Staff

About Us

Dave Coyle - Owner and Instructor

Dave Coyle - Owner and Instructor

As a young boy, Dave used to accompany his dad on his lobster boat. He credits those times as having helped to instill in him a love of the water. In 2003, he fulfilled a life-long dream of becoming a SCUBA diver and what started off as a hobby quickly became his passion. Additional certifications soon followed and he worked his way up to be an Advanced Open Water Instructor. When he became the owner of Aquatic Specialties in January of 2014, he became one of those lucky people who can turn a favorite pastime into a career. When asked what he loves most about diving and certifying new divers, he answers, “SCUBA diving allows you to explore another world without leaving this one.” Dave loves to certify new divers and is in the water just about every weekend, year-round. Dave & his wife live in Manchester, NH and also have a cottage on Lake Winnisquam.

Sky - Manager and Divemaster

Sky - Manager and Divemaster

Sky is a lifelong New Englander who graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and a minor in Animal Behavior. Her love for the ocean started at a young age, and she began freediving in 2018 before getting her Open Water Scuba certification in 2022. When Sky isn't in the water (or at work), she spends her free time playing the piano, drumming, and reading. Her passion for knowledge and enthusiasum for learning drive her to inspire others to share her excitement about the Ocean. Sky often posts photos and videos of her underwater shenanigans, and you can dive into her adventures here!

William Fleming - Technician and Instructor

William Fleming - Technician and Instructor

Early in his career, Bill was a PADI and a YMCA scuba instructor.  He worked onboard cruise ships in the Bahamas and the Caribbean with the NCL Dive-In program.  Bill then spent several years managing a dive shop in Denver before moving to Haiti.  He worked with Royal Caribbean helping them to set up their watersports program at Labadee, Haiti.  He later worked at Kaliko Beach Resort in Haiti functioning as a scuba instructor, divemaster, and dive boat skipper.

Bill returned to New Hampshire where he continued diving but discontinued working as a dive professional.  He completed a master's degree in business and worked in Operations Management for a large company where he was responsible for all of their operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.  During that time, he also taught management and marketing courses as an adjunct faculty member with Franklin Pierce University.

Ultimately Bill retired from his corporate management and college faculty career, and after several years in retirement, he reactivated his scuba instructor status.  Since 2021, Bill has been working part-time for Aquatic Specialties as a scuba instructor and equipment service technician.  Bill holds scuba instructor status with Scuba Schools International (SSI), and with Scuba Educators International (SEI).  Bill is a former Emergency Medical technician (EMT), and he is also the recipient of the PADI Outstanding Instructor Candidate award, and the Franklin Pierce Excellence in Teaching award.

Nicholas St. John - Apprentice Technician and Divemaster

Nicholas St. John - Apprentice Technician and Divemaster

Nicholas has always been enthusiastic around the water, and his diving journey started as a necessity as a U.S. Navy EOD technician in 2010. This amazing career took him all over the world, diving from the chilly waters around Scotland, the warm depths of the Arabian Sea, to both coasts of the United States of America. His breathing systems at depth included rebreathers and SCUBA, which created a colorful experience in his diving career. The hightlight of his diving for the Navy was the recovery of a cannon from part of the USS Revenge wreck site. Unfortunately, his incredible career in the Navy came to an unexpected end in late 2020, and it seemed that he had hung up both the bomb suit and his fins. After some time to find his new calling, the fins came off the shelf and Nicholas joined the Aquatic Specialties team in 2024. He has now begun his next step in his diving journey with the dive professionals of New England!

Erin - Travel Coordinator

Erin - Travel Coordinator

Erin's journey with SCUBA was born from rage when she was snorkeling an underwater sculpture park in Mexico and got angry that she couldn't dive deep enough to see all of the statues!  Several months later, she convinced her husband to take an introductory scuba class in Grenada, and since then, has taken as few surface intervals as possible!  Erin loves the peace of diving, the amazing biodiversity of the ocean, and the company of other divers.  The Aquatic Specialties team is thrilled to have her as a Travel Coordinator!  Erin has visited 29 countries on 5 continents, and looks forward to exploring more with the Aquatic Specialties Dive Tribe!  When she's not below the surface, Erin can usually be found above the water on a paddleboard, beside the water with a book, working in her garden, or walking her goats.

Graham Birch - Instructor

Graham Birch - Instructor

Graham became interested in SCUBA diving at the age of 16 when a friend introduced him to the British Sub-Aqua Club in England. As life (University, marriage, and children) took the focus he put diving on hold. His interest was rekindled in 2007 when, while relaxing on the beach at Folly Cove in Rockport, Massachusetts he watched two divers emerge from the ocean. He was certified a month later! Graham developed a passion for the more technical side of the sport; the equipment, the skills, the physics and physiology of diving (just ask him about the Pink Pig). In 2014, he became an Open Water Instructor. In 2017, he earned Technical Diver certifications and is now an SSI Advanced Instructor, teaching SCUBA diving at Aquatic Specialties since 2019. In "civilian life" Graham is Vice President of Product Management for a Boston-based Software company. When asked what is his favorite dive, he will usually say,  "The one I am currently diving"!

