Jason Koslow and Susan Tate met while both were working for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). Jason worked on professional member development, and Susan was editor of PADI’s flagship worldwide trade and member magazine, The Undersea Journal.
Years later, both moved on to new careers – Jason in financial planning and Susan in copywriting and ecommerce – they both still love diving and missed being part of the industry.
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Meet Jason and Susan.
Susan
I’ll be honest, I’m not the bravest toaster around – I learned how to scuba dive for two reasons:
- I was terrified of ocean critters. I wanted to know exactly what was weaving around my legs while I was swimming. My reasoning was if I could see it, if I knew what was underwater with me, I wouldn’t be as terrified. And that was mostly true. Mostly. 😊
- I’d been accepted on an international youth expedition called Operation Raleigh and being a diver was a requirement for my segment in the beautiful, crystal clear warm waters around the Turks and Caicos Islands.
After a couple of months of diving two or three times a day and at night, when I moved back to Nova Scotia, I missed diving. Missed being underwater, filling tanks, hauling gear, you name it. I know. W
So I signed up for my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver class and kept my education going until eventually I became a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor in 1993. I taught for a couple of different dive shops in the Halifax-Dartmouth area for several years, while earning my degree in public relations.
I moved to California in 1997 as part of an exciting job opportunity with PADI. I was hired as a technical/educational writer, but due to some promotions, I ended up as editor of PADI’s worldwide membership magazine, The Undersea Journal. Which is how and where I met Jason.
I moved back to Canada in 2009 to spend more time with family, but I never forgot my diving roots. The ocean is still my happy place and I’m blessed to be able to write about it with a good friend.
In real life, I run two small businesses, and have two dogs that rule me. I recently tried my hand at stand-up comedy and improv, and think Jerry Seinfeld has absolutely nothing to worry about. I’m looking forward to my next dive adventure and can’t wait to get back to my happy place.
Jason
When I was a young boy, I dreamed of exploring the world’s oceans. However, growing up in Indiana was not very conducive to ocean exploration, so that dream would have to wait.
I learned to scuba dive about as far away from the ocean as you can get in Muncie, Indiana. I learned in a rock quarry, and after graduating from Ball State University, I became a PADI Instructor. Shortly thereafter I moved to the Caribbean to teach people how to dive.
I went to work at Club Med in the Turks & Caicos, and later in St. Lucia. From there, I moved to the British Virgin Islands and went to work for Sail Caribbean. Then on to Newport Beach, California, to manage a dive shop.
I later went to work for PADI in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. As part of my duties there I was a regular contributor to The Undersea Journal as well as Sport Diver Magazine.
I’ve logged more than 2000 dives, taught hundreds of people how to dive, and attained the rank of Master Scuba Diver Trainer.
When not working at my day job you can find me sailing, camping, skiing, hunting or doing anything I can to get outside.
My goal in the future is to live full time on my sailboat so I can go to remote destinations and dive out-of-the-way areas that most people don’t go.