Our team of Dive Pirates is group of volunteers who believes in supporting our community with our passion of scuba diving through the Dive Pirates Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity
The Dive Pirates Foundation is dedicated to bringing scuba diving to persons with mobility disabilities. What began in 2003 as a social club for divers is now a non-profit foundation that teaches, equips and takes disabled people on life changing scuba diving adventures.
While the program is open to all medically qualified physically disabled people, Dive Pirates focuses on disabled military, law enforcement and first responder veterans who have sustained injuries in the line of duty. Some of these men and women have lost a part of their youth in combat; we aim to help restore a sense of adventure, community and hope for these wounded warriors.
So if it’s the pirate life for you then there are numerous ways in which you can Get Involved, to pledge your allegiance to a great cause!
Susan DeVore
Theresa Cortez
Hellen Armstrong
Tyler Brandes
Col. Gregg E. Wentworth, USAF
Bailey Follmar
Gillian Tilbury
Capt Kevin Bourgeois, US Army
Bob Evans
Janeen Judah
Chris Pulley
Claudia Ruggiero
Scott Shaver
Ed Shearer
Capt. Corey Vickers, USAF
Sophie Wimberley
Sue was born in Taiwan and has been a Los Angeles resident for more than 20 years. Feeling deeply connected to the ocean, Sue received her open water certification in 2005 and since has been involved with ocean conservation and sharing the joy of diving. Sue shares the passion of sharing mobility with others, as she is the CEO of NOVA Medical Products. Being involved with Dive Pirates is a perfect fit combining her passions for human empowerment and diving.
Martin is a seasoned videographer that got his start in local Television in his hometown of Midland, Texas. Then, he worked his way to the Fox affiliate in San Antonio, specializing in sports and action videography. Now, he is a freelance outdoor sports videographer and part-time rancher in West Texas. However, he has been involved in both videography and video editing for Dive Pirates since its beginning in 2005. His diving career started with Dive Pirates and continues today!
A true lover of life. Mackie was a student at Rice Aviation and an avid motorcyclist until his spinal cord injury in 1990. “In the spring of 2016, a member of the Dive Pirates introduced me to what I now describe as ‘the life-changing world’ of scuba”. Since then, he has worked towards becoming an advanced open-water diver and is looking forward to being a part of the “pay it forward” team with the Dive Pirates. “I enjoy reaching out to other disabled individuals to help introduce them to the world of scuba and look forward to my next underwater adventure”.
‘Nettie the Red’ as the crew affectionately calls her, Nettie is one of the three founders of Dive Pirates who continues to be a great source of ideas and direction. With more than 50 years of business experience in the hardware industry, she also enjoys her dogs, fast cars, crocheting, and diving with her diving friends.
Mark is a practicing physician with quadriplegia, specializing in rehabilitation medicine for those with spinal cord injuries. When Dr. Fred isn’t diving, he’s the medical director for Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital in San Antonio. He is also an adjunct professor of rehabilitation medicine at the Long School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Mark was instrumental in creating standards for divers with spinal cord injuries.
Jose, an SSI Classified Dive Buddy, has been an enthusiastic supporter of Dive Pirates since he first heard of us and began Emceeing our annual Dive Pirates Ball in 2006. He has been the morning anchor on Fox 26 Houston since 1998. He has been diving since 1985 and is a veteran of the US Army.
Lisa is a soldier, an engineer, a wife, a mother, and a trailblazer.
Jean has been diving since 1983 and since her retirement from IT and the “Dive Shop,” she has volunteered as an instructor for Dive Pirates. Jean is a RAIDaptive Instructor and a Master Instructor with SSI. This has been some of the most rewarding and challenging teaching that she has ever done. When she is not off on dive trips or teaching, she spends her spare time working on her crafting.
“As my life has been enhanced by the vision and mission of the Dive Pirates organization, my goal is to be an ambassador for the sport here in Minnesota. I am honored to work with Dive Pirates, especially as I have a unique insight having been in a wheelchair for the past 36+ years and all that represents. As a peer mentor at the VA, I have had the opportunity to hone my skills at relating and increasing my effectiveness in counseling others, who are just starting out in a wheelchair.”
Marlene was a leg limb salvage after suffering a mortar attack while serving in Iraq. In 2011 she decided to amputate her leg below the knee. Since her amputation, she has been back playing softball and running around with her nieces and nephew. Swimming in the ocean has had a calming effect on Marlene since she returned to the states. She finds diving relaxing as well as a relief to her PTSD. Returning on many trips she is quite the mentor for new pirates.
