About Us

Meet Capt. Jon the Merman
Our Owner / Instructor

It’s safe to say you won’t meet a more qualified scuba and dive instructor in all of Florida than Capt. Jon. Bringing his extensive experience and concern for safety, he has taught several hundred student divers from ages 10 to 82 how to enjoy scuba diving and make it a lifelong endeavor.

Capt. Jon started scuba diving when he was 9 years old and earned his PADI Junior Openwater certification at age 11. At age 16 he earned his PADI Advanced Openwater certification and joined the Destin Search and Recovery Team, a volunteer Public Safety Dive Team affiliated with the Destin Fire Department.

Capt. Jon became a full-time Deputy with the Sheriff’s Office in 1985 but remained active on Destin S&R. He was also tasked with running the Sheriff’s Office Underwater Investigation Unit and did so until he retired in 2011.

In 1996 Capt. Jon became a SCUBA Instructor and Public Safety Dive Instructor. His scuba Instruction focused on teaching Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters how to safely locate, document and recover items for the underwater environment. During his time as the Unit’s Team Leader, he ran recovery operations that included evidence, missing persons, vehicles and aircraft. He was also asked to sit on the Governor’s Taskforce on Public Safety Diving to review Florida Statutes affecting Public Safety Dive Operations throughout Florida. He also acted as a consultant to Florida State University during the development of their Underwater Crime Scene Investigation degree program.

After retiring Capt. Jon went to work for Scubatech of NW Florida as a SCUBA Instructor.

Mermaiding is Capt. Jon’s latest venture to share the underwater world with more people both young and old. Capt. Jon’s hope is to create a passion for the oceans, rivers, lakes and waterways of our planet in as many people as he can reach. If he can do that, he knows that each and every one he reaches will develop a passion to protect our planet’s waters.