Matt hails from Austin, Texas – and after spending about a dozen summers working and playing in Boulder, finally pulled up stakes from the Lone Star State and made the permanent jump to Colorado in 2024. In his day job, Matt works on environmental policy and climate protection internationally. He first got scuba certified as a kid in the early 80s and became a Divemaster and Assistant Instructor in 2014, teaching people to dive in muddy Lake Travis, leading trips to the Flower Gardens in the Gulf of Mexico, and taking disabled divers diving in Bonaire through a very cool group called Eels on Wheels. Matt became an Instructor with Ocean First in 2024 when he moved to Boulder. His favorite thing about teaching is helping intimidated students become safe, confident divers who can share the amazement of flying weightless through this whole other world that exists below the surface of the seas.