With a pirate’s soul as long as he can remember, and diving since 1985, Nigel is an SSI AOWI and SSI Classified Instructor. Since becoming involved with Dive Pirates in 2004, Nigel has been on a mission to work less and dive more. Initially, he made the first step by retiring from the Oil and Gas business and starting his own hedge fund. Nigel assists in the essential elements of all things Pirate: Education, Training, and Pillaging…Sorry, meant to say Fundraising.
Born and raised in Paris, Anne moved to Houston for her oil and gas work in June 2012. Anne connected with DPF for two reasons: she always wanted to scuba dive, and she wanted to give something back to American veterans who bravely fought in France during WWII. Anne was certified in 2014 and is now a master diver and a classified dive buddy. Currently, she is looking forward to furthering her diving education.
Cassie has been with the foundation since 2015 as our Cayman Brac events coordinator and is now an underwater photographer. By being born in Cayman Brac to two dive instructor parents, Cassie is very in tune with her inner island girl. Aspiring to be an environmental researcher, she is an avid diver and conservationist on the island.
Clay is a partner with the law firm Knighton & Stone specializing in business law. Serving four years of active duty in the U.S. Army Field Artillery, he achieved the rank of Captain. In fact, Clay was the fourth generation in his family to serve on active duty. He is a devoted family man who loves spending time with his wife and five children, all avid outdoor adventurers.
Linda is a retired public school teacher who can’t stop teaching! She started diving in 2000 – became a scuba instructor in 2009 and has been teaching each summer in the Florida Keys ever since! That grew into tour directing in 2015, as well as showing folks our wonderful world above and below the water! In her spare time, she officiates volleyball and basketball. Linda just loves helping others get out there and have fun.
Mark began his diving career in 1999. Today, he is an SSI Instructor Trainer as well as an SSI Classified Dive Instructor Trainer. His vision for the Dive Pirates Foundation is to spread the opportunity of diving to everyone interested in learning how to dive.
Chris has been diving since 1996 and is currently an SSI Advanced Open Water Instructor and SSI Classified Dive Instructor. She is a physical therapist at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX.
Ginny has been diving since 1997 and she is an advanced open-water diver, as well as an SSI Classified Dive Buddy. Ginny is a retired Army operating room nurse. Presently, she is enjoying her RV, traveling throughout the US.
Robin started diving in 2002 reaching the certifications of Classified Dive Buddy and SSI Dive Control Specialist. In 2018, she celebrated her 450th dive.
Lea Ann has been diving since the late 1970s but nowadays snorkels more than dives. When in clear water environments, she spends her time encouraging numerous young grandchildren to explore the joys and wonders of the underwater world.
Rhonda is a retired cardiovascular interventional specialist and has been diving since 1990. She holds certifications as a rescue diver in both PADI and RAID. As a RAIDaptive dive buddy, she is working on her divemaster certification.
Stace supports the Dive Pirates through Tom’s Dive and Swim in Austin, Texas. Assisting on dive trips, he has been diving since 1999 and became an instructor in 2016. He became an SSI-classified instructor in 2017.
Barbara is the Early Engagement Manager for Baker Hughes GE Subsea Products for the Americas. She has more than 30 years of experience in hydrocarbons and related businesses. Her technical specialties are naval architecture, floating systems, and data analytics. Her professional specialties include engineering operations leadership, strategic vision, business development, and project management.
Trudy has been diving since 1978. She is SSI certified, an advanced open-water diver, and has been supportive of Dive Pirates since the beginning of the foundation.
Sue-Lynn and her husband Trent are an unstoppable team: building a company from napkin concept to trading on NASDAQ, and their greatest joy, rearing two amazing daughters. A Centenary College grad with a Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga, she founded the Ladies of Van Alstyne Exchange (LOVE), Baylor Parents Network – Frisco, and Van Alstyne’s Fall der All, as well as chaired Van Alstyne Parks and Recreation Board and the Grayson Foundation.
Emma has three great loves in her life: teaching, being a dog mom, and scuba diving. By day, she’s an elementary school teacher. She always brings her love of diving to the classroom by teaching her students about underwater habitats and conservation.
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Allen B. West is a Christian constitutional conservative, combat veteran, and former Member of the US Congress. He is a Fox News Contributor, contributing columnist for Townhall.com, and author of Guardian of the Republic: An American Ronin’s Journey to Faith, Family and Freedom and Hold Texas, Hold the Nation.