Ed Ciesla has been an avid diver since 1976 and became a scuba instructor in 1982. Ed has over 7,00 dives and has certified over 2,500 new divers. 

Favorite Dive Site: Tumble Rocks in Boynton Beach

Diving since age 6, Eddie followed in his father's footsteps and turned his passion in diving into a career. Certified in 1999, Eddie now has over 3,000 dives and has introduced the underwater world to more than 1,100 divers.

Eddie is a Diamond Instructor with SSI and can teach Scuba, Freediving, and Mermaid classes to students and Professionals.

His passion: catching lobster and serving them up at the monthly dive socials.

Favorite Dive Site: Boynton Ledges, Boynton Beach, FL

Khris has been diving since 2018, inspired by a deep connection to his late father, who always wanted to share the ocean with him. Every dive is a tribute—and that passion fuels his energetic and patient approach as an Assistant Instructor on the path to full certification.

Originally from the world of IT hardware repair, Khris made the leap into scuba thanks to friends who convinced him to give it a try. He fell in love with the calm, quiet, and wonder of the underwater world—and never looked back.

His favorite site is Blue Heron Bridge, full of vibrant life and his all-time favorite creature: the octopus. His bucket list? Roatán, Japan, Cuba, and anywhere the water’s warm and the diving’s good.

Whether guiding a dive or teaching new skills, Khris is dedicated to making every dive safe, fun, and meaningful. One of his most memorable dives? A crystal-clear night dive at Blue Grotto that felt like floating through air.

“There are no stupid questions—just stupid answers.”

Hello, my name is Christian Lipke. I started diving in 2016 and instantly fell in love with the underwater world. What pushed me to become a certified scuba diver was seeing all the scuba divers in the aquarium at Epcot Disney World. However, I also had a dream of being an infantry soldier in the United States Army, so I put my dream of scuba diving on hold until my service obligation was over.

When I was ready to get back into diving, I went to Woods and Water and talked to Eddie about resuming my diving activities. I told him I wanted to become a professional scuba diver and learn how to teach. He answered all my questions, and we started diving. After obtaining all the necessary certifications, I am currently taking the Instructor course. One of my dream dive sites is Emerald Sink in the Florida Panhandle.

In the future, I plan to delve more into the technical side of diving and eventually become a rebreather instructor. If you're looking to get into the underwater world, Woods and Waters is the place to go.

Favorite Dive Site: Vortex Springs

Diving since 2003, Greg now has over 800 dives. He became a dive professional in 2020 and is now an Elite Instructor with SSI.

Greg has been on many International trips with Woods & Water but his passion is deep, dark, Caverns and Caves.

Greg is certified to teach Advanced Wreck Diving, Decompression Diving, and Cavern Diving.

He is currently working on Sidemount Instructor and Rebreather Diving.

Favorite Dive Sites: Hudson Grotto and Bufford Sink

I was born and raised in Bremerhaven, Germany, which is located in the Northern area, right by the North Sea. Mermaids have always been part of my culture and I have always loved the sea. I even named my daughter after a German Siren.

The passion about actually becoming a mermaid started when my daughter was 8 years old and she wanted to be a mermaid. We purchased matching tails and spent many hours in our tails splashing around and living the mermaid dream.

I soon realized that there is much more to learn about actually being a safe mermaid, and proper movements, so thanks to Eddie with Woods and Water, I became a certified SSI mermaid and mermaid instructor and can now share my passion and teach others to pursue their dreams of becoming a real life mermaid! 

Joe Florio is a retired Marine who served over 25 years to active duty in the Marine Corps. During his service in Australia, he developed a passion for scuba diving, achieving his Open Water Diver certification in 1989 and numerous certifications over the years.

In 2025, Joe chose to elevate his skills and deepen his commitment to the sport by enrolling in the Divemaster Program.