Our Story

We have a Mission

Exceeding expectations and providing quality experiences through individualized training, cultural encounters, and the support of a dedicated dive community.

At FDC, experience matters, and this is a large part of our mission. We cater to our clients by offering training and classes that work around their schedules and individual needs. Our trips are designed to engage the world both above and below the water and to introduce divers to a wide range of cultures and diverse environments. All this is accomplished through a dedicated and passionate dive community.

FDC MISSION STATEMENT

A person in a wetsuit jumps off a sailboat named 'Morning Star' into the water with a diving tank, while the boat floats on calm water under a clear blue sky.
Two scuba divers underwater with a large spotted shark in the background.
A group of six people scuba diving underwater in a pool, holding a banner that reads "Diving is FUN" with the PADI logo, wearing masks, fins, and wetsuits.
A person scuba diving underwater with fish around an underwater wooden platform, interacting with children.

FDC believes that every person is unique, there is no “one diver fits all”. Our highly experienced staff will provide an educational environment catered to the needs of our clients, whether that be fitting gear, scuba training in our private dive training pool or arranging travel around specific interests.

Meet the Team

  • A man with a gray beard wearing scuba diving gear, including a helmet, wetsuit, and breathing apparatus, standing outdoors near a body of water.

    Larry Antonacci

    OWNER
    PADI IDC STAFF INSTRUCTOR
    PUBLIC SAFETY DIVE INSTRUCTOR

    Larry Antonacci is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer. He has 15+ years of diving experience and has been involved in diver education for over 10 years. In addition to his participation in scuba training through Fluvanna Dive Center, he is the Director of Training for the Lake Monticello Water Rescue team and is involved in scuba education through CATEC (Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center).

  • A man in scuba diving gear standing in shallow water ashore, wearing a bright red dry suit and holding yellow diving accessories.

    Mike Hinton

    OWNER
    PADI INSTRUCTOR MSDT

    Mike has been diving for over 25 years and has logged over 1,000 dives. He is currently a member of the Lake Monticello Water Rescue Team and St John Rescue Dive Team, USVI. Mike is certified as a Public Safety Diver and an Underwater Criminal Investigator.

  • Person in scuba diving gear standing in water

    Greg Zajac

    PADI INSTRUCTOR MSDT
    PUBLIC SAFETY DIVE INSTRUCTOR

    Greg Zajac is a PADI Public Safety Dive Instructor and Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer with more than 15 years of teaching experience. A former Lake Monticello Water Rescue Team (LMWRT)Training Officer, he is a LMWRT Life Member. Greg has worked as an EMT/Medic since 2003.

  • A woman on a boat, wearing a white crocheted top and black pants, smiling with palm trees and boats in the background.

    C. Shushawn Schmal

    PADI INSTRUCTOR MSDT
    SCHOOL LIAISON
    TRAVEL COORDINATOR 

    Shushawn is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer with a variety of different scuba diving experiences as well as over 10 years working as an instructor, dive leader, and trip organizer on numerous excursions. She has a passionate love for the ocean and believes that all scuba divers are ambassadors to our waterways and a voice for the creatures that live in them. She also believes that an exceptional diver is a safe diver, and that is what guides her instruction. She strives for excellence and produces divers who are strong, confident individuals both in and out of the water.

  • A scuba diver in a wetsuit with yellow accents, wearing a diving mask and tank, is underwater and appears to be using a keyboard connected to a tablet or underwater device.

    Kristen Arriaga

    PADI DIVER MASTER

    Kristen Arriaga is a Divemaster and Paramedic. She is a former Public Safety Diver who now enjoys assisting with students and certified divers in her spare time. She is a newer dive professional with about 2 years of experience in diver education.

  • A scuba diver wearing a wetsuit, mask, and gloves, holding a snorkel with both hands, standing near a wooden dock on a body of water with other people in the background.

    Clay Overholt

    PADI IDC STAFF INSTRUCTOR

    Clay Overholt is a PADI IDC Staff Instructor as well as an SSI Assistant Instructor Trainer.  He has 30 years of public safety and search and recovery experience along with 20 years of general commercial dive experience. He holds numerous specialty instructor ratings to include distinctive specialties in Public Safety Diving and Underwater Criminal Investigations. He has experience in all environments and conditions. He supplements his scuba with 35 years of law enforcement experience to include 20 years of forensic, EMT, and Vertical Rescue training, instructing, and experience.

  • A diver in an orange wetsuit with a black diving mask and helmet is floating in green water.

    Stephen Nicely

    PADI INSTRUCTOR MSDT

    Stephen Nicely is a PADI Dive Instructor, and a former Public Safety Diver. He has 12 years of diving experience, with 3 years of experience in diver education.

  • Woman in black athletic gear wearing a rainbow unicorn headband and fluffy rainbow tutu, smiling at camera indoors.

    Michaele Bergan

    PADI INSTRUCTOR MSDT

    With over 1,000 dives in waters around the world, Michaele is a dive travel afficionado with experience as a group dive trip leader and as a solo traveler.  Her passion is to share the underwater world with new and experienced divers by curating group travel opportunities to amazing dive locations across the globe.  She has expertise in Tanzania/East Africa travel including Serengeti safaris, Kilimanjaro treks, and Zanzibar/Mafia Island diving.  Michaele is also an ardent amateur photographer with interest in underwater macro, birds, and African wildlife.  She is a PADI Dive Instructor living and diving primarily in Tanzania. Despite her remote location, she welcomes any conversation or question about dive travel – Where in the world do you want to go?

  • An underwater scuba diver wearing black gear and mask, surrounded by small fish, in a rocky underwater cave.

    James Bass

    PADI INSTRUCTOR MSDT

    James began his diving journey in 1999, with his first dives after certification being on a live-aboard in Australia on the Great Barrier Reef during his honeymoon.  His love for the underwater world has gained him experience in many environments, ranging from springs, rivers and lakes to the open ocean, with zero visibility to 100'+ visibility.  Given the opportunity, James is always up for a wreck dive.  He is part of the Lake Monticello Water Rescue Team and serves as the team's Scuba Training Officer.  James became an instructor as another way to give back to the community through servant leadership, and to share his passion of diving and love of the underwater world with others becoming divers so they too can be stewards of the diving community and underwater world.

  • Marilou Maglione 

    PADI INSTRUCTOR MSDT

    Marilou grew up on Florida’s west coast and has been diving since earning her certification in 1981. With a background in Marine Biology and Coral Reef Ecology, she trained with the Coast Guard as part of Eckerd College’s Search and Rescue team, conducted research throughout the Caribbean, earning her NAUI Instructor Certification and Merchant Mariner license.   Now, with nearly 45 years of experience and over 6,000 dives, she continues to share her passion as a PADI instructor and experienced trip leader, capturing marine life through her underwater photography.  She especially enjoys North Carolina wreck diving, where history and abundant marine life combine for a unique experience.  Join Marilou for a class or diving adventure!

  • CJ ANSON

    PADI INSTRUCTOR MSDT

    C J is an expert cold-water diver, shipwreck explorer, and technical diving instructor with extensive experience in some of the world’s most challenging diving environments. Specializing in deep wreck exploration, he uses advanced equipment such as rebreathers and trimix to uncover the hidden stories of sunken ships from the North Atlantic to the Pacific. His mastery spans diving in the Great Lakes, European coasts, and beyond, bringing a wealth of global expertise to every dive. As a certified instructor, he is passionate about training the next generation of divers in advanced techniques while emphasizing safety, precision, and respect for the underwater world.

Get in Touch

Reach out to us easily for any questions, inquiries, or collaborations. We’re here to listen and assist you. Contact us today!