Dive Center Instructors & Staff                                           Staff Certifications Page

Jeff Steiner - - Owner - PADI Instructor 233077 MSDT                   
Jeff was certified as a Divemaster in January 2007, an Assistant Instructor in September 2007, and an Instructor in Summer 2009. He currently holds specialty instructor certifications in Boat, Deep, Delayed Surface Marker Buoy, Dry Suit, Emergency Oxygen Provider, Enriched Air Nitrox, Fish Identification, Full Face Mask, Night, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Search & Recovery, Underwater Naturalist, & Underwater Navigator. Jeff is also a certified Visual Cylinder Inspector and Service Technician for the Dive Center. His first experience with SCUBA was in 1995 when his cousin (an instructor) told him that he should try it out. Since that time, Jeff hasn't been able to stay away from the water. He has over 25 years of diving experience and has dived in many locations throughout the United States. One of Jeff's favorite recreational activities is exploring shallow water wrecks off the Coast of New Jersey and diving an East Coast, but Nationally Recognized Quarry - Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA. Jeff is looking forward to serving your diving needs here at Steiner Scuba / Underwater World Scuba Center.

 

Don Stanger - - PADI Instructor 4161 MSDT - - (RETIRED)                   
Certified as an PADI Instructor in 1974.                   
Original Owner and founder of Underwater World Scuba Center from 1974-2020. Don had decided to semi-retire in 2020 so Jeff took the reigns of Underwater World. In late 2023 Don finally hung up his fins to enjoy full retirement. Don is an avid Scuba Diving Instructor and underwater photographer. His diving has taken him as far west as Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon to St. Lucia in the Eastern Caribbean. He currently dives Roatan & Utila, Honduras, which he considers the best diving that is easy to get to. He holds several instructor specialty ratings including: Boat, Drift, Drysuit, Enriched Air (Nitrox), Equipment Specialist, Ice, Multi-level, Night, Peak Performance, Underwater Naturalist, Underwater Navigator, Underwater Photographer (Regular & Digital) and Underwater Videographer. He has also received several Awards from PADI for his work teaching Scuba Diving. Don is also a Service Technician for the Dive Center.

 

Patrick E. Barton - - PADI Instructor 253893 IDC Staff Instructor & Steiner SCUBA Graphic Artist                   
Water, Water, Water... That's about the best way to start any description pertaining to Patrick E. Barton. A Current PADI MSDT and SSI SCUBA Instructor, he's been an avid diver for over 20 years, traveling to many exotic locations. After visiting a few places above and below sea level, he decided to pursue the art of underwater photography. In 2003 he purchased his first Digital SLR and combined that with an order for an underwater housing. He is an artist born and raised in the Midwest. Most of his art training and experience has been derived from working on corporate designs. In 2018, Patrick obtained his United States Coast Guard 50 Ton license. This allows for much greater travel opportunities. He has had the pleasure of exhibiting his work in various locations around the United States and Abroad. He enjoys sharing his SCUBA and saltwater passion through teaching courses.

 

Divemasters:

Beth Ann Nilson - - PADI Divemaster 188073                   
Beth Ann has been diving for over 20 years. She holds mutiple certifications with several scuba diving agencies, her highest rating being a PADI Divemaster. She holds specialty certifications in TDI Nitrox, SSI Photography, SSI Equipment Specialist, and SSI Dive Control Specialist. When not scuba diving she can be found serving the public as a registered nurse, assisting with Girl Scout activities, or attending a Greater Omaha Scuba Club function. Beth Ann has been a long time customer of Underwater World Scuba Center and is looking forward to serving your diving needs as Underwater World Scuba Center transitions to Steiner Scuba.

 

Dan Erickson - - PADI Divemaster 319189                   
Dan loves to dive when he can. He first got into the sport of scuba diving after watching his dad’s dive video from a 1987 Cayman Aggressor Adventure. Ever since then he has wanted to dive all over the world. He received his PADI Open Water Diver certification when he was 17 and progressed with his training through college with many specialties courses until he reached SDI Master Diver. After this milestone he then became a dive professional by obtaining his PADI and SDI Divemaster certifications. He loves to shoot video while diving in open water with his Sony HDR-SR5 video camera that has an Ike-lite housing. His favorite freshwater diving location to visit is the Bonne Terre Mine in Missouri. He enjoys the great visibility there and for more advanced divers has some amazing things to see. His favorite ocean based dive destination is by far the Cayman Islands. His dream trip is to do an Aggressor Adventure, then visit Truck Lagoon, as his dad had dived these same locations.

