Meet the Aquaventure Scuba & Travel Staff
Aquaventure Scuba & Travel is a family-owned full-service PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Center (IDC) specializing in scuba instruction, dive travel and underwater photography.
Our full-service photo department provides instruction and equipment consultation, and our retail center offers one of the largest selections of scuba gear and equipment services in the Midwest.
Aquaventure’s travel department hosts 10 to 14 feature trips per year to various exotic destinations. Owners Steve and Jolene Philbrook are hands-on leaders who have built a team dedicated to providing personalized service to new and seasoned divers.
Steve Philbrook
Owner, Instructor
Steve owns Aquaventure Scuba & Travel and oversees day-to-day operations. Steve has experience working in the underwater photo industry from shooting professionally, testing, repairing, and distributing for various manufacturers, including INON America, Fisheye/FIX, and Watershot Inc. Steve's images have been published in various publications and advertisements. Steve has also done underwater video work for ABC, NBC, Discovery Channel, New Century Pictures, and Sealife Aquarium.
Steve enjoys recreational diving now and in the past was a technical instructor and certified in various models of rebreathers. He is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, an SDI Instructor Trainer, and an IANTD & TDI Instructor Trainer. Steve’s passion for the underwater world is contagious, and he enjoys inspiring others to dream big and seek adventure!
Dive Gear: Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD, Scubapro MK25/S620 Titanium regulator, Shearwater Teric computer, Shearwater Teric computer, DUI TLS350 Drysuit.
Photo Gear: Canon 5D MKIV, Nauticam NA-5DMKIV housing, INON strobes, INON and Kraken video lights.
Jolene Philbrook
Owner, Instructor
Steve’s wife, Jolene, co-owns and manages Aquaventure Scuba & Travel. She is passionate about diving and people! She loves guiding others into new adventures, full living, and seeking their full potential.
She coordinates the many travel adventures Aquaventure offers. Jolene is an underwater photography enthusiast and certified as a PADI and SDI Instructor. She previously managed INON America, an underwater photo equipment distribution company.
Jolene also has 14 years of corporate experience in the technology field and in management at a Fortune 100 company. She keeps the back office running smoothly at Aquaventure!
Dive Gear: ScubaPro Hydros Pro BCD, Scubapro MK25 EVO/A700 Black Tec Regulator, Shearwater Tern Computer.
Photo Gear: Canon 70D, Nauticam NA-70D housing, INON strobes, and Kraken video lights.
Brittany Morrison
Brittany started diving in 2014 when she took her high school dive trip to Roatan, Honduras. She caught the bug from that moment and continued planning dive trips every summer to the Cayman Islands with her uncle and chaperoning other high school trips where students were learning to dive.
Brittany started her PADI Divemaster in the spring of 2021 and was soon hired by Aquaventure. Before, Brittany taught preschool, and on the side, she coaches competitive volleyball at the high school level.
Brittany’s favorite place to dive to date has been Bonaire, where she saw her first Manta Ray cruising in the shallows. Brittany loves to travel to tropical destinations and aspires to be an instructor soon!
Dive Gear: Aqualung Lotus BCD, Apeks MTX-RC 50TH Anniversary Regulator, Garmin Dive Computer.
Jace Philbrook
Jace can be seen with his big smile working the sales floor at Aquaventure. He is our tank fill station specialist. Jace loves all kinds of diving, from Lake Ore-be-gone to the Bahamas to Palau!
He loves all marine life, especially sharks, mantas, and nudibranchs! Jace is working to become a PADI Divemaster and eventually an Instructor.
Dive Gear: Aqualung Dimmension BCD, Scubapro MK25 EVO/S620 60th Anniversary Regulator, Scubapro Luna 2.0 Computer.
Melissa Schrock
Melissa started diving in 2001 when she moved to Florida to study Marine Biology at the University of West Florida. Originally, she got certified at a NAUI dive shop near the Navy base in Pensacola to do marine biology research in the Wakatobi National Marine Park and Dry Tortugas. While in school, and participated in the SCUBA Club at her University.
While in the panhandle of Florida, Melissa dove many wrecks sunk between Pensacola, Florida and Gulf Shores, Alabama, including battleships, tug boats, fighter jets, and aircraft carriers. Her favorite dive location is Operation Wallacea, a British-run marine biology research station in Southeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Over the years, Melissa has researched fish physiology on the Common Mudskipper, Sand Flat Goby, Atlantic Stingray, Blue-Spotted Ribbontail Ray, Red Snapper, and many many species of juvenile bony fish.
