Matt moved to the island of Oahu in the year 2000 after completing a Ph.D in Biomedical Sciences at UCSD. Having already completed a PADI Instructor level certification, it soon became clear to Matt that one could support an avid diving habit on the island of Oahu by taking island visitors scuba diving – score!
What was at first an informal local diving club quickly became a part time business run from a one bedroom ground floor apartment in Waikiki. That part time business soon became a full time endeavor with a new friends/divemasters helping out (moved up to 2 bedroom apartment). Eventually, a strong local reputation led to a diving service contract on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam and the evolution of Island Divers Hawaii into a traditional, established dive store.
Success serving the military led to the opening of a second retail location at the Hawaii Kai marina and shortly thereafter the addition of the vessel Sea Fox imported from Florida. Since then the scuba dive vessels Dive Barge, Sea Hound, Enzo, and Moe Mac were added to the fleet. Matt believes that the success Island Divers enjoys comes from his position that customers are friends.
Matt started Island Divers with the goal of making customers into friends, and that principle has guided the growth of the business. Matt tells a story to each new instructor that comes into the business. “A diver may remember what they saw on the dive, but for sure they will remember how they were treated at the dive shop and how you made them feel about diving with Island Divers”. The dive professionals selected to work at Island Divers are chosen because they are friendly, outgoing people that truly enjoy sharing their passion for diving with a new group of divers every day. The people you will find on this page are the best of the best.
Most recently, Matt became the president of Hawaii Scuba University. Coming full circle back to academic life and incorporating 15 years of experience in the diving industry, he is very excited about the training programs being offered and is looking forward to tackling the opportunities the school represents, establishing new programs, and training the next generation of scuba diving operators.