Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results.
The Evolution Scuba Team
In order to follow our mission and philosophy through to success, we had to assemble a team that shared our passion and drive. Listed below is a diverse group, all of whom are divers but with their own unique and special talents, backgrounds and knowledge. The goal of this team is to bring solutions to our clients.
Gary Woods
Gary has been a certified diver since 1987 and became a dive professional in 2002. Diving is his passion, and he enjoys teaching others from his diving experiences. He has traveled to many parts of the globe and is an accomplished underwater photographer and videographer.
Gary is the director of our Coaches and Mentors Group, offering our clients a new avenue to experiences and education opportunities.
Gary is a PADI Master Instructor and Public Safety Instructor. He is certified to teach 23 PADI specialty courses. His experience as a respiratory therapist makes him uniquely qualified to teach emergency first responder courses, medical first aid courses, and oxygen therapy.
With over 30 years of owning and managing different businesses, he has a solid background in business management, Internet and social media marketing, including online sales. He is a specialist in store display and design.
Through his work with various dive agencies and entities, Gary has been instrumental in developing dive courses, curriculums, and strategies to bring divers, instructors, and businesses to a new higher level, well above the industry norm.
Ed Hayes
When it comes to scuba diving, Ed has trained with a purpose and passion for years. He continues to train with other instructors and is a certified cave and technical diver. He thrives on passing new skills and abilities to novice, intermediate and advanced divers so they can confidently enjoy the underwater world.
Ed is based in New England and supports operations through the Evolution Scuba base in Portland, Connecticut. With our Mobile Unit, Ed – supported by other instructors, mentors, and coaches – travels throughout the region and spends a lot of time in Florida working with Stretch Altenhein.
Ed is a certified instructor with Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). He’s logged more than 5,000 dives in waters throughout the northeast, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Florida. Ed teaches all classes in the GUE Recreational curriculum and Fundamentals, Doubles, Drysuit and Dive Propulsion Vehicle 1. He is a PADI Master Instructor and Emergency First Response instructor.
Ed is a Public Safety Diving industry leader in southern New England. He’s trained and supported more than 50 police and fire department dive teams and continues to work with many agencies.
For a business focus, Ed has quite a bit of experience and investment in the outdoor adventure market. Ed is a founder and an owner of Brownstone Park in Portland, Connecticut. He is also an owner and investor in Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort in Middlefield.
In addition, from 2007 to 2017, Ed owned and operated Scuba Shack in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, which became the premier dive shop in the region.