SUAMICO, Wis. — Wisconsin is home to many bodies of water that are perfect for scuba diving.
One local Navy veteran is offering lessons outside of his backyard
Alan Pahnke bought the business Green Bay Scuba 15 years ago.
Pahnke said he has 30 years of experience as an instructor and 47 years of experience as a diver. He said you don’t know what you are missing until you try it.
“To see the all the underwater life that’s down there from the from the sharks to the little nudibranchs…It’s just amazing what they do,” said Pahnke. “It’s just, it’s absolutely amazing what’s down there to see.”
Pahnke said he first tried scuba diving while he was in the Navy. Since then, he said he and his wife have made many trips to Nicaragua, the Red Sea and the Caribbean.
He encouraged those who have never tried it to give it a chance.
“Most people…say, ‘I’ve always wanted to try that,’” said Pahnke. “Just take the step, come down to any dive shop and ask them questions, see what’s going on and see when the classes are and see what opportunities you’ll have.”
Matt Purtell is new to the sport. Purtell said he learned a lot during his second day of diving. He said it’s fun and helps him to stay calm and composed under unusual circumstances.
“Underwater is a whole different world,” said Purtell. “It’s not something that you can… experience above water. The wildlife, the fish, it’s just an amazing world under the water.”
Pahnke said he stresses safety in his classes. The 67-year-old said the sport can be physically taxing because of the heavy equipment.
He said it is also great having his job right in his backyard.
“I walk out my back door and go scuba diving,” said Pahnke. “It’s very nice. I mean, use it for training. So, I’ll take the boat out, jump in and look at the fish.”
Pahnke said he hopes to pass the business on to the younger generation one day. He said for now, he enjoys sharing what he knows with those who want to become underwater explorers.