 

April L. Heydorn - - PADI Divemaster 172101                   
April has been diving since 1997. She was certified as a Divemaster in May 2000. She holds several specialty certifications including Underwater Naturalist, Deep Diver, Night Diver, Drift Diver, Oxygen First Aid, and Boat Diver. April received her Open Water Diver certification shortly after going on vacation in Hawaii where she knew she was missing out on the 'scuba diving life'. She has been diving in several locations throughout the United States, as well as dives in Honduras and Jamaica. April's favorite kind of diving is 'laid back' shore diving or a really nice drift dive. April is hoping to take the Instructor Development Course (IDC) soon so she may earn her PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor certification and continue her love of scuba diving by inspiring others to dive.

 

Steve Miller - - PADI Rescue Diver (Divemaster in Training)                   
Steve is another one of our in house 'Divemaster in training' candidates. Steve assisted Jeff with (and was a founding member of) his first scuba project, the Greater Omaha SCUBA Club. He helped create the vision that has become what the Greater Omaha SCUBA Club is today. The tag line 'Bringing local Area Divers together' can be attributed to Steve's work as one of the original appointed Executive Board members of the Greater Omaha SCUBA Club as their first webmaster. Steve's passion for diving is evident when talking to him as he will gladly share diving stories with anyone who asks.

 

Anthony D. Casper (aka Casper) - - (Divemaster in Training)                   
Casper, another one of our in house 'Divemaster in Training' candidates, was Certified in 2016 and has completed over 100 open water dives. He diving experience includes dives off of the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, the Atlantic Ocean in the Bahamas, in and around the Florida Keys, and off the Gulf coast of Alabama. Casper is looking forward to a new opportunity to explore his passion for diving by becoming a PADI Divemaster.

 

Patrick M. Green - - (Divemaster in Training)                   
Patrick is another one of our in house 'Divemaster in Training' candidates. He holds a masters degree in Business Analytics and works in the Fintech industry. Patrick frequents the Southern Atlantic Ocean and travels the Abaco Islands often. He is an avid boater and skin diver, and is looking forward to promoting the dive culture, love of the water, and helping others with their scuba diving adventure.

 

Class Assistants:

Dennis Jenkins - - PADI Rescue Diver                   
Dennis is very knowledgeable when it comes to diving, and is always willing to help out a class and offer some sage advice. He provides the muscle we need to get all of our scuba gear to where it needs to be both before and after class. He can't keep away from the water and is always getting into trouble. But be careful what you say around him, he might say... "Hey... I resemble that remark!" Oh and Dennis is so cool we felt he deserved two photos on his profile.

 

Theo Steiner - - PADI Open Water Diver                   
Theo was certified in 2018. He has completed his PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy and PADI Boat Diver Specialty certifications in addition to his Junior Open Water Certification. Theo provides the muscle we need here to get our scuba gear moved around from place to place. He really just likes being around water. When he is not diving, you'll find him swimming laps in the pool as he is a competitive swimmer (USA Swimming) at Brownell Talbot. Theo is looking forward to serving your diving needs here at Steiner Scuba / Underwater World Scuba Center.

 

Will Steiner - - PADI Junior Open Water Diver                   
Will was certified in 2021. He has completed his PADI Junior Open Water Diver Certification. Will also provides the muscle we need here to get our scuba gear moved around from place to place. When he is not diving, in school, doing homework, or playing video games, you'll find him swimming laps in the pool as he is a competitive swimmer (USA Swimming) at Brownell Talbot. Will is looking forward to serving your diving needs here at Steiner Scuba / Underwater World Scuba Center.

