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At Deep Blue, we are extremely
proud of our Training, Service and Equipment but most of
all...we are proud of our staff. When diving with us, you
will receive the safest, most comfortable, and most enjoyable
dive training available anywhere in the Midwest. We want
your experience with us to be not only the highlight of
your dive learning, but something you will talk about for
years to come.
Rich Henry
 Rich
is by far the most frequent smiling face you’ll see
when you enter the dive center and Deep Blue has become
his second home as he runs the centers operations and conducts
classes across the full spectrum of diving. Rich started
diving at the young age of eight years old and has been
involved with water activities ever since. You may have
seen Rich on both local and national television showcasing
his involvement with the Make a Wish Foundation and his love of diving. Yes he was the nut trying to set
a new underwater endurance record while raising money for
the Make a Wish Foundation. Through diving Rich has found
a way to share his passion of helping others.
Whether it’s heading inland for a weekend lake diving
or out on the big pond aboard a dive charter to one of the
local wrecks, Wisconsin area is tops on his list for diving
possibilities. Those seeking advice on any good spots to
dive around the area can be prepared for an earful of local
diving hot spots and water conditions. Everyone’s
welcome to stop in anytime to talk diving. Currently Rich
is a NAUI Course Director, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer
Instructor, Emergency First Response Instructor, Care for
Children Instructor, Divers Alert Network Diving Emergency
Management Instructor and he holds over 20 different Specialty
Instructor ratings. Rich has even written the training guidelines
for two different specialties for both NAUI and PADI.
Guiding philosophy: "The
Number Two Rule of Diving is ALWAYS HAVE FUN".
Favorite Dive: With my family especially
with my daughters.
Favorite Type of Diving: Wrecks, Walls,
Wrecks and did I mention Wrecks?
Favorite Course: Open Water Diver “There
is nothing like the expression on a student’s face
the first time they breathe underwater”.
Email: rich@dpblue.com
Larry Gamble
Larry is currently serving on active duty with the US Air Force. After serving as an aircraft maintenance Group Commander, he plans to retire in Franklin and become more involved in local scuba diving. He started diving in 1982 when a scuba certification class was offered through his college as a means to boost participation in the Scuba Club. After certification, he joined The Citadel Scuba Club and frequently dove in the rivers and ocean near Charleston, South Carolina. While in college, he was an officer in the scuba club and planned several diving trips including warm spring diving in Florida. After graduating, his travels with the US Air Force provided Larry the opportunity to dive some unique areas of the world including the Azores Islands, both sides of Panama and several locations in the Caribbean.
Guiding Philosophy: Never stop learning
Favorite Dive: The black volcanic flows around the Azores
Favorite Type of Diving: Anywhere with lots of sea life!
Favorite Course: Rescue because it challenges you and your ability to act never react.
Email: larry@dpblue.com
Gert Grohmann
 Gert
is our technical diving
expert. As a NAUI Technical Instructor, (TDI) Technical
Dive Instructor and PADI Scuba Instructor he logs over 200
dives annually and has accumulated over 2,500 lifetime dives
in most all conditions. Gert is passionate about technical
diving and teaches every aspect of it including Technical
Nitrox, Decompression Techniques, Extended Range, Heliatrox,
Heliair, Technical Assistant and Mixed Gas Instructor. In
addition, he is an Instructor trainer for CPR/First Aid,
Bloodborne Pathogens, AED, Infant and Child CPR, and Oxygen
Provider courses.
Gert enjoys cave and wreck exploration. He has explored
numerous caves in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico (the
world’s longest underwater cave system), as well as,
other systems in Central Florida. He has also assisted with
a research project for the University of Wisconsin Madison,
in an abandoned zinc mine in South Western Wisconsin. In
July of 2003, Gert participated in the Gunilda and Judge
Heart archeological expedition that took the team to the
depths of 270ft and back off lake Superior. Gert holds multiple
certifications as a technical diver with TDI through the
level of Advanced Trimix and teaches all levels of technical
diving. He is always searching for new and better ways to
improve diving safety and works closely with local Public
Safety Dive Teams. In 2005, Gert started working with rebreathers
and spent a lot of time getting to know his Dräger
Dolphin rebreather system allowing Deep Blue bring this
exciting technology to the Milwaukee area and Scuba University.
