495 Easton Rd - Route 611 - Horsham PA 19044 - (215) 672-4180
STORE HOURS: Monday - Friday 1:00 - 9:00 · Saturday 10:00 - 6:00
ABOUT US
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Mike Guckin
Tim Macrone
Jeff Guckin
Trip Thompson
Mike is the owner of Underwater World,
having taken over the business in 1978. Mike started diving in 1965 and became
certified in 1966. As a YMCA Instructor, Mike taught scuba at Penn State in
1968 and in the military from 1969 - 1972. After leaving the military, Mike
became a NAUI instructor as well as retaining his YMCA Instructor certification.
With over 40 years teaching experience, Mike is the senior instructor at
Underwater World and has taught several of the current instructors on the
staff as well as several of the owners of other dive stores in the area.
Mike is a NAUI Course Director and is the President of the Delaware
Valley Scuba Retailers Association. Mike is also an avid pilot with a commercial, multi-engine,
instrument and flight instructor rating. Mike has one son, Jeff, who is also a Divemaster and a pilot,
as well as a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
Nancy Fisher
Nancy came to Underwater World in
1989 to work as a bookkeeper and secretary. Today Nancy's job has
evolved into the huge task of keeping all of us in line. As well
as handling all the bookkeeping duties, Nancy now handles the
processing of all c-cards, maintaining the instructor files, setting course
schedules, co-ordinating with our facility partners, handling travel details, and
keeping us from spending too much money. As a sounding board, Nancy gives us the
female prospective on things. (That means that she makes us keep the bathroom
clean.) No, really. As a women and an occassional diver she is a valuable asset to offset
those of us who can sometimes be a little too enthusiastic. With her ever-cheery
disposition, Nancy also keeps the morale up and profanity down.
Nancy is also the Treasurer for our Scuba Club, the Aqua-Nuts.
And her organizational skills have been put to the test organizing
the Fall Festivals that we had run at the Adventure Aquarium, the dive club picnic, and the Aquanuts
annual Holiday party. Nancy has two sons, Ryan & John.
Tim has been diving since 1999. Since his first dive he has
been hooked. If he isn't working at Underwater World, you can find him
at a SCUBA repair seminar, a SCUBA show, or at Dutch Springs diving. Tim has become a real expert and a
great source of information about dive equipment, even equipment that we do not sell. He is an Aqualung Master Technician,
and there aren't very many of them around. His technical knowledge of equipment is unsurpassed by anyone in this region. Tim
has just recently completed his NAUI Instructor Training Course and is now one of our staff instructors.
Tim has led two trips to Guadalupe to dive with the
GREAT WHITE SHARKS.
Tim has assisted Ed during a bunch of Bonaire trips and is a real expert on Bonaire. Now as an istructor, he can run the Advanced Scuba Diver Course during the
trip, leaving Ed free to soak up the sun, like everybody thinks us trip leaders do all week. Tim also has dove in Jamaica, the Bahamas,
North Carolina, and in Playa del Carmen. We hope to see Tim take over my position when I grow up and get a real job, as my
parents always hoped I would. With his diving
experience and sales expertise, he can answer any questions for you and his suggestions
will help you feel more comfortable in the water.
Being the son of Mike, Jeff has been around diving all his life. He has grown up
surrounded by some of the most experienced divers around. He has
been to Bonaire seventeen times, ten as a diver, and has plans to go on the August
2008 trip. Jeff also was on the 2004 Australia and Papua New Guinea trip where he
got to experience diving with the Minke Whales and sharks. Jeff has chosen to begin the
leadership courses required to become an NAUI instructor and will be teaching
SCUBA courses in the not-too-distant future. Being around the business for so long, Jeff knows how it works and
where he can find the answers to help a customer. He will try his hardest to fulfill
a customer's needs and make diving an enjoyable experience for all who are willing to
take the plunge. Jeff is also a member of the U.S. Army National Guard and has just graduated from Marywood University in
Scranton. He is scheduled to deploy with the Guard to Iraq in February, 2009.
He can be found at the store a couple weekends a month and during holiday periods. Jeff, recently, earned his commercial
pilot license as well s his instrument rating and multi-engine rating. He hopes to fly corporate jets as a career after he returns from Iraq.
Trip originally joined the staff of Underwater World as a
sales person in 1993. About that time, he was also the head of the Point Pleasant Dive Rescue Team.
After becoming a PADI instructor, Trip moved to
Florida and served a tour of duty aboard the live-aboard, the Nekton Pilot.
Upon his return to our area, Trip was then hired as the Dive Team Coordinator for
the New Jersey State Aquarium. Part way into the new millenium, he decided to
return to Underwater World and the business of sport diving. Trip is married to
the girl next door (literally), Ligia.
Underwater World Instructors
Barb Hayden
Bob Miracle
Barb was a SCUBA diver for about five years before she became an
instructor. Now she is one of the best there is. Her students always have great
things to say about her as she turns students in to competent divers. Barb also
teaches an excellent Advanced Course which has turned over a hundred basic divers
into well trained Advanced Divers. Throughout the year
Barb almost always has a class at the Ambler YMCA, one of the most popular
classes taught. She was recently re-elected president of the
AQUANUTS DIVE CLUB with 100% of the vote. Barb really found her adventurous side since finding Underwater World.
She is often seen skiing, rollerblading and biking with a number of other Underwater World divers. She is a long-time
Purdential employee who does software testing for their IT Department. Barb has a
son, Jon, who is also a SCUBA diver.
Ed Guckin
Ed Guckin, Mike's brother, has been an Instructor for about three years but has been diving since 1974. He teaches the
Klinger Middle School SCUBA Diver Course and the very popular Warrington Swim Club
SCUBA Diver Course in July. Ed was also the first of the Underwater World staff to get Rebreather Certified and is
currently our only Instructor for the Rebreather Course. Ed has lead our
most popular family trip to Bonaire (August) every August for the last three years and is
scheduled to go back this year. He is always accompanied by his wife, Lisa, and his two daughters, Kelsea (also a diver),
and Olivia. (Olivia will be learning to dive this year, as she turns 12.) Ed's full-time job is testing underground tanks
(e.g. gasoline tanks). Ed can also be found working in the store on occasion.
What can be said about a person like Bob. Excellent intstructor, great person, and outstanding personality.
Bob has a way about him that makes learning fun for his students. He is always willing to answer questions
and almost always has a "Bob" story to go along with his answer. Bob can make any situation seem good and
will make sure that you have a great time throughout your diving career. He teaches the
Quakertown YMCA SCUBA Diver Course. He also leads a couple of trips a year to the Bahamas and has recently been
exploring Thailand with thoughts of running a trip in mind. Bob is also a pilot with his own airplane and a helicopter, as
well. Bob and his wife Laura have three daughters and a son as well as a couple of grandchildren.