Pete Wagner, DO

NAUI Course Director

DAN Instructor Trainer

SDI/TDI Instructor

HSA Instructor

Carolyn Wagner

NAUI Instructor Trainer

DAN Instructor Trainer

HSA Instructor

NAUI Mermaid Instructor

Jacob Clark

NAUI Instructor

Dan Instructor Trainer

Born and raised in Greenville, Jacob began diving in 2014. A graduate from Carteret Community College with an AAS in Aquaculture Technology and a BS in Marine Biology from ECU, Jacob hopes to pursue graduate school. He is an ARC Lifeguard and loves coral reef and NC wreck diving. Jacob has complted his NAUI Instructor certification.

Kurt Wagner

TDI Instructor

Bio Coming Soon

In Memorium

Robbie Marlow

NAUI Instructor

We remember our dear friend Robbie.

Robbie graduated Charleston Southern University (BS) and The Medical University of South Carolina (BSN). He was employed by Boston Scientific as a Pacemaker sales Representative.
Originally from the Charleston area, he received his first dive Certificate in 1978. Kids and career came along creating a break from diving. Getting re-freshened and with his son certified to dive, Robbie once again had the exploration bug and it was nonstop from there.
Robbie received his SSI Instructor in 2013 and then crossed over as a NAUI Instructor to be dually affiliated in Dec of 2015.
Robbie loved to teach and loved SCUBA so naturally it had to come together!

He is missed by all.

Rest in Peace

John Hill

NAUI Instructor

John has an undergraduate degree from the University of Mount Olive, a masters from Baptist Seminary in Richmond, VA, and a Doctorate from Campbell University. He has been scuba diving for 10 years and  has acheived his SSI Divemaster and NAUI Instructor certifications. John is very active in the Winterville community. He is the recent past president of the Winterville Chamber of Commerce, current President of the Winterville Civitan Club, and a vocal advocate for community development.

Brian Stroud

NAUI Instructor

Born and raised in Kinston, Brian began diving with the Boy Scouts in 1995 getting his PADI Open Water and Advanced Diver shortly thereafter. He spent most summers growing up fishing and diving as much as possible. He had a break in diving while pursuing his education and starting his career. He completed his NAUI Instructor certification and is an active member of our training staff. In 2021 he introduced his wife to diving who instantly fell in love. This allowed them to enjoy diving together.  When not diving, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time with his wife and their many animals. 

Christine Coley

NAUI Instructor

DAN Instructor

HSA Instructor

NAUI Mermaid Instructor

Christine graduated at Montclair State University in 1989 with a BA degree, worked in the Financial Industry for many years and currently owns a Truck and Trailer Repair Business with her husband in North Carolina.
Her desire to become a SCUBA diver began when she received a Marine Life book as a child and saw a Whale Shark for the first time. Happily, in June 2019 with Rum Runner Dive Shop, Christine received her NAUI Open Water certification. She has enjoyed her diving adventure and dive community so much that she pursued and received her NAUI Divemaster and Instructor certifications in 2020, during which time she also became a Volunteer Diver at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island (another childhood dream). She has a love for all marine life, especially sharks and whales.
Christine is looking forward to continuing her diving adventure not only in North Carolina but all around the world.

John Whichard

NAUI Instructor

John began diving in 1987 as a PE elective in college and found a skill set to last a lifetime. An avid diver throughout his college and early career life, he saw a decline in his diving career as he raised three daughters. In early 2008 the diving itch returned and John returned to the Rum Runner family diving and progressing through the certification ranks. Certified as a NAUI Instructor in 2015, he enjoys wreck diving and learning the history of our offshore wrecks.

George Silver, DVM

NAUI Divemaster

Originally certified as PADI open water diver in 2006 in the island nation of Grenada.  George took a 15 year break for family and career and now when not working he enjoys traveling with his favorite dive buddy and best friend also know as his wife Ava. They have two lovely children who also have the scuba bug. "I have been accused of never knowing a stranger and enjoy teaching anything in the water". George has completed over 500 open water dives in over a dozen countries since joining Rum Runner and is a TDI Tech Diver.

Favorite Dive: The Canyons, Roatan Honduras
Least favorite Drive: Kicker Rock, Galapagos Islands

Randy Mintz,

NAUI Instructor

Randy's diving journey began in West Texas in 2007 with PADI and has since expanded to include certifications from NAUI, GUE, and TDI. His 20+ years of experience as a Certified Emergency Registered Nurse shape his teaching philosophy, which is rooted in compassion and patience.
As a NAUI Instructor, Randy emphasizes safety and teamwork in all aspects of training. He believes that with dedication and perseverance, anyone can achieve their diving goals and experience the wonders of the underwater world. Randy is particularly dedicated to helping
students overcome challenges and successfully complete their scuba training. Outside of diving, Randy is an avid underwater photographer who captures the beauty and diversity of marine life. He enjoys sharing his photographs to inspire others to appreciate and protect the underwater environment. His extensive diving experience spans destinations such as
Bonaire, Cozumel, North Carolina, South Florida and the Keys, as well as the springs and caves of North Florida. Randy is eager to share his passion and expertise with aspiring divers.

John Petkovich

NAUI Instructor

HSA Instructor

SDI Instructor

John is a native of Pennsylvania that moved to Greenville in 2019. He is an Army veteran and retiree of over 26 years. He began as a certified PADI Open Water diver in 1998 in Tacoma, Washington. John continued to increase his diving knowledge until completing the PADI Advanced Diver Certification in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Since then, he has polished his skills in diving with the Rum Runner Family.