Whether Gert has a set of doubles on his back or a single
tank, he just loves to dive. He is thought to be the originator
of the phrase "Will dive for anything."
Guiding philosophy:
Safety above all else.
Favorite Dive: Rouse Simmons, a 200-ton
schooner wrecked off of Sheboygan in 1912 approximately
170 feet of water. The wreck is also known as the Christmas
Tree Ship. It was wrecked in a storm while delivering
Christmas trees from Northern Michigan to Chicago. You
can still see the remains of its cargo of trees in the
hold. I enjoy this wreck so much because of the history
associated with it. I had seen a special at a Maritime
Museum in Algoma Wisconsin when I was a child and I always
wanted to see the wreck.
Favorite Type of Diving: Gert really
enjoys the challenge of technically oriented dives, whether
they are extended bottom times at recreational depths
or shorter bottom times beyond the 130-foot recreational
envelope.
Favorite Course: Decompression techniques.
Peter Blinkwolt
It was in the Northern Wisconsin resort town of Hayward
where Peter’s journey into the adventures of scuba
diving started at the early age of fifteen. Exploring
the fish filled lakes of Hayward was all it took to hook
Peter onto diving. In 2000 while attending the University
of Wisconsin-La Crosse for Marketing, Peter furthered
his diving education with courses in CPR, Rescue Diver,
Master Diver, and Dive Master Training. The further Peter’s
training took him into the world of diving the more he
wanted to accomplish the goal of becoming a professional
Scuba Instructor. In the summer of 2002 Peter achieved
what was to be the beginning of his career as a scuba
diving instructor.
When Peter isn’t diving you’ll still find
him near water as boating and swimming are some of his
favorite summer activities. During the winter Pete enjoys
planning and taking trips to warmer ocean climates. He
recalls how one such trip lead him to Holbox where he
snorkeled with beautiful but enormous Whale Sharks. Some
of his other most favorite destinations include Cozumel,
the Blue Hole of Belize, the ship wrecks of Lake Michigan,
and many lakes of Northern Wisconsin. Peter most enjoys
keeping up with the ever changing world of underwater
exploration by taking new courses, researching and reading
the current advancements in the sport of scuba. He’s
intrigued by the depths humans have been able to venture
underwater and appreciates the human need to experience
the ocean and lakes surrounding us.
Peter’s passion for the sport has evolved from
a general interest of life underwater to the desire to
pass along that interest. He enjoys watching his students
first time underwater and helping each of them grow comfortable
in the blue world. His passion for teaching as part of
Scuba University’s team is what draws Peter into
the water along with his admiration of life in the marine.
His love of scuba diving keeps Peter wanting to travel
and his travels keep him wanting to teach.
Guiding Philosophy: Diving is all
about having fun, if you’re not having fun you
shouldn’t be diving.
Favorite Dive: Where ever we going
next!
Favorite Type of Diving: Turn up the
temps, anywhere warm with lots of marine life
Favorite Course: Open water, it’s
very rewarding showing people the blue world for the
first time.
Email: peter@dpblue.com
Pedro I. Roman (Pete)
Pete was captured by the spirit of diving early in life,
but it wasn’t until many years later that his
dreams were to be fully realized. The ocean has always
been part of his life. Island born on the enchanted
Island of Puerto Rico, it was here as a young boy he
dreamed of becoming a Scuba Diver. Growing up, many
of his younger days were spent playing in the ocean,
surfing, body boarding, and snorkeling. Pete often found
himself running up to the scuba boats as they docked
to hear the latest adventures of the returning divers.
Pete’s family only had money for the essentials
and couldn’t afford extras like scuba classes.
This didn’t stop Pete, he was so determined to
dive that by the young age of twelve he was able to
convince a local Instructor to let him read the Open
Water textbook and take him through the class as a Junior
Scuba Diver. Unfortunately, he ended up putting his
dream on hold for 15 years as he moved to mainland US.
It was when Pete discovered Deep Blue that his spark
for diving was reigned and dreams come alive again.
