About Us

Our Story

We (David and Loyda) had an amazing idea of selling all our belongings, uprooting and buying a scuba dive shop in the Caribbean. It was going to be awesome! We were going to live the DREAM! Having our own dive shop, provide scuba lessons / certifications and tours, meet lots of super cool and interesting people, and daily watch spectacular sunrises/sunsets with their mirrored reflections on the still water every day. What can compete with that?? Most importantly…. scuba dive whenever we wanted. It’s a pretty typical, and magical, idea many scuba divers daydream as doing ‘maybe someday’. Scuba fairies and angels were going to rein over our shop.

Well, we decided to explore this idea and emails went flying back and forth with potential sellers and brokers. It was fun, exciting, but scary at the same time. Our due diligence revealed that if we decided to take that wild ride, it was going to cost much more than the dive shop’s purchase price and some elbow grease. Our family ties and responsibilities in the states were too great to leave behind. While we had their love and support, due to existing circumstances, it would prove extremely challenging to easily return home and continue responding to some of those responsibilities. Sadly, the idea was abandoned and we accepted to remain in San Antonio the rest of our lives running the urban rat race.

In the mean time, we continued to fulfill part of our passion by continuing to participate in scuba dive classes, providing lessons and certifications to would-be divers in the San Antonio area. We enjoyed cultivating friendships with many of our students outside of the classroom, which gave us a great deal of satisfaction. As many came to know us, it was common to hear, “You should open your own dive shop”. Our personal vision and ideology of the business of scuba diving was quite different than what we had the liberty to share. It was time to move on. Isn't that what our parents and overpaid motivational speakers tell us to do? We followed our hearts and decided to ‘do our own thing’, even though we had absolutely no clue of what or how that would take shape. Shortly after, the words of our friends started to poke at our sides and we developed a business plan that would put us in business about a year later. Life has a spectacular way of saying… NO..NO… NOW!

To our surprise, a very unexpected - but welcomed, opportunity revealed itself. It was much too difficult to ignore. It would allow us to move ahead with our plans almost a year ahead of schedule. We were shaking in our boots as it was not the best ‘season’ to open. We held our breath, took a leap of faith and SA Scuba Shack became a reality. We started our scuba business from scratch. Thus far, despite some really crazy obstacles, and sometimes really funny challenges, we have been fortunate, and mostly blessed, with greater than expected success.

A very sincere, deep, warm and heartfelt “THANK YOU” to those who believed in us, and continue to stand behind us. YOU continue to inspire us, and we are honored to call you friends.

Our Mission Statement

Our mission is to share our passion and enthusiasm for scuba diving through training, instruction, certifications and mentoring. Our purpose is to inspire and develop new divers while encouraging certified divers to remain active by offering scuba events and dive travel. In a nutshell, we want you to say, “WOW! This Rocks!”

We exercise a high level of dive training and professionalism, incorporated with a ‘must have fun’ attitude, without any shortcuts. Although we constantly stress safety and skills practice, we want you to relax and enjoy the ride. We help build underwater experiences, not just sell you a product or service.

Additionally, we are deeply committed in raising awareness of the threats facing our oceans today. It is a very sensitive environment which warrants our understanding, respect and participation in protecting it as we scuba dive. Our duty is to develop environmentally aware divers. As we are dazzled by its beauty, drawn below the surface, we MUST be eco-conscious as we explore and fly underwater. Isn’t that the whole reason we scuba dive? To admire its beauty? Then we must do our part for future generations to admire.

Scuba diving is a community of people who share a common interest. They also want to meet other dive enthusiasts. We help make that happen. If you need a dive buddy, we can assist in making those connections.

Meet Our Staff

We are NAUI & PADI dive instructors who have found great enjoyment in watching our students light up as they are introduced to the world of scuba diving. Each of us is very patient and it gives us great joy in helping others accomplish something they perhaps never imaged. Our main focus are our students - YOU! We are here to help meet your goals and watch you SMILE as you learn to scuba dive.

Start your Scuba Adventure with us today, get diving and change your life. Our dynamic team is here to assist you step by step...What are you waiting for?

David Guernsey
Owner
NAUI Course Director
David is originally from North Carolina and learned to dive while stationed in GUAM for the U.S. Navy in the early 1980's. He fell in love with the scuba diving and becoming a dive professional was the next natural step. He LOVES to teach and introduce his students to the new world under the water! He has amazing patience and has certified students at the recreational level on up to the various dive professional levels. David believes having fun is mandatory and is known for teaching his students to 'boogie' underwater.
Loyda Villarreal
Owner
Instructor
Loyda was certified during the colder months here in San Antonio. As she got out of the water, her hair froze stiff and had icicles hanging from her hair. You may find Loyda doning her"Queen Feona" hoodie. Loyda has affectionately nick named herself "MERMAID FLUNKY", however she has become a passionate instructor and her love for scuba is reflected in her classes and her dives.
Steve Bradford
Instructor Trainer
Steve was introduced to SCUBA diving at the very young age of 12. As he grew into an adult and his love for diving grew, he decided to pursue becoming an Open Water Scuba Instructor, later followed by Master instructor. He has certified students at the recreational and professional levels. His patience and contagious smile make even the most nervous student relax. Steve is a kid at heart and has occasionally been spotted sporting a dive bunny suit.
Jim Sparkman
Instructor Trainer
Jim has been actively diving for the past 20+ years. Like many of us, he was HOOKED, and asked himself ‘Why did I wait so long?’. It quickly became a passion, along with underwater photography. Any day underwater is a good day – add his camera system and then it becomes a terrific day! Jim is an award-winning underwater photographer with some phenomenal pictures to prove it, and often dives with the best in the industry. He enjoys diving Indonesia and the Caribbean. Jim follows the 3rd rule of diving – FASHION! He loves to color coordinate his gear and wishes dive gear was made with more yellow. He even replaces zip ties on his gear with neon yellow zip ties. Give him color!

