Story and Photos by Sara Webster

At the young age of seventeen Jim Singleton was invited for his first dive.  Like many who have taken the plunge into open water, Jim was hooked.  Ever since then, he’s been submerged in the camaraderie of the sport and the undeniable magic of marine life.  His love of diving has also rubbed off on his family.  Jim, along with his daughter Jamie, and son-in-law Brad Stanley have turned their love for diving into a family business.  Scuba Tech was Jim’s brainchild after realizing a need for proper equipment training and safety-conscious service and repair.  Located in Sneads Ferry, the business has grown to include not only those related by blood, but of like-minded divers who have a bond for educated diving and a respect for Mother Nature. 

Jim Singleton—diver, instructor, father

 

Already operating two retail stores in opposite directions on Highway 17 of the new centralized Scuba Tech site, it became evident from customer interest that the new consolidated location would also need to house retail.  Today’s shop is stocked full of a wide array of merchandise to accommodate the spectrum of civilian, service, aquarium, and research team consumers that are continually welcomed into the ever-growing diving circle.

 

Brad Stanley inspects threads for any damage before filling.

Divers are also privy to the knowledgeable staff’s years of diving and technical experience, as well as their generous nature.  Jamie has even been known to open the retail doors for last minute shoppers who need a gift for that special diver on their list.

 

Jamie Stanley, Jim’s daughter, is part of the family’s business in Sneads Ferry.

Scuba Tech’s outings—led by Keith Jarman and Bob Livingston—are professional, educational, and most of all, fun.  Their experience is abundantly evident in their familiarity with local vertical ledges—spanning from three to fifteen feet—just miles offshore.  It’s fairly commonplace to pull alongside sunfish and stingrays, not to mention the occasional sea turtle or humpback whale.  These outings only confirm their belief that diving off the coast of North Carolina is comparable to diving the Florida or Caribbean waters.  It is widely touted that North Carolina has much to offer divers, a feeling that was recently confirmed by the readers of Scuba Diving Magazine (January 2007) when they voted the North Carolina coast the number two North American wreck diving destination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To ensure that divers are properly trained and enjoy their excursions, Scuba Tech offers PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), SDI (Scuba Diving International), and TDI (Technical Diving International) training for beginner, dive master, and instructor certification. The beginner class also includes an open water boat dive to instill additional confidence and comfort.  Jamie relays that it’s only good practice “to train people in the environment they are diving in.”

Scuba Tech instructors find it a disservice to give certification to a diver who is uncomfortable in open water and not equipped with the knowledge that allows for an intangible diving experience.  Carrying on the family diving tradition, Jamie and Brad are teaching their two children the foundations necessary for the lifetime sport of diving.  In addition, they take an equal amount of concern for each student and ensure proper preparations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keith Jarman leading a confined water training session in Jacksonville.

Scuba Tech realizes that they are responsible for life-altering decisions.  “It’s not just your regulator; it’s your life support at a hundred feet,” Brad states, affirming their mission to fulfill the industry’s need for quality training, safety, and repair.

Equipped with an unbelievable ‘in stock’ repair shop, repair guru Gary Jenkins brings admirable experience to the shop and keeps the equipment in optimal condition.  A retired retailer and avid underwater explorer, Gary has over forty years of technical experience and knows the ins and outs of .  .  . Well, just about anything diving related.  He was first introduced to the Scuba Tech family as a training instructor and then became a part-timer in the shop when he relocated to the coast.

While Gary is busy with BC’s (buoyancy compensators) and regulators, Brad can be found adjacent to the repair building inspecting and filling up tanks with hyper-filtration air, a step above the average grade E requirement.  Scuba Tech services tanks for walk-ins and retail shops along the southeast coast, and is voluntarily audited quarterly by manufacturer Lawrence Factor to ensure proper product.

Once the diver and equipment has left Scuba Tech, whether on the next charter out or for an upcoming trip, the preparation allows the diver to focus on the beauty at hand—the indescribable life under the sea.

At the very least, Jamie confirms that “it is a time to unplug from everyday obligations,” to be still and hear marine life.  Diving is an experience and a lifestyle that they continue to pass down within their family and to anyone who wants to join in.

SARA WEBSTER is a freelance photographer and designer who has made Topsail Beach her home base.  She's often found traveling far and wide to document truths of all kinds.