After diving for ten years in various places worldwide, Melissa pursued her PADI Divemaster certification. She continued her certifications until she obtained her Divemaster in 2012.
Melissa was amazed that no matter how much diving you have done as an individual, you realize how much you don’t know when you move on to get your Divemaster certification! Melissa would encourage anyone to get their Divemaster certification; whether you desire to work as a dive professional or are looking to increase your knowledge base and safety, you will find the Divemaster program extremely rewarding, challenging, and fun!
Heather Madden
Heather is a semi-retired nurse who also works part-time at the shop. She became a PADI Instructor in 2021 and enjoys teaching scuba classes.
Heather enjoys traveling the world with her husband and scuba diving in amazing destinations. Her favorite to date is the Galapagos Islands.
Heather dives Aqualung and Scubapro gear.
Dave Sederberg
Dave is one of our master equipment service technicians here at Aquaventure. He enjoys diving all over the world, and he is an avid recreational, technical, and rebreather diver.
Dive Gear: Aqualung Zuma, Apeks XTX200 Tungsten, Shearwater Teric, DUI CLX450 Drysuit, Revo rebreather.
Ben Moore
Ben "Captain America" Moore is one of our equipment service technicians and a photography expert at Aquaventure. His passion is macro photography.
Ben can be seen lying in the muck, playing with all sorts of little creatures! He enjoys all kinds of diving, recreational and technical.
Dive Gear: Aqualung Zuma, Apeks XTX200 Tungsten, Suunto Cobra 3, DUI CLX450 Drysuit.
Photo Gear: Canon 70D, Nauticam NA-70D housing, INON Z-240 strobes, INON S-2000 Strobe, Tokina 10-17mm, Canon 60mm, INON UCL-165M67, INON UCL-330 close-up lenses.
Erik Payeur
Erik is Aquaventure’s PADI Course Director and Training Director. He has been fascinated with the underwater world for as long as he can remember. He enjoys all things related to water—in, on, and especially beneath it! Erik enjoys teaching divers of all levels and abilities. Each level provides a different set of challenges and opportunities.
Sharing this unique world with new divers is more than a passion—it is a transformation. Once salt water enters someone's veins, it will remain there forever.
His favorite part of diving is traveling to new locations, experiencing different cultures, and meeting new and exciting people. If you want to have fun traveling the world and diving in new places, join him on one of Aquaventure's group trips!
Dive Gear: Aqualung Rogue BCD, Apeks XTX200 Regulator, Garmin Descent MK3i Computer, Aqualung Aquaflex Wetsuits
Melanie Payeur
After getting certified, Melanie became immediately passionate about the sport and quickly pursued her Divemaster certification through Aquaventure. She is now a PADI Staff Instructor.
She has a passion for travel and adventure, as well as teaching. She is a full-time fitness instructor and certified personal trainer outside of diving and loves all types of movement. She enjoys teaching all levels and is passionate about helping people get underwater for the first time.
Melanie also leads Aquaventure group trips with her husband, Erik, so feel free to reach out with any questions you have!
Hannu Koho
Hannu caught the scuba diving bug in 2018 in Hawaii and is now making up for lost time. He became an instructor in 2021 and is now a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer.
He loves, loves, loves to introduce people to this fabulous sport! If you’re willing to listen, Hannu will talk about scuba all day! His favorite dive destinations—after Square Lake, of course—are Bonaire and Roatan.
Favorite piece of gear: Shearwater Teric – the greatest thing since sliced bread!
Brett Gerdes
Brett is an Instructor at Aquaventure and works in the engineering department for Firestone.
In 1998, he joined the NAVY and was encouraged to take a Discover Scuba while stationed in Pearl Harbor, HI.
Originally, he had no desire to go in or near the ocean, but his thoughts quickly changed, and for the next three years, he dove all around the island of Oahu. His favorite dive was "Three Tables." It consists of three lava formations that a diver walks on while trying to avoid the sea urchins.
In 2008, he took a trip to Cozumel with Mike Daust, and soon after, he became a Divemaster. He enjoys diving with his wife and video editing in his spare time.
Adam Payeur
Adam is an Instructor with Aquaventure. He has been diving since 2004 when he convinced his wife to get certified with him to fulfill a lifelong goal.
Adam enjoys introducing and teaching new divers to his favorite pastime, as well as helping certified divers gain confidence through diving experiences and specialty training courses.
