Staff

Dive BVI Management Team Members

Jeff McNutt - A proud Texan, Jeff moved to Virgin Gorda in early 2003 after a BVI sailing trip in 2002.  He is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer as well as a SSI Dive Control Specialist Instructor.  He managed our Marina Cay location for two years before moving into the General Manager position.  Jeff enjoys teaching divers about Nitrox and how we make it here in the BVI.  Always on the water, he loves saltwater sport fishing and cruising for new dive sites on our DPVs.  Jeff also maintains the website, enjoys Texas country music and watching the Dallas Cowboys.

Casey McNutt – Arriving with Jeff, Casey has made herself at home here.  In charge of Retail Operations, she is responsible for ordering all of the latest dive gear and resort wear for our four locations.  While shopping for new styles is fun, she still enjoys getting out and leading dives at some of her favorite sites which include Ginger Steps and the Chikuzen.  Casey has been lucky enough to dive with a hammerhead and a tiger shark in the last few years.  In her spare time, Casey exercises regularly, climbs Gorda Peak, and is an active member of the VG Ladies Book Club.

Little Dix Bay Team Members

Paul Gondek – Paul is our Location Manager at Little Dix Bay Resort where he teaches our Discover Scuba courses in the sheltered waters of the bay.  Oftentimes he shows his students the resident turtles and seahorses found near his “office”.  An avid animal lover, Paul is right at home with our plentiful marine life.  He is from Chicago and doesn’t miss the winters, but he does miss the pizzas.  

Anna Janczewska – Born and raised in Krakow, Poland, Anna has lived and worked in the Caribbean since 2001. After 10 years of Hotel Management, she chose the path of scuba diving instruction.  She is a foodie – always on the lookout for new culinary experience and appreciates good wines. She likes sports like badminton, tennis and volleyball, hiking and kayaking. She loves animals, particularly cats.  Anna likes warm water – she has been diving in Bermuda, Curacao, Antigua, St. Lucia and Florida before coming to BVI in 2008. Her favorite dives are wreck and photo dives.

Yacht Harbour Team Members

Rudy Woodley – Originally from St Vincent, Rudy (”Doc”) is the only West Indian PADI Divemaster working in the BVI.  He’s been with Dive BVI for as long as we can remember and is an excellent captain.  You’ll often see Rudy at the helm of Sea Lion, our big power catamaran, heading out for our famous Anegada Day Trip.  Rudy would love to show you the marine world he grew up in when you visit!  You’ll also see him out on the cricket and soccer fields of Virgin Gorda and Tortola.

Chris Blackwell  -  Is originally from Norwich, England and is the other half of Jude.  He has worked on 5 continents and ,now tired of travelling around the globe, he is happy to settle down in this beautiful part of the Caribbean (it’s a hard life!).  Chris loves diving of all sorts, in particular sites with interesting structures, which there are loads of in the BVI, he also has a strong interest in conservation, especially in marine eco-systems, and respects efforts made to protect them. Other than diving he loves to read, anything from Fantasy to Zen Buddhist philosophy, he also has a strong interest in nutrition and health.

Judith Baird (“Jude“) - This wee lass hails from bonnie Scotland and always had a plan to work overseas in the sunshine! After graduating from University, she worked in science for several years before she and her partner (Chris Blackwell) decided to give up life in the rat race and train to become Scuba Instructors.  Since then she has worked in Thailand, the Maldives, Malaysia and Zanzibar before crossing the Atlantic to come work here in the BVI.  Jude loves exploring the underwater world and has a passion for marine conservation, but when she’s on dry land you’ll find her cooking up some great food in the kitchen.

Ruby Daniel (”Finey”) - Called Finey because, as a baby, everyone in her St. Kitts neighborhood said she looked so fine.  Finey has been with Dive BVI for over eight years!  As our friendly store clerk, Finey is so helpful with our divers and shoppers that they often find more than they were looking for! She is the source of all island information so stop by and let her fill you in.

Meron Napier – After finishing her degree, Meron decided a regular 9 to 5 job just wasn’t for her. So in 2006,  she and her fiance moved from the UK to to the Caribbean in search of a change of pace and a warmer climate. After 4 years she’s found a “second home” in the BVI and enjoys running private charters and trips to the beautiful island of Anegada, as well as helping to organise our 4 retail locations. Meron thinks that the best thing about her job is helping people to have an amazing vacation both in and out of the water!

