Underwater World is a dive shop located in Horsham, Montgomery County, PA.
Contact Underwater World for more information and assistance
Mike Guckin
Mike is the owner of Underwater World, having taken over the business in 1978. Mike started diving in 1965 and became certified in 1966. As a YMCA Instructor, Mike taught scuba at Penn State in 1968 and in the military from 1969 – 1972. After leaving the military, Mike became a NAUI instructor, as well as, retaining his YMCA Instructor certification. With over 43 years teaching experience, Mike is the senior instructor at Underwater World. Mike is a NAUI Course Director and is the President of the Delaware Valley Scuba Retailers Association. Mike is also an avid pilot with a commercial, multi-engine, instrument and flight instructor rating. Mike is also into bike riding (as you can see from his photo) and along with Bob Miracle did a bike (bicycle) ride from Valley Forge to Orlando in 2007 and from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC a year later. Mike has one son, Jeff, who is also a Divemaster and a pilot, as well as a sergeant in the Pennsylvania National Guard and after a tour in Iraq is now working as a first officer for Continental Connection..
Nancy Fisher
Nancy came to Underwater World in 1989 to work as a bookkeeper and secretary. Today Nancy’s job has evolved into the huge task of keeping all of us in line. As well as handling all the bookkeeping duties, Nancy now handles the processing of all c-cards, maintaining the instructor files, setting course schedules, co-ordinating with our facility partners, handling travel details, and keeping us from spending too much money. As a sounding board, Nancy gives us the female prospective on things. (That means that she makes us keep the bathroom clean.) No, really. As a women and an occassional diver she is a valuable asset to offset those of us who can sometimes be a little too enthusiastic. With her ever-cheery disposition, Nancy also keeps the morale up and profanity down. Nancy is also the Treasurer for our Scuba Club, the Aqua-Nuts. And her organizational skills have been put to the test organizing the Fall Festivals that we had run at the Adventure Aquarium, the dive club picnic, and the Aquanuts annual Holiday party. Nancy has two sons, Ryan & John.
Tim Macrone
Tim has been diving since 1999. Since his first dive he has been hooked. If he isn’t working at Underwater World, you can find him at a SCUBA repair seminar, a SCUBA show, or at Dutch Springs diving. Tim has become a real expert and a great source of information about dive equipment, even equipment that we do not sell. He is an Aqualung Master Technician, and there aren’t very many of them around. His technical knowledge of equipment is unsurpassed by anyone in this region. Tim has just recently completed his NAUI Instructor Training Course and is now one of our staff instructors. Tim has led two trips to Guadalupe to dive with the GREAT WHITE SHARKS. Tim has assisted Ed during a bunch of Bonaire trips and is a real expert on Bonaire. Now as an istructor, he can run the Advanced Scuba Diver Course during the trip, leaving Ed free to soak up the sun, like everybody thinks us trip leaders do all week. Tim also has dove in Jamaica, the Bahamas, North Carolina, and in Playa del Carmen. We hope to see Tim take over my position when I grow up and get a real job, as my parents always hoped I would. With his diving experience and sales expertise, he can answer any questions for you and his suggestions will help you feel more comfortable in the water.
Jeff Guckin
Being the son of Mike, Jeff has been around diving all his life. He has grown up surrounded by some of the most experienced divers around. He has been to Bonaire nineteen times, twelve as a diver, but will unfortunately be oversees with the National Guard during our August 2009 trip. Jeff also was on the 2004 Australia and Papua New Guinea trip where he got to experience diving with the Minke Whales and sharks. Jeff has chosen to begin the leadership courses required to become an NAUI instructor and will be teaching SCUBA courses in the not-too-distant future. Being around the business for so long, Jeff knows how it works and where he can find the answers to help a customer. He will try his hardest to fulfill a customer’s needs and make diving an enjoyable experience for all who are willing to take the plunge. Jeff graduated from Marywood University in Scranton. He was deployed to Iraq during most of 2009 Jeff also holds a commercial pilot license as well as an flight instructor, multi-engine flight instructor, and an instrument flight instructor rating. He is now a First Officer for Continental Connection flying Dash-8s around the Northeast Corridor..
