Jerry obtained his Open Water certification in 1982, while attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  He worked as a member of a dive team at the Lake Mead Marina in Nevada for three summers during college, repairing docks underwater, bringing up sunken boats and automobiles.   His first ocean diving was along the Southern California coast, when bagging lobster, crab and abalone was not as regulated as it is today.   Jerry has supported his addiction to breathing compressed air underwater and neutral buoyancy by working in the real estate appraisal profession for over 20 years.  Armed with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Real Estate in 1985, he joined a small real estate appraisal and consulting firm in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Jerry met Carol, his wife and dive buddy of 18 years, in a grocery store at 2:00 AM, while buying supplies for a dive trip.

Jerry earned his PADI Divemaster rating in March 2001 and quickly went on to earn his PADI Open Water Instructor Rating in May of 2001.  Jerry became a DAN instructor in May 2002, with specialties in Oxygen First Aid, O² for Aquatic Injuries, AEDs and Hazardous Marine Life Injuries.  He continued teaching scuba at a PADI 5-Star IDC Center in Cincinnati and diving throughout Ohio and the Midwest, with yearly trips to Florida and the Caribbean, until moving to Louisiana in 2003. 

Jerry earned his PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer rating in June 2003, with specialties in Boat, Deep, Enriched Air Nitrox, Night, Underwater Photography, Wreck and Emergency First Response (CPR, First Aid, AED, and Care for Children w/AED).  He taught scuba diving at a dive center in Baton Rouge, with frequent dive trips to the Caribbean, Florida Keys and Oil Rigs along the Louisiana Gulf Coast, until moving to Houston Texas in 2004.  Jerry bought a second home on Grand Cayman in April 2004 to further support his diving addiction, and then took a two year sabbatical from teaching scuba after the birth of his son, Jerry III, in June 2004.  Jerry joined Gigglin’ Marlin in March 2006 and is excited to have the opportunity share his passion of diving with everyone!