In his spare time, he enjoys diving in local lakes, the Cuyuna mine pits, and the Great Lakes shipwrecks. His favorite distant dive experiences include Resurrection Bay Alaska, diving with the manta rays in Hawaii, and diving with his wife and three kids anywhere! One day he hopes to dive the Red Sea.
Gear – Aqualung Axiom BCD, Aqualung Legend Regulator, Shearwater Perdix Dive Computer, Fourth Element Argonaut Drysuit, Dive Rite O2PTIMA Rebreather.
Emma DeRoode George
Mike Daust
Mike is an avid diver! He works the sales floor and is a trip leader for Aquaventure. Mike is a PADI MSDT and SDI Scuba Instructor. "I became an instructor because I enjoy introducing people to my passion for scuba diving."
Mike’s favorite local dive is the shipwrecks of Isle Royale. "I can’t get enough of diving in Isle Royal. Every time I dive on a wreck, I see something different. The wrecks are pristine, and the island itself is beautiful to explore."
During the winter months, Mike enjoys spending a week or two diving in an exotic location. He has dove throughout the Caribbean, the kelp forests of California, Truk Lagoon and Palau.
Where will you see him next? In class or the Galapagos Islands!
Noel Skogen
Noel is a business owner and avid outdoor enthusiast. Primary passions besides diving are spending time with family, traveling, camping, hunting elk and other big game animals in western states as well as here in the Midwest. After spending most of his life seeking adventure on land, the water and fascination below it, finally caught up with him on a vacation to Cozumel! He became a PADI instructor in 2021 and loves to teach and share the scuba lifestyle with new and experienced divers.
Noel's favorite dive destinations include wrecks and warm water…preferably wrecks in warm water! But he also enjoys exploring local lakes as well!
Gear; Garmin MK2i, Shearwater Perdix computer, Aqualung BCDs, Regs and wetsuits.
Sherwin Vischer
Sherwin is a Scuba Instructor with Aquaventure. He, along with his son, got certified in 2019 after being mesmerized by the underwater sights during a Snuba activity that same year
"I originally planned just to get Open Water certified, but the exuberance exuded by every instructor I trained under at Aquaventure was so infectious I couldn’t help but want to pass that on to others in a professional capacity!"
Sherwin’s dives have been mostly lake dives, but he has thoroughly enjoyed some drift diving in Florida, deep diving in Saint Lucia, and wreck diving in Grand Cayman.
Equipment: Garmin MK3i, Scubapro Hyrdos Pro, DUI Yukon II Drysuit, Apex RK3 fins.
Mark Manthey
Mark got certified in 2003 and is an avid local diver. In 2013, "He became an SDI Technical Certified Diver in 2016 and also is an SDI & PADI Divemaster", wanting to share his love for diving, help divers learn about local dive sites, and help new divers grow in the sport.
His passion is diving and exploring shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, off the shores of Florida and in Hawaii. Mark is very knowledgeable about the history of shipwrecks.
His favorite local dive spot is Lake Wazee in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, which is a diverse dive spot for beginners and has depths for technical divers. He became a Technical Certified Diver in 2016.
Summer weekends are for camping, diving and leading fun dives with Sally.
Dive Gear: Dive Rite XT1/XT4 Regulator, Dive Rite Backplate & Trans XT Wing, Scubapro Everflex Drysuit, Shearwater Perdix Computer, Shearwater Teric
Scuba Sally
Scuba Sally became certified in 2016 and has been diving local lakes and pit mines in Wisconsin and Minnesota. In recent years, having a built-in dive buddy with Mark, her diving has expanded to the Great Lakes and oceans, exploring shipwrecks. Sally is an SDI Divemaster and working on becoming Tec-certified to explore deeper shipwrecks.
Sally and Mark spend most summer weekends camping and diving. They have been leading fun dives together and are always happy to share their knowledge, experience and love of local diving.
Dive Gear: Dive Rite XT1/XT4 Regulator, Dive Rite Backplate & Trans XT Wing, Scubapro Everflex Drysuit, Shearwater Perigrine Computer, Shearwater Perdix AI Computer
Aaron Allison
Aaron is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer at Aquaventure. He started scuba diving in Hawaii with a Discover Scuba Diving experience in high school and was certified in Pennsylvania during college. After that, Aaron worked as a helicopter dunker trainer safety diver in the ARMY and has continued diving since.