 

Student Interns:

 

TBD - - Student Intern (Unpaid)                   
Steiner SCUBA will have one student intern each summer! Each year we will partially sponsor one intern to complete all needed training through the Divemaster rating. Applications for the Summer Intern position open January 5th and close February 20th each year. All applicants must have at minimum an Open Water Diver Certification to apply. Interns will assist with classes and Open Water Dives through the Diving season. Internships run from April 1st through October 31st.

Student Internship Application - available January 5th - February 20th

 

Dive Team Staff:

Jen Hansen - - Dive Travel & Marketing Manager                   
Jen has been with us since the inception of Steiner SCUBA and will be assisting us with the launch of our Travel Program once our Dive Center (Underwater World) re-opens. Meanwhile, look for announcements regarding occasional trips that we will offer while we ramp up the Dive Travel Program.

 

Rose Carson - - Dive Travel Specialist                   
Rose recently became Scuba certified and loves traveling, so why not do both with Steiner SCUBA. Rose will be assisting us with the launch of our Travel Program once our Dive Center (Underwater World) re-opens. Meanwhile, look for announcements regarding occasional trips that we will offer while we ramp up the Dive Travel Program.

 

Kevin Green - - Facilities & Maintenance Specialist                    
Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge to Steiner SCUBA. As a former business owner and electrician of 25 years and current realtor, Kevin understands what we need to run a successful scuba business as it pertain to our Dive Shop resources and build-out needs. He has worked with us to secure needed facilities to make our business stronger. Kevin is happily married to Sabrina, has an adopted daughter (Victoria), and three dogs to keep him busy at home when hes not working. Although not a scuba diver himself, he passionately supports the diving lifestyle and gets excited about the latest developments in dive gear and scuba tech.

 

Sabrina Green - - Business Development Specialist                   
Sabrina has joined us as our Business Development Specialist. In this role she will be looking at new partnerships that will enhance the services we offer. She is happily married to her husband Kevin and has one daughter (Victoria). She loves to scuba dive whenever she can, but is also passionate about fishing, cooking, baking, and enjoying time with her family and her dogs. During the day she is a heavy equipment operator. She enjoys teaching people new skills on the job and thrives on seeing them progress in their career. When she's not working her day job, she dabbles as a personal trainer

 

Andy Geeser - - Underwater Photographer                   
Andy came to us to have his daughter certified as a PADI Open Water Diver. During the class we learned of his passion for photography (especially underwater). While reviewing his pictures we decided to bring him on board as our in-house photographer. Many of the images you will see on our site are courtesy of Andy. He joins us on our outings to take pictures of our students while they complete their check-out dives. And yes, new divers, we can get some great pictures for you while you're completing your checkout dives for a very reasonable price. 

 

TBD - - Team Staff                   
We will be bringing on store staff once the retail dive shop re-opens.

Application for Employment

 

Dive Team Mascot:

Gwen Steiner - - Dive Team Mascot                   
Gwen wanted to be as important as her brothers Theo & Will, so we made her our Team Mascot. While not yet a certified diver, she can't wait to join the ranks of the brave underwater explorers by becoming a PADI Seal Team Member. She only has a few more years to go!

 

 

Steve Powell & Jeff SteinerMatt Ryle, Jeff Steiner, & Steve Powell enjoying some diving                   
at Atlantic Quarry, IA

***On Sunday, May 29th 2022 at 10:30pm we lost our Friend, Divemaster & Director of Operations Steve Powell. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him and his passion for diving. Information on his wake, funeral, and internment can be found by clicking HERE or HERE. May he rest in peace.***

Steve Powell - - PADI Divemaster 513002 & Director of Operations                   
Steve is one of our Divemasters and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with scuba students, both new and old alike. If you get him talking about scuba diving, he wont stop. He also loves to camp and grill out. Better yet, why not combine scuba, camping, and grilling. Most definitely his favorite pastime. If you want to hear exciting stories about scuba diving, then Steve is the guy to talk to! He currently holds the following scuba certifications: Open Water, Perfect Buoyancy, Enriched Air Nitrox, Deep Diver, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Sidemount Diver, Classified Dive Buddy Level III, Cavern Diver, Master Scuba Diver. Steve is also one of our certified Visual Cylinder Inspectors. Steve is also a Service Technician for the Dive Center.