Stillwater Diving Staff
Learn about our experienced staff! We all came from different walks of life but have made it to the same destination, SDI certified instructors! We are proud to show everyone the world of scuba diving.
Stephanie Puttre - Owner/Master Scuba Diver Trainer
I was first introduced to diving as a small child. My sister and I would accompany my dad and his friends' boat diving in Hawaii. I was always curious about what might be underwater. One day after a dive my dad let me put his gear on and float at the surface. I of course saw nothing but I was hooked. The only hitch was I was too young to dive. It wasn't until I was 17 that I received my Open Water Diver certification. My open water certification was not enough and I wanted more so I immediately signed up for the Advanced Open Water Diver course. It was not until I came back from vacation in Mexico I realized I wanted to do this for a living. Guiding divers on underwater tours and sharing dive adventures seemed like the perfect job. While training to be a Divemaster I helped a student overcome a phobia and that is when the teaching bug bit me. Now as one of the owners of Stillwater Diving, LLC and a Master Diver Trainer I am happy to say I love this job and wouldn't dream of doing anything else. So lets go get wet!
Certified since 2004
Highest Certification Level: SDI Master Diver Trainer
Instructor Since: 2013
Instructor Specialties:
- Night
- Drysuit
- U/W Navigation
- U/W Digital Photography
- U/W Videography
- Search & Recovery
- Enriched Air Nitrox
- Deep
- Wreck
- DAN Diving Emergency Management Provider
Favorite Types of Diving: Anywhere and Anytime!!
Local: Lake Wazee, Pearl Lake, and Silver Lake
Tropical: Roatan and Maldives
Jim Cosgrove - Owner/Master Scuba Diver Trainer
I began scuba diving in 2015. The peace and quiet of the underwater world immediately became quite the addiction for me. That first year I completed Open Water through Rescue Diver, and began my Divemaster certification. By midsummer 2016 I was officially a Divemaster, and began to work, signing up for every class I could. By the winter of 2016 I was sure becoming a Scuba Instructor was in my future. In the spring of 2017 I quit one of my two jobs to devote myself to becoming an Instructor. It was without doubt among the best decisions I have made in my life, as well as one of the most rewarding.
The true enjoyment of being a scuba professional is meeting people, and getting to observe and help as they grow as divers. It is very rewarding to be part of people achieving their life goals, and to know that when they leave your service, they are safe and more than competent in the training you have provided.
I have met divers who will never dive anywhere but the Caribbean or similar warm water destinations. I have met divers who use rebreathers and go on 4 hour long dives leaving no bubbles in their wake. I have met technical divers who plan their dives to well beyond the recreational limit of 130’ with long periods of decompression on their return to the surface. I have met commercial divers who have spent weeks nonstop underwater. I have met divers who dive every week right here in the cold murky waters of the Midwest, rain or shine, ice or open water.
You can find me jumping in a local lake with them quite often, though not as often as I’d like. This is the beauty of diving. It has something for everyone, and can be many different things to many different people. Be it local lakes after work, perfectly preserved shipwrecks in the icy waters of Lake Superior, or the beautiful coral reefs of the warm sunny Caribbean. They’re all great dives to me.
Instructor Specialties:
-Drysuit
-Wreck
-Deep
-Equipment Specialist
-Ice
Favorite Types Of Diving: All
Local: Okauchee, Silver, Golden, Upper Nemahbin
Travel: Anywhere I can take pictures, see interesting life forms, or visit wrecks.
