MEET THE COCONUT TREE DIVE CREW
GAYNOR POOK, OWNER – ENGLAND
Started April 2002 After traveling the world for many years searching for the right place to call home, Gay finally found her little piece of paradise on Roatan. In 1996 she learned to dive on Roatan’s reef and in 2001 became one of the shareholders of Coconut Tree Divers.
Gay handles customer service in the main office. Gay is always good for a delicious cup of tea and a solid laugh. As one of the founding directors of the Roatan Marine Park, handling her kids social life, dealing with the shop boys and girls and keeping fresh on the latest Roatan gossip
MONTY GRAHAM, OWNER/MECHANICAL ENGINEER – CANADA
Started March 2007:
Monty’s diving career began in 2001 when he was trained as a deep sea/commercial diver in Seattle, Washington. Since buying into the dive shop business his attention is mostly focused on being the full time mechanic in the dive centre. Monty’s passion is still to teach TEC diving. He is the Technical Deep and Trimix Instructor, one of only two on Roatan.
Monty handles - Compressor mechanic, regulator, BCD and tank repair technician, in charge of ordering all dive gear service kits, in charge of all boat repair ordering, is a full time boat mechanic, has a Captain license and drives the boats when needed, teaches diving for TDI, divemasters when needed, builds and maintains all the websites, carpenter, gardener, fills rebreather tanks on the booster pump, in charge of all social media, as the meterologist at the shop, and a full time dad to Jasmine and husband to the famous Alexandra Harper Graham
IDC STAFF INSTRUCTOR TDI / SDI ADVANCED TRIMIX INSTRUCTOR
WILL WELBOURN, COURSE DIRECTOR– ENGLAND
Started 2004: Roatan’s longest serving Course Director Will Welbourn started diving in 1989. Will explored the waters of Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Crete, Sri Lanka, Bocas del Toro, and the Corn Islands. Tired of his job as an accountant, he left sunny England in 2003 and completed his PADI Divemaster and Open Water Scuba Instructor certifications in Roatan.
Will serves as a Coconut Tree Diver’s PADI Course Director, PADI/DSAT Tec Deep and Trimix Instructor Trainer, and Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer. He is currently a PADI Instructor Trainer in the following specialties: Deep, Night, Wreck, Enriched Air Nitrox, Digital Underwater Photography, Emergency O2 Provider, Boat, Drift, Naturalist, Underwater Navigation, Search and Recovery, Equipment, and Gas Blender.
Will is married to Loren, owner of the restaurant Oasis that offers delicious fine dining in West End. They have a beautiful daughter Andi and when he’s not teaching or spending time with his family Will loves a bit of English Chelsea football.
RILEY ESSENBURG, SHOP MANAGER/MASTER SCUBA DIVER TRAINER – USA
Started 2020: Riley was born in Michigan and has acquired 1000’s of dives in cold water lakes, yet for reasons beyond our comprehension, you will still see him shiver after every dive even in 84 degree Caribbean waters. Riley knows how to take advantage of the world of macro. He has such a keen eye and is currently the Coconut Tree Divers king of finding teeny tiny things on our beautiful reef. Do not worry if you do not have a built-in macro lens as he will always have a magnifying glass ready to show off his cool finds. His specialty is finding nudibranchs.
Someone else you might like to learn about Riley. He strictly follows the 3 most important rules of scuba diving (officially unofficial) 1. Always look cool underwater 2. Don’t die. 3. Refer back to rule number 1.
juan castro, master scuba diver trainer, honduras
ROLANDO PUERTO DIVEMASTER – ROATAN, HONDURAS
A native Roatan islander, Rolando completed his Divemaster certification at Coconut Tree in 2005 and now leads visiting divers around his favorite dive sites. Rolando loves driving his skiff, drinking vodka, and impressing the ladies by diving headfirst into the reef. When not in the water, he can be found managing the Coconut Tree Resort.