Malcolm Kneale
As owner of North Florida Divers our focus is on training. We believe training is the key to a confident, safe diver. Above all, we make diving fun and simple to learn! As owner of North Florida Divers, I have been teaching for over 35 years. As a child I learned to scuba dive off the coast of Miami, Florida where I was raised. As years passed, and having opportunities to dive throughout the Caribbean, I became a divemaster working on local dive charters and working with student divers. In the early 1990’s I came a Scuba Instructor teaching in the Florida keys. As years past my dive business expanded to having the opportunity to certify hundreds of students.
Today, I have earned the distinguished designation as a NAUI Course Director and Technical Dive Instructor. Currently I am a full time School Board Police Officer in Jacksonville, Florida. I am a certified Public Safety Diver Instructor with 11 years of former experience on the Underwater Search and Recovery Team with the Polk County Sheriff's Office. My family and I made diving a life style and I am hoping to make it yours as well.
35+ Years Dive Teaching Experience
PADI Instructor
PADI IDC Staff Instructor, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Emergency First Aid (EFR) instructor, Technical Instructor, Public Safety Diver Instructor, Multiple specialty instructor ratings
DAN Instructor
DAN Instructor Trainer. Distinguished rating of "Diving Emergency Specialist" Instructor
NAUI Instructor
NAUI Course Director, NAUI Public Safety Instructor
Handicapped Scuba Instructor
Handicapped Scuba Instructor through HSA
Amanda Kneale
I fell in love with scuba diving when I earned my Open Water certification in 2007. So much so, that my 3rd ocean dive was a shark dive in Nassau, Bahamas! I also fell in love with my Instructor, and we have 4 beautiful and amazing children. That’s right, we are a husband-and-wife team who share the love of the underworld, not only with our children, but our clients who have become our family.
I have over 15 years of diving locally and internationally. I have seen amazing reefs, wrecks and life in Cuba, Bimini, Honduras, and from North Florida to the Florida Keys to the Pan Handle! After 26 years, I retired as a Director in a Fortune 100 company to pursue my love of teaching. I have two degrees: Business Management and Business Administration. I am a NAUI Divemaster, PSI Tank Inspector and DAN DFAPro certified.
I specialize in working with children and love watching them grow, step out of their comfort zone and do something that puts them ahead of their peers!
I am passionate about bringing more girls and women into the industry. Encourage them to be leaders, give them a place to be themselves, bring a sense of community with them, foster diversity, safety and most important of all, be a Guardian to the Mother Ocean. I have partnered with many great women in the industry and have shared and learned so much from them. They are my sisters of the sea! In 2024, 40% of North Florida Divers certifications were girls and women.
Come join me in exploring your possibilities and see what Mother Ocean has to offer!