Underwater World Instructors
Jeff started diving in 1972 when he took one of Mike’s Scuba courses at Hatboro YMCA. Jeff later became one of Mike’s assistants and is presently the second most senior instructor at Underwater World. Jeff has been an instructor for about 30 years. (Between Mike, Jeff and Bob, they probably have more teaching experience than the entire staff of any, and possibly all, the other dive stores in the area. Jeff has his own heating and air conditioning business, (J.A Smith Heating and Air Conditioning) and is probably the most organized instructor I have ever worked with. Jeff is a NAUI Course Director and was the regional representative for the YMCA Scuba program. Jeff is also a DAN Instructor and teaches most of our First Aid, CPR, and Oxygen Courses. Jeff is also one of our trip leaders and has done a number of trips to the Pacific. Jeff has two sons and is married to Ada Staal, who, herself, is a Scuba Instructor.
Bob Burns
Bob is also one of our long-time instructors. Bob learned to dive in 1977 and became an instructor in 1983. Bob started his “real” career as a profusionist, someone who runs a heart/lung bypass machine. After spending years in the operating room during heart procedures, Bob moved up the chain to become a clinical consultant dealing with pacemakers and implanted cardiac defibrillators. In his diving career, Bob became the most technical diver on our staff. He has made over 50 dives on the Andrea Doria, which lies at 245 feet. He has also dove the USS Norness, the German sub, the U-869, and the wreckage of the Texas Tower, which was a U.S. Air Force early-warning radar platform out in the Atlantic. His deepest dive is 350 feet, on tri-mix, of course. Bob has also been a U.S. Coast Guard approved boat captain since 1987 and still captains some trips on the Dina Dee off new Jersey. Bob has long taught our classes at the Abington High School. He has two daughters, Jamie (a diver), and Lauren.
Barb Hayden
Barb was a SCUBA diver for about five years before she became an instructor. Now she is one of the best there is. Her students always have great things to say about her as she turns students in to competent divers. Barb also teaches an excellent Advanced Course which has turned over a hundred basic divers into well trained Advanced Divers. Throughout the year Barb almost always has a class at the Ambler YMCA, one of the most popular classes taught. She was recently re-elected president of the AQUANUTS DIVE CLUB with 100% of the vote. Barb really found her adventurous side since finding Underwater World. She is often seen skiing, rollerblading and biking with a number of other Underwater World divers. She is a long-time Purdential employee who does software testing for their IT Department. Barb has a son, Jon, who is also a SCUBA diver.
Ed Guckin
Ed, Mike’s brother, has been an Instructor for about three years but has been diving since 1974. He teaches the Central Bucks South SCUBA Diver Course and the very popular Warrington Swim Club SCUBA Diver Course in July. Ed was also the first of the Underwater World staff to get Rebreather Certified and is currently our only Instructor for the Rebreather Course. Ed has lead our most popular family trip to Bonaire (August) every August for the last three years and is scheduled to go back this year. He is always accompanied by his wife, Lisa, and his two daughters, Kelsea and Olivia, both divers. Ed’s full-time job is testing underground tanks (e.g. gasoline tanks). Ed can also be found working in the store on occasion.
Bob Miracle
What can be said about a person like Bob. Excellent intstructor, great person, and outstanding personality. Bob has a way about him that makes learning fun for his students. He is always willing to answer questions and almost always has a “Bob” story to go along with his answer. Bob can make any situation seem good and will make sure that you have a great time throughout your diving career. He teaches the Pennridge High School SCUBA Diver Course. He also leads a couple of trips a year to the Bahamas and has recently been exploring Thailand with thoughts of running a trip in mind. Bob is also a pilot with his own airplane and a helicopter, as well. Bob and his wife Laura have three daughters and a son as well as a couple of grandchildren. Bob was Mike’s bicycling partner for their infamous bike trip from Valley Forge to Orlando in the Fall of 2007.