Meet the Houston Scuba Academy Staff

Marjorie Young started her diving adventure at Houston Scuba Academy in 1985 fresh out of college. Marjorie fell in love with the sport and became a Dive Control Specialist in 1987 and received her instructor's certification in 1990. She has worked part time at Houston Scuba Academy since 1987 and became President in 2002.

She received her certified Handicap Scuba Association instructor license in 1996 and enjoys working with physically challenged students. She is also a certified instructor for the Scuba Ranger program and is continuing to develop an enriched Scuba Ranger program with Bill Bailey.

Marjorie has a wide range of diving experiences and even made the leap into technical diving and cold water diving. Next time you see her ask her about the Wreck of the Princess Sophia in Alaska, the 205 foot dive in Forty Fathom Grotto or the snorkel with 30 adult dolphins, 4 baby dolphins and 5 human kids.

Fred Schwegmann began his diving with Houston Scuba Academy in 1986 after a snorkeling trip to Cozumel with some of his buddies. After getting certified and spending almost all of his free time either playing volleyball or diving, he became a Dive Control Specialist in 1990 and an Instructor in 1992. He began working off and on as a part time DC and Instructor and trip leader for Houston Scuba. Marjorie finally convinced him to join HSA full time in 2003 as Sales Manager.
Fred has been diving in many nooks and crannies around the world. His adventures have taken him from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean islands to the Pacific coasts of Mexico and Central and South America and numerous islands in the Mid- and South Pacific. He’s always looking forward to finding that new, out of the way place that will become his next ‘best adventure’.

Chuck Koziol became an instructor in 2000. He has been diving for over 12 years and has experience diving the South Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Caribbean. Chuck is also our certified repair technician. Combine all this experience with Chuck's enthusiasm for diving and you have a great trip leader.

Jeremy Bockhorst got his start in diving when he was looking for an easy `A´. While he was a student at the University of Louisville, he certified for a PE credit. (In fact, he liked it so much he took the class twice!) After graduation, he took a couple of years off to serve in the military. After rejoining the civilian world, he remembered his checkouts in 55° water and headed to the Florida Keys. During the time he called Florida home, Jeremy received his instructor certifications with a number of agencies and logged most of his time working day trips in and around the Keys. In 2007, Jeremy pulled up stakes once again and moved to Houston where he joined the HSA staff. His diving experiences have become more varied and exotic. He´s been to numerous sites in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, Cozumel, Belize and South Africa. (Ask him about the tiger shark dive in South Africa!) And next on his list...who knows?

Gary Swearingen has been diving since 1982. He has been an instructor with Houston Scuba Academy since 1986. He owned and lived on the Turks and Caicos Aggressor for a year working as a video instructor. He has taught over 2,000 students and over 6,000 dives. According to his students he is incrediably fun and very patient.

Stephen and Patty Harrell had and continue to have individual hobbies, but finally found something they both enjoyed when they started diving together in 1992. Their first trip was to the Philippines and they shall return to the South Pacific every few years.

After their initial experiences, they continued to dive and, finding no other hobbies in common, continued dive training, becoming instructors in 1995. Since then, they have trained and certified many students and continue active in spite of Patty’s advanced age (over 30) and Stephen’s warped sense of humor (he’s certifiable).

Stephen and Patty’s dive experiences include the Red Sea, the South Pacific, various Caribbean locations including Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico. They appreciate warm waters and tropical locations. Their favorite dive location is Cozumel, where gentle drift diving, the year-round pleasant weather, close proximity to Houston, the spectacular underwater scenery, and the congenial local folks all contribute to an ‘all-around’ great experience