Matt Graves (NAUI #18034). Matt’s love for scuba started when he was a student at Washington State University where he enrolled in his first scuba class. All it took was one dive and he was hooked! He knew immediately he wanted to become an instructor and started taking classes and diving as much as possible. In 1995 he became a NAUI Instructor and started his career teaching at WSU. He taught at WSU for two years before moving to the Portland area. Upon moving to Portland he was fortunate enough to be introduced to Pat Adams who was in charge of the Portland State University program at the time. They became fast friends and eventually Matt took over the program so Pat could pursue other endeavors. Matt has been the head instructor for the Portland State University program since 1997. Matt has had the opportunity to dive in St. Lucia, Mexico, Hawaii, Belize, Costa Rica, California and of course the Pacific Northwest, and if you ask him its not nearly enough! For Matt’s “day job” he has his own CNC machining business. Other interests include wakeboarding, fishing, boating, welding, machining, and camping. Matt and his wife have two lovely children.

Pat Adams: (NAUI # 14573) Pat has been diving since 1982. His interest in diving grew from seeing his first “Sea Hunt” episode back in the late 60's. He only became more interested while watching “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau”. It wasn't until Pat found the PSU scuba course that he was able to take action on his desire to learn this life long passion. Pat became friends with the PSU course instructor and found himself helping with the course over the next 10 years, finally taking over the program in 1994. Pat taught the PSU scuba course by himself for 2 years. On the brink of closing the program in 1997 Pat was contacted by Matt Graves, an instructor from WSU. They have taught together ever since and are now great friends. Pat is married (met his wife in scuba class) and has 3 boys (all divers). Pat has been diving in Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Oregon coast, California, Cabo San Lucas, Hawaii, Cook Island, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. His favorite dive spots are Turn Rock (San Juan's) and anywhere in the Cooks. Best diving memory: California,Channel Islands. Pat was diving Santa Cruz Island. After entering the water and descending to the bottom Matt, Pat and another diver, discovered the bottom completely covered with Brittle Stars. We started picking them up, throwing them around and dumping big huge piles of them over each others head. After doing this for a few minutes we all stop, looked at each other with a shiver running up our spines. It gave us all the creeps at the same time. We couldn't get the little crawling creatures off of ourselves and each other fast enough. Still gives me the creeps to this day.

Lyzz Rooney: (PADI #181180). Lyzz grew up in Maine, and had always been fascinated by the divers entering the Atlantic. At Portland State, Lyzz discovered the scuba program and became certified by Pat Adams in 1996, and fell in love with diving immediately. Just after completing her Open Water certification, she traveled to Australia where she enjoyed Great Barrier Reef diving. Also there she discovered a love of wreck diving, having had the experience of diving a US WWII ship sunk by the Japanese off the coast of Darwin. It was there in Australia where she decided to become an instructor, and upon returning to Oregon began assisting the scuba program at PSU. In 2000, she moved to Miami, Florida, and in 2001 became a full-time dive instructor in Ft. Lauderdale. Lyzz is certified as a Wreck Diver Instructor, Technical Diver in Rebreathers, Nitrox Instructor, and many other specialties. She moved back to Oregon in 2002, rejoined her close friends Matt and Pat, and he three have been teaching together ever since. Other diving locales have included Maine, Jamaica, Mexico, Canada and California. The Giant Pacific Octopus is her all-time favorite critter, and diving the Pacific Northwest keeps her love alive in searching for and interacting with these amazing creatures. She is married (to a diver), has two beautiful children (pre divers) and has trained as a Sign Language Interpreter. Lyzz works full-time in mental health with at-risk young women.