Headlines in the Northeast

I’m very pleased to welcome Nautical North Charters to the SSI family. Based in Cheboygan, Michigan, near Mackinaw City, Nautical North has built a strong reputation for getting people out on the water and showcasing the very best of Northern Michigan.

Founded by Captain Jenn and her family, Nautical North grew from a passion for the Great Lakes and a desire to share the beauty, history, and adventure of the area with others. That mix of hospitality, education, and on-water experience makes them a natural fit for SSI.

What makes this especially exciting is the opportunity to connect more people with the unique diving and exploration opportunities found in Northern Michigan. From the history of the Great Lakes to the adventure of getting out on the water, Nautical North brings a lot to the table, and I’m excited to see what Captain Jenn and her team build moving forward. 

I began diving in 2010 through freediving, which felt like a natural extension of who I already was. After joining a dive shop in 2011 and being introduced to scuba, I quickly committed to the professional path. Within my first nine months, I logged 150 dives and earned my Divemaster certification by the end of that first year.

Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked across multiple dive operations while continuing to grow as both an instructor and a master technician, servicing a wide range of equipment brands. My training spans nearly all recreational specialties, along with extended range and technical disciplines, including stage cave diving and projects such as six-hour dives in the Mayan Riviera.

In 2025, I earned my SSI Instructor Trainer rating under the mentorship of Kirk, Tim, and Ronny, whose guidance helped refine my instructional approach before returning to Canada. I now have more than 4,000 dives across a wide range of environments and conditions, and I’ve also become a Mares Horizon Instructor, working with intermediate SCR systems that help divers safely extend their gas within recreational limits.

What continues to resonate with me is the philosophy behind SSI XR: helping divers pursue their highest potential without being limited by arbitrary boundaries between recreational and technical diving. As professionals, I believe our role is to advocate for both safety and progression, supporting divers from their first open water experience through whatever level they choose to achieve, while making sure the journey remains meaningful, rewarding, and worth every step.
nrwilliamsscuba@gmail.com

 Big congrats to Martin Federico Gomez Ortiz, who joined me at Scuba Savvy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the SSI Swim Instructor program. It was a demanding week that put his swim knowledge, stamina, and in-water skills to the test, and he handled it like a pro, earning his SSI Swim Instructor rating in the process. 

 He’s now back in Illinois helping grow the swim program at Loves Park Scuba on the north side of Rockford, and I’ll be working with him there as well to continue building their SSI diving programs in a way that fits the shop, supports their students, and creates even more opportunity moving forward.