Faces of SSI North America - Northeast Region

With more than 44 years in the water and over 4,000 dives under his belt, Dean “Doc” McConnachie has built a lifetime around diving, teaching and sharing the underwater world with others.

Doc’s diving story began shortly after moving to Burlington in 1979. While playing Euchre one evening, his friend Ken casually asked if he had ever thought about learning to scuba dive. Like so many great diving stories, one simple question was all it took.

Doc officially became a certified diver on May 16, 1982.

That introduction helped establish the foundation for what would become more than four decades of diving, professional development and instruction.

Today, Doc is an SSI Platinum Instructor, Master Instructor and Extended Range Instructor, as well as a member of the SSI Platinum Pro 5000 recognition program. He is also the co-founder of The Dive Academy, where he continues to help divers build their skills, confidence and appreciation for the underwater world.

Along the way, Doc developed a passion for underwater photography and videography. For him, bringing home images and video is another way to preserve the experience and share places that most people may never have the opportunity to see for themselves.

After thousands of dives around the world, two destinations continue to stand out: Atlantis Dive Resorts in the Philippines and Raja Ampat. Both offer the kind of marine life, variety and underwater scenery that can keep even the most experienced diver excited about what might appear on the next dive.

More than four decades and 4,000 dives later, Doc’s enthusiasm hasn’t faded.

There’s still more to see.

Tessa DeSousa is the owner of Underworld Scuba & Sport, Manitoba’s longtime full-service dive center in Winnipeg. For nearly three decades, Tessa and her team have helped introduce new divers to the underwater world while supporting continuing education, professional development, dive travel, equipment sales, rentals, and service. 

Most recently, Alex led Underworld Scuba through its expansion into SSI, creating new training and professional-development opportunities for divers and instructors throughout Winnipeg and the surrounding region. Their commitment to customer service, quality education, and growing the local dive community makes this team a welcome addition to the SSI family.

A big congratulations to June Baugham on her promotion to the newly created position of Special Accounts Manager for the SSI North America Service Center!

In her new role, June will provide dedicated service, support, and follow-up for specific SSI Dive Centers, helping make sure those accounts receive the attention and assistance they need. She’ll continue working from SSI’s Delray Beach office and collaborating closely with the Key Account Manager team.

June has always been an incredible resource behind the scenes, and this new position is a great fit for her experience, knowledge, and commitment to SSI’s partners. Congrats, June!

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. 

 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. 

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