT Instructor, Biologist
"I started Ocean Quest Scuba 20 years ago because since the first day I laid my eyes on the ocean as a freshman in college, I have felt the ocean calling to me. Something about the unknown, the beauty, the peace and serenity of the ocean makes me feel that I am where I belong. I grew up in Colorado in a small town at the base of the mountains. I attended college in Winfield Kansas, and it was on a Jan term trip that I feel in love with the ocean. Funny thing was that until then I was petrified of the thought of even getting in the water...after all that is where Jaws" lived. Once I mustered up the courage to jump in with a mask that first day down in the Keys, I was hooked. I went from college into the United States Coast Guard, where I am so proud to say that I learn the skills and experience that helps every time the "Sunday" leaves her slip. I have tried to pass that information onto my crew, and I train them hard. I really enjoy teaching scuba, running daily charters and spending time with our divers. Our annual September trips are always an awesome time...and we get to dive too. Life is good on the Sunday, and I am grateful for all the roads that have led so many wonderful people to a little yellow dive boat, with a small crew and best regular customers ever"
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Captain Vicki, Padi Dive Master
Vicki is co-owner of Ocean Quest Scuba, and over the past 20 years she has held the most important job, keeping Sandy's schedule straight! At first being a scuba diver didn't appeal to Vicki as much as you might think. Mostly because she gets so sea sick on the boat. It wasn't until our first group travel trip that Vicki got to dive with out being sea sick. We spent a week in Bonaire and diving from the beach gave her the chance to just enjoy the diving and not deal with a boat! When we got back home, Vicki started working her way up to dive master, and we experimented with different ways to keep her from being so sea sick and be able to enjoy the 'boat" too!. I don't think she ever thought that one day she'd be one of the most competent dive boat captains in our area. As business grew and Sandy was teaching even more students, we needed a back up captain that we could always count on, that was Vicki. After completing captains school in 2009 Vicki probably runs more trips as captain than Sandy does during the summer due to our teaching schedule. Vicki really enjoys diving with our regular divers and has started to get into underwater photography too! Vicki is a great dive master, a quality captain, and a irreplaceable member of the crew!
Vicki is also in charge of our fill station and does a great job providing our divers with quality air and nitrox fills! Ordering oxygen, doing VIP's, scheduling hydro's and basic upkeep of the fill station keeps her busy when she isn't on the boat. Vicki's day often starts earlier and ends much later than the rest of the crew. Captain Sandy maintains the "Sunday" and Vicki runs the fill station.... great team work to provide our customers with quality service, and safe service.
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In Memory - Michael Sellepack First Mate, Dive Master
Sandy's Sunday's first mate Mike was so much more to us than a crew member! When Mike suddenly died it took the legs right out from under not only the rest of the crew but our regular divers as well. He was an amazing young man with such a bright future, he graduated at the top of this class from the Maritime High School, and was making his mark as a freshman at the Mass. Maritime Academy. We were over the moon proud of him, and he was adored by our divers. Many times when people would ask Captain Sandy "is Mike your son?" and every single time her reply was "no but I wish he was". He loved being on the Sunday, looking after her passengers, joking and laughing with his crew mates. He inspired those around him, and was a true gentle and kind soul. He will forever be missed and for as long as Sandy and Vicki own the Sunday, Mike will always remain as her "first mate". One thing is certain and will always remain, Mike and Capt Sandy had a very close bond, she wanted to help him reach his goals and dreams, they shared so much love for the ocean. Vicki and Mike liked to play jokes on each other, expecially ganging up on Sandy and Derek. Mike was the definition of reliable, and one of the most dedicated and hard workers you'd every meet.
"When we lost Mike, it felt as if we had lost our son, Ocean Quest Scuba, Sandy's Sunday and I will never be the same, I love him like a son and I think of him every day, we carry Mike with us in our hearts every time the Sunday leaves the dock" Capt. Sandy
Colten Madewell - Deckhand/Rescue Diver/Dive Guide
Colten has basically been a part of the crew since he was 2 years old. Considering he is Captain Sandy's nephew he spends a lot of time on the Sunday. For the past three summers he has been a full-time official member of the crew. Colten lives in Colorado but has traveled all around the world diving with Sandy, and they share a very special bond. Colten helps with all aspects of the business from dive guiding, deck handing, mechanic work on the boat, and fill station duties. He's also grown up with our regular divers as friends, mentors and basically family, so everyone enjoys having him on the boat during the summer. Colten will be attending college this fall studying to be studying and plans to start a career as engineer. (Following in Derek's footsteps)
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Colten enjoys white water rafting, atv riding, hunting and all the same family activities as his aunt, so you can always find him within a few steps of Sandy anytime she is at "home" in Colorado.
Alicia Hammer Instructor/Travel Consultant/Assist Director of Training
Alicia started diving on the boat 7 years ago and became one of our regulars in no time. Often spending a good portion of the trip standing near the helm visiting with the captains, Alicia has a sense of humor that keeps the boat laughing all day long! Her excitement and love for diving and the ocean is obvious and she is friendly, professional and a dedicated member of our team! Alicia is our new Padi instructor and will be team teaching with Sandy. Our plan is to be able to provide more classes and more flexibility to our students now that we have two instructors on staff! Alicia's training isn't over yet....next it's captains school! Our goal is to have Alicia able to teach, captain and coordinate our travel needs for our divers by the end of the year! Alicia lives in Daytona so she is only with us a few days each week, but even when she is at home she works as our travel expert and we have teamed up with her travel agency to extend the services we can offer our divers from out of town! Alicia brings a new super-charged excitement to our already very experienced crew! Alicia is far from being just a employee, and we are very grateful to have her as part of our managing staff, and look forward to building our business bigger and better than ever!
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Alicia enjoys spearfishing, lobster hunting, and even spends some time with the rest of the crew big game hunting in Colorado. Just ask Capt Sandy about "tiny game hunting".....