He enjoys teaching scuba and helping people to discover the fantastic underwater world. Aaron teaches many classes but especially enjoys helping with the PADI Seal Team!
He likes diving everywhere, but his favorite place right now is Bonaire because of the flexible schedule that shore diving provides. When he’s not teaching in the local area, Aaron tries to go on warm water dive trips with his family as often as possible.
Drew Gerling
Drew is a financial consultant, part-time fireman, and PADI Scuba Instructor. He has a passion for local diving and has led trips for Aquaventure to Roatan and Bonaire. He also enjoys tech diving the Great Lakes shipwrecks and lobster hunting in the Florida Keys.
Drew is certified in adaptive scuba instruction, helping handicapped divers make their dreams come true!
You can find Drew in the school systems, informing and teaching elementary kids about the ocean and getting them excited about diving!
Dive gear: Scubapro Hydros Pro BCD, Scubapro MK25 EVO/S620 Titanium Regulator, Shearwater Teric, DUI CLX450 drysuit.
Brad Cross
Brad started diving in 2001 when his daughter, 14, decided she wanted to be a marine biologist. Diving lessons were her Christmas present, and Dad joined in. Since then, Brad has balanced diving and a business career and started a dive club where he works.
With the start of the dive club and group dives, he quickly saw the value of further education and became a Divemaster in 2013. Along with Divemaster work, he is part of the Tootsie Pop divers trip and enjoys the yearly trips for great diving.
Dive Gear: Aqualung Balance, Apeks XTX200, Suunto DCI6 computer.
Steve Makredes
Steve is a PADI instructor for Aquaventure. He enjoys traveling the world with his wife to scuba dive exotic destinations! He enjoys underwater photography and teaching Confined Open Water and Open Water lake classes.
Dive Gear: Aqualung Dimension, Aqualung Le3end regulator, Garmin Descent MKII w/Transmitter, Aqualung i550c computer.
Photo Gear: Sony RX100 series cameras, Nauticam Housing, INON strobes, Kraken video lights.
Jeff O’Rourke
Jeff is a letter carrier with the USPS, but his passion is diving.
He was Open Water certified in 2011. Two years later, he became a Divemaster and is now a PADI Instructor!
"I was originally intimidated by the sport, but the Aquaventure staff made it easy and fun to learn. I’ve enjoyed every class, but the Divemaster course was my favorite."
"I love both cold-water and warm-water diving. I’ve never had a bad dive trip, but if I were to pick a few favorites, it would be shipwreck diving in the Straights of Mackinaw, drift diving in Cozumel and shore diving in Curacao."
Equipment: Suunto Zoop computer; Aqualung Titan LX Regulator; Aqualung Pro LT BCD; DUI TLS 350 Dry Suit.
Camera: Go Pro.
Chris Vanciu
Chris is a Software Developer with a passion for diving. He was born and raised in Michigan, spending considerable time at a friend’s cabin each summer attempting to explore the water snorkeling. He’s been interested in Oceanography since the 5th grade and grew up watching Jacque Cousteau's specials with his dad. At one point, we had talked about learning to dive but had figured we weren’t near an ocean.
Chris brought his family to Minnesota in 1992, where they would camp near various lakes during the summer. During a Florida vacation in 2012, his wife suggested they try diving, so they went on a DSD excursion. After vacation, they promptly started open water certification at Aquaventure. Soon after certification, Chris began to dive into local lakes with Paul and Wright County Diving.
Chris soon obtained his advanced open water certification. Chris loves working with people, enjoys the people in the dive community, and advocates for the sport of diving. Through the encouragement of Erik, Mike, Paul, and the Aquaventure staff, he decided to pursue becoming a DM under Erik's instruction and is now considering becoming an instructor.
"The dive community is one of the most enjoyable communities I have encountered, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. Divers I have met in all places have been friendly, encouraging, and willing to share knowledge, talk about adventures and cool things they have seen…and then out comes the cell phone with the latest pictures!"
"I find diving to be calming, relaxing and exhilarating. You get to live in the moment and see things most people don’t. My only regret is that I didn’t learn to dive earlier in life!"
"I have been and enjoyed diving in many of the local lakes, several of the mine pits near Crosby, Lake Superior, Florida, Dominican Republic and Grand Cayman.. My favorite dive site is any place I happen to be diving!"
Equipment: i550c, AquaLung Titan LX, AquaLung Balance BC, warm wetsuit for Minnesota lakes.