Inside the scuba diving adventures at the Butler YMCA
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Jacob Davis, 10, learns how to use the breathing apparatus for scuba diving during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Scuba instructor Gary Endlich teaches Jameson Miskevich, 8, how to scuba dive during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Scuba instructor Brian Campbell teaches Parker Wheaton and Shiela Riefer how to scuba dive during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Elliott Grappy, 10, learns how to scuba dive during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jacob Davis, 10, scuba dives during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jacob Davis, 10, learns how to use the breathing apparatus for scuba diving during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jacob Davis, 10, learns how to use the breathing apparatus for scuba diving during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jameson Miskevich, 8, learns how to scuba dive during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Scuba instructor Grant Kirk shows Tom Grappy how to properly suit up for scuba diving during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Scuba instructor Gary Endlich puts on his oxygen tank ahead of a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Shiela Riefer practices using a breathing apparatus during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jameson Miskevich, 8, scuba dives during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jameson Miskevich, 8, is taught how to scuba dive by scuba instructor Gary Endlich during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jameson Miskevich, 8, is taught how to scuba dive by scuba instructor Gary Endlich during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Parker Wheaton learns how to scuba dive during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jameson Miskevich, 8, is taught how to scuba dive by scuba instructors Gary Endlich, center, and Jim Myers during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jacob Davis, 10, learns how to suit up for scuba diving during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Parker Wheaton scuba dives during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Tom Grappy suits up for a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jacob Davis, 10, learns how to use the breathing apparatus for scuba diving during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Scuba instructor Grant Kirk teaches Tom Grappy how to properly suit up for scuba diving during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jacob Davis, 10, learns how to use the breathing apparatus for scuba diving during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Parker Wheaton takes a plunge under water during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Tom Grappy prepares to go underwater during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jacob Davis, 10, learns how to use the breathing apparatus for scuba diving during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Scuba instructor Grant Kirk teaches Tom Grappy underwater hand signals during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Shiela Riefer and Parker Wheaton learn how to scuba dive from instructor Brian Campbell during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Jameson Miskevich, 8, learns how to scuba dive from instructor Gary Endlich during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Scuba instructor Grant Kirk gets Tom Grappy ready to dive during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Scuba instructor Jim Myers comes up from the water during a scuba diving lesson taught by Scott's Scuba Service at the Butler YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 11. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Scuba diving has taken David Holder on adventures to more than a dozen countries and introduced him to lifelong friendships. More recently, it has given him a career path that lets him share his experience with the community.
On Saturday, Jan. 11, Holder used his skills as a scuba instructor with Scott’s Scuba Service, based in Freeport, to introduce people to the basics of scuba diving at the Butler YMCA’s swimming pool.
Holder took over as owner of the 30-year-old Scott’s Scuba Service business about four months ago, which wrapped his lifelong hobby, obsession and full-time job into one business.
“It is the most fulfilling job I’ve ever had,” Holder said. “I went from corporate America, where I was doing exactly what the corporation wanted and needed me to do, to actually doing something I’m passionate about.”
Holder was first introduced to scuba diving 11 years ago, when his son asked to learn. Not long after that, his wife came across a Scott’s Scuba Service coupon, which prompted he and his son to both get certified.
After becoming a professional instructor five years ago, the 56-year-old said he has helped a few hundred people obtain their scuba diving certification.
He travels to local YMCA pools and other popular places around Western Pennsylvania to stir up interest and provide people with an authentic learning experience. Those include “Try Scuba Events” at the Butler YMCA, which gives participants a 30-minute experience with a local dive professional.
“I love seeing people take that first breath of air underwater and their eyes get a little wide because they’re like, ‘I just did that,’” he said. “Some of our students have moved on to doing diving in incredible places like the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes and Florida caves. The possibilities are so limitless and to know you’re starting people on that journey, it’s just incredibly fulfilling.”
Grant Kirk began scuba diving in 2017 before becoming a certified instructor in November 2023. Since then, he’s been eager to share the pool with anyone interested in the wonders of scuba diving.
“It’s a whole new world underneath,” Kirk said. “You see animals and colors that you don’t normally see on land. It’s a great reason to take vacation out of the country to warmer climates. If you’re a history buff, there’s a lot of shipwrecks that will show you the history of the Great Lakes for example. That’s just some of the reasons I got into scuba diving.”
He also noted that scuba diving can be a peaceful endeavor if done safely.
“Scuba diving is a very meditative state,” he said. “No one can talk to you underwater, so everybody has to shut up. You can kind of just self absorb what’s around you. You just pay attention to what you’re doing and your dive buddy. Scuba diving is not a fast sport, it’s just a slow, casual swimming around.”
Holder said there are three steps that are imperative when it comes to becoming a certified scuba diver. The first step includes knowledge development and classroom work. Then, one must display proficiency in confined water like a pool before finally moving on to open water dives. These test skills in open water environments such as lakes, quarries or the ocean.
Another “Try Scuba Event” is scheduled to take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 at the Butler YMCA. The cost is $25 per person, but it’s free if a participant signs up for a full certification class. Holder encouraged anyone with even a mild interest to give the class a try.
“You can get certified here and you can dive anywhere in the world,” Holder said. “It’s literally a certification card that is good worldwide. So why not do it?”