Leverick Bay Team Members

Cori Gondek – The better half of Paul Gondek, she enjoys identifying the awesome variety of aquatic life found in the BVI.   Cori thoroughly enjoys diving on the many wrecks scattered throughout the islands.  She’s been with Dive BVI since 2000 and worked previously in Aruba.  She claims to be the Virgin Gorda Domino Champion, but we’re not so sure about that.

Soren Kofoed – has been working 9 years in the dive industry, starting out in Thailand and after 3 years moved to Cyprus where he was ground crew on a Bungy jump site.  He spent a little over 3 years in Barbados, worked in Shanghai-China at a big Aquarium taking people on shark dives and last worked in Greece before joining Dive BVI.  He loves soccer/football and thinks Man United is the best team in the world.  He likes to explore dive sites a little further than our normal routes and that’s how he found the stingray cleaning station on Ledges.

Jennifer Nutt – Jennifer joined our Dive BVI team in February 2009. She grew up in a big family on a small farm in Arkansas (Go Hogs!). Jennifer was originally certified by her “scuba parents” in 1999 at Lake Ouachita. After three years of fighting Northern Virginia traffic, she decided to turn her passion into work…if you can call blue water, warm sun, soft sand, and smiling faces work! As a PADI MSDT Instructor, she has also worked in the Cayman Islands before coming to Virgin Gorda. She loves to swim in clouds of fish, but her favorite are ‘puffers’ and scorpion fish. Always eager for her next ‘best’ dive, she loves to travel, run, and catch up with friends and family.

Dave Fursey – Originally From Doncaster in the UK, Dave is a PADI Master Instructor & has worked in 8 different countries though never in his home country as he says the water is way too cold. This is his first time in the Caribbean and is really enjoying the warm water & varied underwater life the BVI have to offer. His favorite kinds of diving is on wrecks and with large marine life. When not out diving, you can generally find him watching sport (especially soccer) and keeping fit.

Theresa Bascombe – Hailing from Grenada, Theresa has lived on Virgin Gorda for ages.  She has been a store clerk for Dive BVI for over ten years.  Theresa continued her family here and is raising two brilliant children, Akin and Tahira, along with her husband, Glen.  Recently, her first son, Stephen, joined her from Grenada after graduating high school.

Scrub Island Team Members

Johan Kloppers – A South African – Canadian who got hooked on diving in 1999 after trying out a DSD on his honeymoon in Kenya. The BVI is his latest – and prolonged -  pit stop on an already 10 year odyssea around the globe. You will find Johan co-managing our Scrub Island location with his wife Belinda. As a qualified Zoologist, he will gladly show you the plants and animals of our lovely islands during our Eco-Safari trip. Johan also likes to find all the small critters and creatures that makes a dive much more interesting than just looking for the “big stuff”. In his spare time he loves to learn about the stars, obsess about Formula 1 and watch the Springboks play rugby and cricket.

Belinda Kloppers – A dual citizen from South Africa and Canada, Belinda joined Dive BVI in 2007. She became “hooked” on diving in 1999 after a Discover Scuba dive in Kenya and FINALLY, in 2006, decided to give up her “real job” in Industrial Psychology to become a full time Scuba Instructor. Belinda, now a MSDT (Master Scuba Diver Trainer) Instructor, has been traveling and working around the world for the last 10 years and loves the rich, warm waters of the BVI – especially the diversity of marine life and the awesome wrecks at night!  Belinda is passionate about life, different cultures, vegetarianism, protecting our oceans and her beloved mother-continent – Africa!  This year you will find her at our new Scrub Island location, managing alongside her partner, Johan.

Kyle Herrington – A native of Texas, he has always loved the water and has been a diver since the age of 12.  After finishing university in 2005, Kyle began traveling the Caribbean as crew onboard a cruise ship and on megayachts.  Since becoming a PADI Scuba Instructor in 2008, he has worked in Thailand, Cayman Islands and on a scuba live-a-board.  He loves the relaxing lifestyle on Virgin Gorda, sitting down with a good book or a trek through The Baths.  Not to mention the top notch diving, here in the BVI, the place that is his office.