Larry Rice
Instructor
Larry combines a deep passion for diving with a commitment to safety, education, and personal growth. Known for his patient and engaging teaching style, Larry strives to create a supportive, professional learning environment that prioritizes both competence and fun. When not underwater, he can be found exploring scenic backroads on a motorcycle, camping under the stars, or enjoying a relaxing round of golf. Whether working with first-time divers or continuing education students, Larry brings enthusiasm and adventure to
everything he does.
Greg Flores
Instructor
Greg has been scuba diving for over 30 yrs. He became a NAUI Instructor in 2021 and a PADI Instructor in 2017. Instructing and supporting all levels of recreational divers is a real passion for Greg. He has had the privilege of diving some of the coolest places in the world and has made it a point to pass along these learnings to his students. Especially, the notion that "we leave the dive site exactly the way we founded it or better." Safety is #1, followed by Fun. The nickname “Mr. Cozumel” was earned because of his love for the dive areas in Mexico (especially Cozumel). He loves diving the sites in Texas when certifying new divers and loves to say, “If you can dive these waters, you will be able to dive anywhere in the world.” Join the dive movement and come dive with me at SA Scuba Shack.
Jerry Lucas
Instructor
Jerry Lucas was attracted to
SCUBA diving watching Sea Hunt and the Undersea World of Jacques
Cousteau. While stationed in the Federal Republic of Germany he took the
plunge and completed Open Water Diver through Divemaster. Since becoming
a PADI and later NAUI Instructor he has pursued certifications in cave, closed
circuit and open circuit technical diving, among others.
Having celebrated 40 years of diving in 2025 he still looks forward to diving
recreationally as well as teaching.
Dwight Daigle
Instructor
Dwight is retired from active duty from the with time spent in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force as a Marine Aircrewman and SERE Specialist. He enjoys long walks on the beach and teaching SCUBA. He is a passionate instructor with worldwide dive experience in Asia, South America, Australia and the Caribbean.

Melissa Wilkins
Instructor
Melissa began her scuba adventure alongside her brothers in 1997 while in South Texas. Flash forward, Melissa got her daughter scuba certified and she was once again lured back into the depths of scuba and her passion. As a water lover, her passion for scuba diving has led her to become an Instructor. Melissa loves to guide others into the world of diving and if you ask her about her ultimate dive, she would say her NEXT dive and of course the ones before.
George Searcy
Instructor
Diving has been a lifelong passion for George. That passion was ignited when he first learned to scuba dive back in 1997. Since then, his appreciation for exploring the underwater world has only grown deeper with each dive. Whether he is immersed in the vast expanse of the open ocean for technical dives or gracefully descending into the depths with his side mounts set-ups, the water never fails to captivate him. From mastering new skills to delving into uncharted territories, each dive presents its own unique challenges and rewards. What brings him the greatest joy is sharing his obsession and fascination with others. Whether it's teaching new divers, advanced divers or just swapping stories with fellow enthusiasts, he finds immense fulfillment in spreading the magic of the underwater world.
Jeremy Hodson
Instructor
Jeremy’s scuba diving adventure began in 2006 when he did discover scuba in Jamaica. Following that he was certified at Fort Lewis, Washington where he dove in the Puget Sound with year around water temperatures of around 47 degrees. In 2020 he began his professional path becoming a certified Master Scuba Diver, Dive Master and Instructor. His first student as an instructor was his 13-year-old daughter. Jeremy is extremely passionate about diving and is excited about sharing his knowledge with other divers and students. His passion has led him around the world exploring different reefs as well and volunteering with conservation efforts in several well-known dive locations in many different countries.
Terry Britt
Divemaster
Born and raised in Philadelphia. Avid Philadelphia Eagles fan! Ask him what word should always follow… the Dallas Cowboys…The answer is “Suck”
Proud father of three daughters and grand-father to 7 amazing grand-children. Terry has been diving for many years and has several hundred logged dives. Terry is a frequent traveler and have visited many islands throughout the Caribbean.
In May of 2000, Terry retired from his full time job. When Terry is not underwater, you may see him out on any local golf course
“Let’s go Diving!”
Chris Magnuson
Divemaster
Eric Dick
Divemaster
The ocean has always been a wonder to Eric. After attending a university Eric decided to start his open water certification. From there, Eric was fascinated with this underwater treasure. Eric continued his journey, certification after certification and ultimately became a Divemaster. It has been incredibly awesome for Eric. Eric hopes more will embrace this magnificent environment.
Laura Runner
Divemaster
Originally from Brazil, Laura came to the U.S. through an exchange program and quickly fell in love with San Antonio — and a special someone who made it feel like home. Passionate about the water since childhood, she earned her Open Water Diver certification in 2022 and began her diving career as a maintenance diver at SeaWorld, where she refined her skills in aquatic environments, equipment handling, and safety procedures.
As a Divemaster with SA Scuba Shack, Laura brings enthusiasm, attention
to detail, and a genuine love for sharing the underwater world. Laura looks forward to helping students learn to dive safely, confidently, and with deep respect and love for the water.
Matt Beach
Divemaster