Phillip Dunbar

NAUI Instructor

HSA Instructor

SDI Instructor

Hey my name is Phillip Dunbar.  I fell in love with scuba in Florida at Crystal Springs around the age of twelve on a snorkeling trip.
        I was certified by NAUI as a open water diver in the summer of 2000 at the age of eighteen.
       I continued my education in 2019 taking dry suit course, nitrox, sidemount and cavern/intro to caves.  I did black water river dives year round picking up trash thrown from the bridges.
        In 2020 I furthered my education with TDI's Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures course.   I then finished my full cave course diving the jungle cenotes of the Yucatán and the Florida caves.  
        I then completed my Dive master in 2022 and NAUI Instructor in 2025. I have been diving 22 years having around 250 to 300 dives in caves, quarries, offshore/inshore , reef and wrecks. 

Lindsay Wentzel

NAUI Instructor

DAN Instructor

Lindsay has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Fisheries Conservation and a master’s degree from ECU’s Program in Maritime Studies. She currently works for the Coastal Studies Institute in the Outer Banks as a research technician (Oceanography and Marine Energy lab) and AAUS scientific diver. Lindsay began diving in 2011 and most recently became a NAUI Instructor. Over the past few years, she has enjoyed transitioning into dive leadership as well as technical diving as a Decompression Diver and Cave Diver. Lindsay loves any opportunity to get in the water, as well as any opportunity to share dive stories: from shallow deployments of wave energy converters to deep excavations of Bronze Age shipwrecks.

Stephanie Stroud

NAUI Divemaster

Growing up, Stephanie’s family would often go to Sunset Beach, SC. She always loved the water, often going deep sea fishing or enjoying the ocean on her grandfathers boat. Her husband Brian introduced her to diving in 2021 as an anniversary present and she has been diving as much as possible since. Quickly taking many classes including Advanced, Nitrox, Master Diver and now Divemaster. She also helps with our marketing and social media. When not diving she enjoys volunteering at the animal shelter, reading and spending time with her dogs, cats and chickens. 

Skip Graham

NAUI Divemaster

Photo and Bio coming soon

Cory van Hees

SDI Divemaster

Cory was born and raised in Minnesota. His parents became scuba divers during college, and their love for diving influenced their sons from a young age. Cory and his older brother earned their NAUI Open Water certifications in 2009 when he was 13 years old. Early in his diving career, most of his experience came from lake diving in Minnesota, with notable family dive trips to Panama City Beach, Florida, and Cancún, Mexico. After high school, Cory became the first and only member of his family to pursue additional diving certifications. In 2015, he earned his PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification. During the summer of 2017, he lived and worked aboard the tall ships Appledore IV and Appledore V, crossing four of the five Great Lakes and sailing up the St. Lawrence River. In 2018, Cory participated in a Maritime Archaeology Field School in Door County, Wisconsin, with the Wisconsin Historical Society, an experience that solidified his decision to pursue a career in maritime archaeology. In 2019, he graduated with a BA in Anthropology and later worked as a Cultural Resource Management archaeologist across the Midwest. In 2023, Cory began attending East Carolina University as a graduate student in the Maritime Studies Program. During his time at ECU, he has continued earning certifications, including AAUS Scientific Diver, SDI Rescue Diver, and SDI Divemaster. He has worked on a variety of maritime archaeological projects, including conservation work at North Carolina’s Office of State Archaeology Conservation Lab (formerly the Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Lab), investigations at colonial sites in North Carolina such as Edenton and Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson, documentation of WWI Emergency Fleet vessels in Mallows Bay, Maryland, and thesis research focused on the amphibious landing zone of Saipan’s WWII battlefield in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. When he is not diving, Cory enjoys spending time with friends and family, visiting his brother in Norfolk, Virginia, exploring historic sites, spending time outdoors, surfing, relaxing at the beach, and playing video games.

Bob Pender

Name: Scuba Bob, RN
Title: Dive Master | Registered Nurse
Callsign: Aqua Jedi
Homeworld: Earth (Sector: Oceanus-9)
Affiliations: Rebel MedCorps | Subaquatic Recon Guild

Forged in the healing halls of MedCorps and trained in the deep waters of the Outer Riffs, Aqua Jedi has served the galaxy for over 16 rotations (years) as a frontline nurse and certified Dive Master. Whether stabilizing vitals in the chaos of field hospitals or leading subaqueous missions into coral caverns, they bring balance to both body and breath.

As a guardian of life above and below the surface, this dual-class Force-sensitive excels at emergency response, underwater navigation, and aquatic creature diplomacy. Known for unshakable calm in the eye of any maelstrom, they carry a medkit in one hand and a dive computer in the other—ready to rescue, revive, and explore uncharted depths.

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Specializations:
    •    Advanced First Aid & Trauma Protocols
    •    Deep-Dive Rescue Operations
    •    Marine Ecosystem Stewardship
    •    Jedi Mind-Calm (aka pre-dive anxiety management)

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Philosophy:
“The Force flows through all living things—especially those with gills or a heartbeat.”

James Bartholomew

DAN Instructor

James was born and raised in N.C. He begin his diving career with PADI in 1997 and is currently a Master Diver. 
James is retired from the Army and has a background in Law enforcement and emergency medical services. He is a first aid and CPR instructor for DAN, PADI EFR, American Heart Association, and Redcross
James enjoys keeping busy outdoors as well as diving with his family.

Greyson Graham

NAUI Divemaster

Photo and Bio coming soon

Terry Papavasilis

PADI Instructor

DAN Instructor

Terry Papavasilis, a PADI Development Staff Instructor (IDC) who has certified over 350 students. and PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Biology, Biochemistry, and Chemistry at East Carolina University. With a concentration in Biology, and research focused on marine biology and conservation. She is also a DAN first aid Instructor. She is currently working on her NAUI crossover