About Us

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.

FDC MISSION STATEMENT

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 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.

Our Team

(Owner)

Larry Antonacci

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).

(Co-owner)

Mike Hinton

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. He is currently a PADI Master Scuba Diver and is completing his Dive Master certification.

Greg Zajac

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.

C. Shushawn Schmal

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.

Kristen Arriaga

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.

Clay Overholt

Stephen Nicely

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