Meet the Bubbles or Not Team
Bob Bennett: The Heart Behind Bubbles or Not
The key to a great company is great people—and Bubbles or Not founder Bob Bennett understood that better than anyone. He believed that training exceptional divers started with exceptional instructors. For Bob, credentials and certifications were only the beginning. He looked for instructors who were humble, passionate, and genuinely invested in their students’ growth and success. He built a team of lifelong learners—divers who constantly strive to improve and share their knowledge. Today, the Bubbles or Not team continues Bob’s legacy: a family of divers dedicated to introducing others to the joy, adventure, and wonder of SCUBA.
Robert T. Bennett
Founder
Bob Bennett retired from the U.S. Army and then worked for the Department of Defense. He began diving in 1989 and his experience ranged from open water wreck diving in the Northeast to cave diving in Central Florida. Bob’s primary interest was technical diving, always pushing himself to learn and experience more. During his 25 years of diver training, Bob trained over 500 students from open water through Trimix. We love and miss you Bob.
Rose M. Bennett
Owner, PADI Assistant Instructor – Augusta, GA
Rose retired from the Department of the Army after 24 years of service to manage the daily operations of the dive shop. She began diving in Hawaii with Bob over 20 years ago. Recently, Rose obtained her PADI Dive Master professional certification, a promise she had made to Bob many years ago. Like her late husband, Rose embraces the vision of educating the next generation of divers and instructors. With the support of her team, Rose continues to build a family-oriented dive shop focused on introducing people to the joys and wonders of SCUBA.
Lance Bennett
PADI Open Water Instructor – Miami, FL
Lance is currently a valued member of Air and Marine Operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Miami, FL. He brings eight years of active-duty service in the U.S. Army to his civilian career. Lance began his diving journey in 2009, earning his PADI Junior Open Water Diver certification in Hawaii. He has since advanced his skills and achieved his Open Water Scuba Instructor certification in 2025. With experience in dive shop retail, rental, and charter operations, Lance enjoys exploring the warm waters of the Florida Keys and seeks to enhance his diving expertise through ongoing training opportunities.
Rocio Bennett
Social Media Liaison –Miami, FL
Rocio is an Army veteran and current employee of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with over a decade of federal service. In addition to her professional background, she brings a wealth of retail and customer service experience and currently leads marketing efforts for the dive center. Rocio discovered her passion for scuba diving in 2018 and is now on track to earn her Divemaster certification, with plans to become a certified Instructor. She brings discipline, creativity, and a customer-focused approach to every aspect of the dive center, both above and below the surface.
Butch Lasseter
General Manager, Technician Specialist – Augusta, GA
Butch has been diving for over 25 years and is also a PADI Dive Master. He has been a technical cave diver since 2006 and is trimix certified. Butch enjoys riding his bike and most outdoor activities. He also likes cooking and smoking or grilling meats.
Ryan Burditt
Retail Sales – Augusta, GA
Ryan Burditt was first introduced to SCUBA in 2007 when he pursued his Open Water certification as his high school senior project. Fast-forward to today, he holds his Advanced Open Water certification and plans to become an Open Water Instructor. With a background in human resources, Ryan has a passion for fostering relationships and helping people reach their full potential through training and development. When Ryan isn’t underwater, you can find him floating on top of it in his kayak with his wife Jennifer and their fur babies.
James Currence
PADI Master Instructor – Augusta GA
James is Bubbles or Not’s senior lead instructor and a retired Army Master Sergeant of 22 years. He served seven years with the Pooler Fire Department as Engine company Lieutenant and Advanced EMT. James began his professional diving career in 2019 in Savannah Ga. He and his family all love diving. With a history of being an instructor in the Army and fire department, James loves to teach and share his passion for diving. His Favorite class to teach is Rescue and Full-Face mask. He is also an Optima2 rebreather diver. Along with his many skills, he is also one of our service tech, Cylinder Inspectors and our resident Ocean Reef FFM Service tech.
Malissa Howell
PADI IDC Staff Instructor – Remote
Malissa has been a commercial truck driver since 2012, traveling all over the United States. In her spare time, she loves to go on cruises; where she took part in her first Discover Scuba Diving in January 2023 and fell in love. She became obsessed with scuba diving, obtaining many specialty certifications, leading her to want to share her passion with others. In late 2023, she officially became an Open Water Instructor through the Bubbles-or-Not instructor program. Malissa continues to work as a cross-country trucker, which provides her the unique opportunity to train divers from coast to coast.
