Barry Allen
Independent TDI Instructor
My first scuba certification was in 1974 with YMCA Instructor, Benjamin Ward, at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, CT. My dad was a retired Navy Diver, so I had base privileges as a 16-year old military dependent.
New England waters became the focal point to my diving adventures. In the late 70s, deep wrecks and long, winter months forced me to train using a dry suit. At the time, the Poseidon Unisuit was the most dependable suit on the market. Also during this time, my dive buddy and close friend, Mike Webb, introduced me to cave diving in Florida—an interest that would follow me my entire diving career.
In 1985, I received a Commercial Deep Sea Diver certificate from Coastal School of Deep Sea Diving. I pursued this career until the early '90s, before I started to devote myself to dive education and training. I trained with all the different training agencies: NAUI , PADI, IANTD and NSS-CDS.It was a privilege to meet and learn from so many different instructors. I earned my PADI Dive Master credential in 1994 and ended up working with a NAUI Instructor who specialized in deep wrecks, decompression procedures, and mixed gases.
My past training that convinced me how important it is to be trained in all the specialized fields of diving. ​It wasn't until early 1999 that I got my Full Cave certificate through the NSS-CDS. Cave diving was my passion and despite travel distance and limited time to only weeks a year, I continued toward my dream of instructing. In 2003, I received my Side Mount certificate through the NSS-CDS. I actively side mount and consider it the most preferred of all technical diving styles. In 2005, I became a PADI Instructor and have been training students ever since. Finally, in 2007, I received my certificate of Master Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT), so now I can teach in the specialized fields (which are listed under Courses) that I enjoy! Since my move to Florida in 2009, cave diving is a weekly event for me. I became a TDI Instructor in 2012.