Morgan Habecker - Instructor

Morgan Habecker - Instructor

Morgan is an Open Water Instructor with a deep passion for the ocean and everything it holds. From a young age, he was fascinated by the sea, originally aspiring to become an oceanographer. His journey took a unique turn when he joined the Navy, serving on submarines and spending countless hours at sea, which further fueled his appreciation for the underwater environment.

After his military career, Morgan finally took the plunge into diving, and it was a life-changing experience. Captivated by the beauty of the underwater world, he decided to share his passion by becoming an instructor, guiding students on their own underwater journey.

In addition to diving, Morgan enjoys woodturning, 3D printing, and other maker activities. Whether crafting unique pieces or exploring the ocean’s wonders, he believes in the joy of creating and sharing experiences.

Chris Ricketts - Instructor

Chris Ricketts - Instructor

Chris was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, and later moved to Vermont, where he spent his childhood swimming in the Ompompanoosuc River and local ponds. As an adult, he returned to Manchester and realized his goal of becoming Open Water certified in 2013. In February 2017, Chris began  diving with Dave Coyle and the Aquatic Specialties team. Chris earned his Divemaster certification in 2018 and became an Open Water Instructor in July 2021. Chris loves to dive Folly Cove, Nubble Lighthouse, and Peirce Island!

Kenny Donahue - Assistant Instructor

Kenny Donahue - Assistant Instructor

Kenny first learned to scuba dive in 1984, just North of Sharm el-Sheikh in the Red Sea, while stationed in the South Sinai Peninsula of Egypt on a multinational peacekeeping mission for the Army. Back then, divers used tube socks and horse collar BCs, relying on dive tables! 

After returning to the U.S., diving took a backseat until a trip to Roatan in 2018 rekindled his passion for scuba. In June 2024, Kenny retired from his career at Embedded Systems Engineering and completed his Divemaster training. Now, he’s thrilled to have more time to contribute to the dive shop as an Assistant Instructor, finishing his Instructor training, and diving into technical and cavern exploration. Since retiring, Kenny has immersed himself in his diverse passions, including scuba instruction, ocean conservation, and being the lead flight instructor at his local remote-controlled (RC) club. Kenny also enjoys exploring the world alongside his beautiful scuba diving wife, Laura!

Jessica Cote - Divemaster

Jessica Cote - Divemaster

Jessica’s first breath underwater was during an impromptu trip to Cuba in 2018. After 4 years of talking about her “try scuba” experience and finding every excuse to be in the water, her parents pushed her to get Open Water certified with Aquatic Specialties in 2022. Since then, it’s been hard to get her back on land! You can find her diving year-round in a wetsuit with a big smile on her face. In 2023, she received her SSI Dive Master certification and is always happy to schedule a dive with a fellow ocean lover. When Jessica is terrestrial, she can be found at her day job tackling the world of pharmaceutical process development while thinking about her next dive.

Luis Figueroa - Divemaster

Luis Figueroa - Divemaster

Luis completed his Open Water Training through NASDS (now SSI) at the age of 17 off the beaches of Southern California and the Channel Islands. After a brief hiatus from diving to raise his young kids (now OW certified), Luis took up his passion for SCUBA diving again and has since logged over 2000 dives. His diving experiences have taken him all over the world to dive trips in Truk Lagoon in Micronesia, Sri Lanka, Bali, Corfu, South Korea, and the Caribbean Islands.  His favorite dive destination is Bonaire, which he has visited several times with his wife and family.  In the past year, Luis became an SSI Dive Professional by completing the SSI Divemaster training through Aquatic Specialties.  Luis has been diving the New England waters for over 30 years and as a Dive Guide for Aquatic Specialties enjoys introducing local divers to the wonders that New England has to offer.

Dennis Giampietro - Divemaster

Dennis Giampietro - Divemaster

Dennis retired from Nashua and began his scuba diving journey in 2020 during the pandemic with a trip to St. Lucia. Immediately captivated by the undersea world, he quickly earned multiple specialties and certifications with both PADI and SSI. In 2024, he completed his Divemaster certification with Aquatic Specialties. Each winter, Dennis travels widely across the Caribbean and has also explored dive sites in the Galapagos Islands, Croatia, Ecuador, and Mexico. Always eager to expand his knowledge, he is passionate about sharing his love for scuba diving with others.

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