The people you’ll be diving with

Chad is a dedicated PADI IDC Staff Instructor who combines a deep passion for the ocean with an unyielding commitment to diver safety. Before turning the underwater world into his office, he spent nearly a decade serving as a military paratrooper, mastering the disciplines of risk management, precision under pressure, and elite teamwork.

Today, he channels that same high-stakes tactical training into the dive industry. He focuses on shaping the next generation of dive professionals into confident, safety-conscious leaders. Whether mentoring instructor candidates or exploring deep reefs, his mission remains the same: delivering world-class dive education grounded in discipline, situational awareness, and a love for underwater exploration.

Robin has been diving and exploring this island for nearly ten years. Beneath the surface, he found peace. Below, there are no distractions—only details worth noticing. No AI, likes, or subscriptions. Just conditions to observe, instruments to check, and another breath to take. No follows. No followers. Just a buddy system. There’s nothing to scroll. There’s plenty to study.

A lifelong learner, Robin sees every dive as an opportunity—an opportunity to observe, to explore, to marvel, to share. Sharing those opportunities for discovery is what led Robin to become an instructor.

Robin holds a degree in linguistics and brings years of experience in detail-oriented IT project planning, implementation, and management—work that taught him to think critically, communicate clearly, and pay attention to detail. When not diving, Robin can usually be found in the garden, growing vegetables or cooking.

Jeff Hartley has been diving since 1984, when he earned his certification through a civilian dive shop while serving in the Navy. In 2021, he came to Roatán, Honduras, thinking about buying a beach bar. That’s when he met Brad, the founder of Sandy Bay Divers. In January 2022, Brad called him, and they started talking about the possibility of Jeff buying the shop. He flew back to Roatán on February 9th, and on February 16th, 2022, he became the owner of Sandy Bay Divers.

What mattered most to him was the shop’s commitment to safety and the family atmosphere among the divers. That’s still at the heart of what they do. Safety is their number one priority, and they make sure every customer feels welcome and do everything they can to accommodate them. When new people come to dive with them, they want them to feel like family by the time they leave.

That’s really who they are — so come dive with Sandy Bay Divers. Dive with the pros. It’s what they do.

Jason grew up on a Pennsylvania dairy farm with one long-held dream: to live in the Caribbean. After weighing options like the Bahamas, he chose Roatán, Honduras, for its combination of world-class diving and affordability.

Diving didn’t come easily. Jason learned specifically to overcome a fear of sharks and claustrophobia — and it changed his life. Today he’s the first to grab a spear and lead the shop’s work controlling the invasive lionfish on the reef.

His bond with the island, its reef, and the sport grows with every dive — the same hands-on, conservation-minded spirit he brings to the shop.