JEFF SECKENDORF – CEO, Co-Founder

Jeff learned to dive in 1990 in preparation for assisting with a series of underwater filmmaking workshops in the Caribbean. He went on to dive extensively in the warm waters around the Virgin Islands and the [very] cold waters of upstate New York lakes. After a long career in the film industry, Jeff co-founded Unified Team Diving, a global Scuba training and certification agency and Scuba equipment manufacturer. In 2019 Jeff purchased the training company outright, renamed it UTD Scuba Diving, LLC, and separated it from the equipment company.

Jeff has traveled the world as a diver: Egypt, Spain, Italy, France, Mexico, Dubai, the Caribbean, and domestically in all four corners of the country. He’s been in the caves in Mexico, Florida, and Europe, is trained on the MX-Series of rebreathers, and is a UTD Instructor Trainer.

Jeff has been teaching adults all his life. He spent two decades on the faculty of the International Film and TV Workshops and the Rockport College and eight years as the owner of One On One Film Training, a mentoring/consulting company working with emerging film directors. Jeff is a Certificated Flight Instructor and spent many years teaching and competing in competition aerobatics.

Jeff is available as an expert witness for all things Scuba.

Click here to download Jeff’s Dive CV.

DIVING EXPERIENCE

  • Total dives (approx) 5000
  • Total doubles dives (approx) 2000
  • Total decompression dives (approx) 300
  • Total rebreather dives (approx) 150
  • Total cave dives (approx) 100
  • Total scientific dives (approx)   150

INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATIONS

  • NAUI and NAUI Tec Instructor, 2007 (inactive)
  • UTD Foundational Instructor, 2008
  • UTD Technical Instructor, 2009
  • UTD Side Mount Instructor, 2010
  • UTD Instructor Trainer, 2010
  • UTD Technical Gas Blender/Instructor, 2010
  • UTD Cylinder and Valve Technician/Instructor, 2010
  • UTD Instructor Trainer Trainer, 2011
  • UTD Scientific Diving Instructor, 2011
  • Handicapped Scuba Association Inst, 2012 (inactive)
  • UTD Public Safety Diving Instructor, 2013

DIVING CERTIFICATIONS

  • PADI Open Water Initial Certification, 1990
  • PADI Advanced Diver 2005
  • IANTD Nitrox, 2006
  • IANTD Rescue, 2007
  • IANTD Deep, 2007
  • NAUI Tec Helitrox, 2007
  • NAUI Tec Decompression Techniques, 2007
  • NAUI Technical Gas Blender, 2007
  • UTD mCCR Rebreather Diver, 2010
  • UTD Cave Diver 1 and 2, 2011
  • First Aid/CPR/O2/AED, recurrent

LEADERSHIP ROLES AT UTD SCUBA DIVING

  • Co-Founder and Owner
  • Co-Author of UTD Standards and Procedures
  • Developer of Training Materials and Education System
  • Manager of Online Education
  • Manager of the UTD Instructor Corps
  • Manager of Instructor Candidate Training Program
  • Project Leader/Designer, UTD Online Education System

CO-AUTHOR (BOOKS)

  • UTD Student and Diver Procedures Manual
  • UTD Instructor Playbook
  • UTD Open Water Diver
  • UTD Essentials of Recreational Diving
  • UTD Essentials of Technical Diving
  • UTD Essentials of Scientific Diving
  • UTD Technical Diving
  • UTD Zuba Diving
  • Scubatics Underwater Competition

EDITOR, PUBLISHER, WRITER

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

MISC.

  • Certificated Flight and Instrument Instructor
  • Aerobatic Competition Pilot, Coach, Contest Manager (former)
  • Road and Track Cyclist: Hour Record Holder, San Diego Velodrome, 2021; Course Record Holder, World 6-Hour Time Trial Championships, 2021 and 2022.
  • Cross Country Skier
  • Rock and Ice Climber (former)
  • Director and Director of Photography on over 1000 TV Commercials, Feature Films, TV Movies, Music Videos.

CONTACT

+1 323-314-6501
jeff@utdscubadiving.com

BEN BOS, Training Director