Capt. Michael R. Ange, Ph.D.
A Different Approach to Dive Instruction
Choosing a dive instructor is one of the most consequential decisions a new diver makes — not just for the safety of their initial course but for the foundation skills that will determine their comfort and capability underwater for the rest of their diving life.
Dive instruction varies widely in depth, rigor, and philosophy. Capt. Ange teaches to a comprehensive foundational model — one that develops genuine water competency and independent risk assessment skills rather than minimum certification requirements. Every student who trains with Mike leaves the water genuinely capable, not merely certified.
Every student who trains with Mike is taught as an adventurer — someone capable of independent risk assessment and decision-making in the water, not someone dependent on a divemaster holding their hand from a charter boat. That approach produces divers who stay in the sport because they are genuinely competent and comfortable underwater.
Credentials & Teaching Background
Capt. Ange holds 160+ international teaching certifications at instructor, master instructor, and instructor trainer levels across multiple certifying agencies — actively teaching through SDI, TDI, and ERDI. He has served as faculty at multiple colleges and universities including Texas A&M University where he was head of the Aquanautics Department and Diving Safety Officer for all scientific diving programs, a dual appointment carrying state safety officer authority.
He has written the training standards that became the basis for global certifications in recreational, technical, and public safety diving, served on training and safety boards for five international agencies, and founded Emergency Response Diving International — the world’s largest public safety diver training agency.
Notable operational & teaching programs include:
- DIver, Blender and Diving Safety Officer for NOAA permit project dives to the USS Monitor Historic Site in 230 fsw off Cape Hatteras, NC
- Technical clearance and explosive ordnance recovery dive team leader for the sinking of the USNS Vandenberg off in 140 fsw just off Key West, Florida — the second largest artificial reef ever sunk
- Regional instructor trainer qualification programs in Europe and Asia for SSI, TDI, SDI, and ERDI
- Project Faculty, Underwater and Hyperbaric Medical Society — teaching faculty for the physician qualifying seminar on recreational, technical, and public safety diving medicine and diver fitness standards
- Visiting Faculty, Scientist in the Sea Program — joint US Navy and Florida State University scientific diving program
Current Instruction
In semi-retirement Capt. Ange offers a limited schedule of private and small group instruction across recreational, technical, and public safety diving disciplines through SDI, TDI, and ERDI. All programs are custom scheduled — no set class dates, no large groups, no shortcuts.
For course information, scheduling, and current availability visit SEAduction.com — his dedicated dive instruction and travel site.
Courses Offered
Recreational: Open Water through Divemaster, including specialty courses in nitrox, wreck, deep, dry suit, cavern, night/limited visibility, search and recovery, underwater photography and videography, and more.
Technical: Advanced Nitrox, Extended Range, Decompression Procedures, Normoxic and Full Trimix, Technical Wreck, Semi-Closed and Closed Circuit Rebreather, and related specialty and professional programs.
Public Safety: Emergency Response Diver levels 1 & 2, Public Safety Diver, Hazmat Diver, Heavy Recovery, Surface Tender, Hazmat Surface Tender, Tactical Diver levels 1–3 law enforcement only, and instructor programs at all levels.
COMING SOON – A complete certification resume is available here.
Instruction inquiries: SEAduction.com
All other professional inquiries: EMAIL MIKE