Pete quickly knocked off his Open Water, Advanced, Rescue,
and Dive Master Classes. He found himself spending every
free minute either diving or planning his next set of
local dives. The Great Lakes opened a whole new world
to Pete, world class ship wreck diving was right in
his backyard and he made the most of it. In the summer
of 2006 Pete again followed his dreams making a life
change of scuba diving as his full time profession.
As a member of the Deep Blue family you will see Pete
in our stores and out at many local dive sites doing
what he loves best, teaching with Scuba University.
Pete’s always ready for the next dive so by stop
anytime to talk diving! Share his diving passion; it
will bring out the diver in you.
Guiding Philosophy: Destiny - Go
confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live
the life you’ve always imagined. (Pete’s
favorite quoted from Henry David Thoreau.)
Favorite Dive: Diving “The
Shacks” cavern swim through in Isabella,
Puerto Rico. It was pretty amazing, fish, coral, light
shadows hitting the sandy floor.
Favorite Type of Diving: All dives
are special so it would be untruthful to pick a particular
one, but he’s not hesitant to say that he loves
the ocean.
Favorite Course: Rescue Diver- The
focus on safety allowed he to gain confidence and
more fully enjoy my passion for diving.
Email: pete@dpblue.com
Ann Zuehlke
 Ann
started diving in 1988 after being certified during a college
class. She organized a college scuba club and dove frequently
in lakes and quarries throughout Wisconsin along with members
of the LaCrosse Dive Rescue Squad. After taking many years
off, Ann renewed her interest in diving through Deep Blue
progressing through variety of advanced level dive courses
and traveling internationally with Deep Blue. She attributes
the many friends she has met through Deep Blue as part of
her inspiration to continue advancing in the sport. She
is currently a Divemaster at Deep Blue.
Ann continues to enjoy local lake diving but her new passions
include Live Aboard diving in exotic places such as the
Bay Islands, Truck Lagoon and Belize.
Guiding Philosophy: Diving makes you
look at the world and the environment in an entirely different
way. I wish everybody could feel the sense of awe that
I feel when I’m at the bottom of the ocean discovering
the complexities of marine life.
Favorite Dive: Any Live Aboard! Can’t
wait to travel to Galapagos. I haven’t been there
yet, but I know my ultimate favorite dive awaits me there
in the Galapagos Islands!
Favorite Type of Diving: Coral Reefs,
with fish everywhere and smiling turtles. What could be
better?!?
Favorite Course: Rescue Diver, what a
confidence builder!
Dustin Poth
 Dustin
began his journey into the blue in 1998 but wasn’t
an active diver until he found Deep Blue. Deep Blue showed
him that there was more to diving then just getting certified
and diving the ocean. Dustin attributes his experiences
in diving for introducing him to many new friends and adventures.
He took his first international trip to Roatan Honduras
with Deep Blue. After that trip, he got hooked on warm international
diving and plans to travel to as many places as he can around
the world. Each year brings a new adventure for Dustin to
some far off place. Dustin has recently started getting
involved in underwater photography. He is now on the quest
for an ever better picture and the ultimate subject.
Dustin has progressed through Scuba University’s
certifications gaining increasing diving knowledge and
having even more fun along the way. He is proud to currently
be one of Deep Blues Dive Masters assisting new students
with the blue planet discovery. Dive Master is by far
his favorite certification. It has challenged his own
skills, introduced him to new adventures and allowed
him to enjoy scuba diving through others assisting in
classes.
Guiding Philosophy: Diving
brings people together. Find your passion and make it
your own.
Favorite Dive: Truk Micronesia, wreck
and reef diving. What more could one want? Fish, coral
reefs and wrecks of World War II.
Favorite Type of Diving: Ocean Reefs
where I can work on my photography.
Favorite Course: Dive Master, its great
helping people.
Chris Richards
Chris started diving before c-cards and loves the
local diving around the mid-west. At Deep Blue we
consider Chris a compulsory diver, spending any
free time he can find in the water blowing bubbles.
Chris discovered the underwater world for the first
time while hanging around the boat docks in Milwaukee
and was instantly "hooked." He is currently
a Dive Master and also has extensive experience
diving the local environment. He especially enjoys
showing his children the underwater world and participating
with them in the PADI Seal Team programs. In addition
to his diving skills, Chris is credited with being
Deep Blues construction expert accredited for building
out the current Deep Blue facilities.
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