JD Duff

Back in “the day”, about 1985, I witnessed an amazing feat during one of our anchor night dives. We always had a divemaster swim the anchor down and wrap the chain around a rock to anchor the boat. Well on this particular night dive the divemaster made 2 unsuccessful attempts to set the anchor…dusk was fast approaching and we had to get the boat anchored. Our Captain suited up, ran the marks, jumped in the water, swam the anchor very fast to the reef, set the anchor, got back on board and started giving the dive briefing. What a God! And JD still is!

Before JD started at the S.C. in June of 1980, he was flirting with old ladies at a Baltimore, Maryland nursing home. As if growing up a pastors kid and in the midst of six brothers and sisters wasn’t enough of a full time job! But the nursing home gig didn’t put his degree from The Florida Institute of Technology to full use. He is the only staff member with a degree in diving.

JD was born in Auburn, NY but spent his formative years near Suzie’s neck of the woods in Maryland. He learned how to dive at the age of 17 through N.A.S.D.S. (hey that’s Chip and Wayne’s Open Water agency...hmmm). JD started diving in rock quarries and sand pits just like Chip did...only not in Kansas. The lure of warm clear ocean water drew him to Jensen Beach for college and during breaks he came down to dive and help out at the Scuba Club. WOW ,after 28 YEARS as General Manager he is still here! He says “I love my job” almost every day. And who wouldn’t ….teaching young PBAU girls, being friends with Gus, diving, telling Dave & Reinaldo what to do and of course spending quality office time with Sam….what a life!

When JD is not attending to the pro shop he can be found out fishing or diving with his son Jack. What a life that kid has riding around in that hot 28 Whitewater…. the childhood we all wished for. JD's photographs have appeared in publications such as Ocean Realm, National Geographic World, Sea Frontiers, Outdoor Explorer, Skin Diver, Scuba Times, Underwater USA, the Palm Beach Post and the Sun-Sentinel. Besides the local networks, JD's video work has also been seen on National Geographic Television, the Travel Channel and the Animal Planet. Check out some of his work at JDDuff.com

Over the past 28 years all of the good ideas that have happened at the Scuba Club can be tracked back to JD. From the computer system, to Nitrox, to Scubapro, to getting Wayne hired….you name it. If it is a good idea it must be JD’s. Traveling the globe, going barefoot to work and getting paid for it all- if you want the best life in the world, ask JD. He’s got it all!