Bobby J. Smith, PADI Assistant Instructor

I completed my Open Water certification with my oldest daughter in 1987 and the rest is history.  As Dive Buddies, my daughter Leiandrea, and I completed the requirements for MASTER SCUBA DIVER rating in 1989.  My love for diving continued to grow and I was certified into the ranks of J & T DIVE MASTER in 1990.  The next step was to complete the requirements for ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR which I did in 1996. 

 Other certifications include:  Enriched Air Diver 2003;  Deep Diver 1989; Advanced Open Water 1987;  Medic First Aid 1988;  Underwater Hunter 1989;  Boat Diver 1987;  Rescue Diver 1989;  Search and Recovery Diver 1987;  Night Diver 1989; Dry Suit Diver 2005;  PADI Member since 1990;  ScubaPro  Uwatec Repair Technician 2001;  PSI Visual Cylinder Inspector 2001;

My wife, Linda, and I started the most challenging phase of our dive careers in 1996 when we began taking groups of divers on escorted dive vacations. Over the years we have had the privilege to do both land based and live-aboard dive vacations.  We have experienced visibility from 300 plus feet to” ZERO” currents from none to the ripping current at the “Cut of Larue” which took us miles from our dive boat.  We visited locations such as Australia, Solomon Islands, Gradual Canal, Russell Islands, Marshal Islands, Florida Islands, Bimini, Cancun, Belize, Turks & Cacios Islands, and Cozumel.  Also at home we have dove the Bonterre Lead Mine in Missouri, numerous rock quarries, the Florida fresh water springs, fresh water lakes and rivers, yes even the St Francis and Mississippi rivers.  We have dove with the Manatees, sharks, Coral Sea snakes, schools of fish and of course, I still have my scars from the ‘spiny black sea urchins’. 

Come by and see the Staff at J & T Dive Shop for all your scuba diving needs or just to get your questions answered.  If you think you would like to be on one of our escorted dive vacations, just visit with any one of the J & T Trip leaders.