Brandon McCarter
PADI IDC Staff Instructor – Germany
Brandon began his diving adventures during his Senior year of college at The Citadel as an elective course. Upon graduation in 2003, he was immediately commissioned in the U.S. Army and temporarily put diving on hold. While stationed in Germany in 2014, Brandon reconnected with diving, achieving his Advanced Open Water certification while on a trip in Greece. In 2019, he was stationed in Bangkok, Thailand, where his passion for the sport further grew and he transitioned to a technical diver and PADI Professional. From 2019 to 2022, Brandon received multiple dive credentials from several accredited agencies, culminating as a Closed-Circuit Rebreather (CCR) Trimix Diver. He currently serves on active duty at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island and is working towards becoming a technical dive instructor.
Mark Fairbrass
PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer – Augusta, GA
Mark has been scuba diving since he was a small child in England. He initially trained with BSAC but switched to the PADI system once he moved to the US. Mark is a college professor specializing in teaching Marine Biology. He spends much of his time working with Coast Guard Academy scholars working towards a degree in Marine and Environmental Science. As part of his college activities, he works on projects designed to monitor the marine fish populations off the coast of Georgia and Florida. He is currently working with the National Marine Fisheries Service to tag sharks off the GA coast. These tags allow shark migration patterns to be tracked and population sizes to be estimated.
Joe Williams
PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer – Brunswick, GA
Joe began his diving career in 1996 while stationed in Turkey and has enjoyed many years of recreational diving around the world. Joe retired from a 30 year military/federal career in 2021, spending most of that time in the acquisition/contracting career field. He became a Master SCUBA Diver and Divemaster in 2022 before his OWSI certification in 2023. Joe lives in Brunswick, Georgia, where he enjoys retired life and working part time as a contracting subject matter expert for a federal contractor. He looks forward to spending his time as a dive professional.
Zach Bevill
PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer – Savannah, GA
Zach has been diving since 2019 with over 800 dives in various conditions. His primary diving experience is in the waters off Okinawa, Japan, with a few dives completed in South Australia. He considers himself a shark aficionado. Shortly after receiving his open water certification, he bought a shark fin from Amazon and attached it to his tank as a practical joke. It has garnered a lot of smiles but also dirty looks. Those who know him call him Bevill Shark now.
Kim Gartner
PADI Open Water Instructor – Hilton Head, SC
Kim first connected with Rose three years ago over the phone while searching for a new dive shop to purchase gear. Their instant connection quickly turned into a strong friendship. After visiting Bubbles-or-Not in person, Kim began training through the shop and ultimately earned her PADI Instructor certification. She and Rose often travel together, sharing a passion for diving, exploration, and building a lifelong friendship.
Sonny Baki
PADI Assistant Instructor – Belize
Sonny is an SDI Instructor and PADI Assistant Instructor from Caye Caulker, Belize. He frequently visits the United States to expand his knowledge of the scuba diving industry from a different perspective. Having known Rose and Bubbles-or-Not for several years, Sonny proudly considers the shop his home away from home.
Eric Kinzel
PADI Divemaster – Augusta, GA
Eric began diving in high school in 1989. He dove on and off throughout the years but didn’t get serious until his teenage son, Julian, got the scuba bug during a Discover Scuba Diving class in Jamaica. Eric and Julian worked side by side, earning their Dive Master certification together during a month-long stint in the Grand Caymans. Eric has a passion for working with first time divers. He loves introducing people to scuba through the Discover Scuba Diving program or by assisting with Open Water and Advanced classes.
Bianca Shaw
PADI Divemaster – Augusta, GA
Bianca was born and raised in Southern California. Essentially growing up on a beach, the ocean has always been part of her life. After serving in the U.S. Airforce, she settled in Georgia where she lives with her husband and their three children. Bianca was led to become a Divemaster by Bob Bennett, and she is passionate about helping others in their scuba diving journey.
Rhonda McMullen
Community Event Liaison – Augusta, GA
Rhonda is a Special Education Teacher pursuing her Master of Education and works with elementary-aged students. She is also the Public Affairs Officer for the US Sea Cadet Corps, a local youth group that provides leadership training and opportunities to young people in the community. Rhonda entered the dive community as the parent of two avid divers, her teenage twin sons. After two years on the shore, watching her boys experience the joys of diving and many conversations with the late Bob Bennett, Rhonda finally took the plunge. Her dive experience has been amazing and is one that she is excited to share with others. Rhonda began her training in early 2022 and is currently an Open Water diver. She has plans to pursue her Advanced Open Water certification this year.
Connie Chu
Service Technician – Augusta, GA
We are pleased to welcome Connie to the BoN Service Technician Team, bringing her expertise as an Operations Supervisor from Vogtle. Her aspiration is to specialize in scuba equipment maintenance and repair, prioritizing diver safety and enjoyment. Connie’s scuba diving journey began with Bubbles-or-Not in 2018, fostering a deep passion for the underwater world. Through dedication and enthusiasm, she has achieved rescue diver status.