Staff

DIVE BVI STAFF

Yacht Harbour • Scrub Island

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”

– Aristotle

Our team are the heartbeat of Dive BVI.  You’ll start your day by seeing their smiles and finish your dives with them pumped and ready for more fun!  They love what they do and it shows.  From diving to day trips, our team is knowledgeable and ready to show you the beauty of the BVI.  With years and years of professional experience, these team members are happy to help you further your diving education, knowledge of marine sciences and more!  

Captain Jeff and Sea Bandit

Jeff McNutt

Chief Operating Officer

A proud Texan, Jeff’s journey in diving began when he became a PADI Divemaster in 1997 and an Open Water Instructor in 2000. His passion for the BVI, sparked by an unforgettable sailing trip for his birthday, led him to move to Virgin Gorda in 2003. Jeff’s dedication to the diving community is evident in his achievements: he earned the prestigious SSI Instructor Trainer rating in 2010, enabling him to train future SSI instructors, and became an SSI Instructor Certifier in 2011. In 2019, his expertise was recognized with the Platinum Pro 5000 Instructor rating from SSI.

Starting as the manager of our former Marina Cay location, Jeff was promoted to General Manager of Dive BVI in 2006 and later became an operating Partner in 2009 alongside his dive buddy, Casey. Known for his love of being on the water and his legendary mix-tapes, Jeff excels in working with dive professionals to enhance their certifications, collaborating with local community groups, and supporting environmental protection projects. Despite diving around the globe, Jeff’s heart remains with the local waters, where he discovered his favorite dive site—Jeff Rocks—near Carrot Shoal off Peter Island. This stunning site, with its impressive rocks and abundant wildlife, perfectly reflects Jeff’s passion for exploration and adventure.

Top 3 Dive Sites:  Jeff Rocks!, Ginger Steps, Joe’s Cave (with Kate Winslet as his dive buddy)

Casey McNutt

Managing Director

Arriving with Jeff, Casey has made herself essential as the one in charge of Retail Operations/Human Resources, ordering all of the latest dive gear and resort wear for our locations.  She is known for her big personality and always ready to show our guests the most amazing time, both on land and in the water!  She enjoys running, time out with friends and finding new merchandise for our shops.

Top 3 Dive Sites:  Ginger Steps, Painted Walls, Carvel Rock

SSI Instructor Becca Knight

Becca Knight van der Werff

Operations Manager & Scuba Instructor

Becca’s first steps into diving were taken whilst traveling Australia in her early 20’s. They were baby steps indeed as she was afraid of the water!!  But after a few nervous breaths she fell in love with the freedom she found with SCUBA and the world beneath the waves. She joined the Dive Industry while backpacking in Asia and hasn’t looked back since!  She loves guiding certified divers as well as teaching at all levels from Try Scuba to Divemaster.  She loves to find the little critters so bring your macro lens!  She has been lucky enough to be welcomed by eagle rays, sharks, turtles and a dolphin while diving in the BVI!

Top 3 Dive Sites:  RMS Rhone, P.O.S., Dry Rocks East

Clayvorne Pope

Clayvorne Pope

Locations Manager

Clayvorne is a native of St.Vincent.  She moved to the British Virgin Islands in early 1995.  Clayvorne first met Jeff and Casey when they were managing the Dive BVI – Marina Cay operation. Clayvorne was the administrative assistant of the island.  She is a “people person”, happily dealing with customers daily and always has a smile on her face. She is also super excited about becoming a certified diver in this new adventure.  Moving across the channel to our Scrub Island Resort location, Clayvorne will make sure you are ready for your trip, class, and island hopping adventures!

Captain Rupert Raven

Rupert Raven

Captain & Scuba Instructor

Rupert is from London, England. In 2005 he went and travelled around the World for a couple of years where he first fell in love with Scuba Diving. He’s got to dive at some amazing places like Phe Phe Island, Thailand, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Poor Knights island, New Zealand (his coldest dive to date !!), Taveuni Island, Fiji, Sodwana Bay, South Africa, and Hawaii to name a few … seeing Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, Potato Cod Fish and more and boy was he was hooked !!! By 2007 he decided to broaden his love for diving and became a Scuba Instructor having worked in the Bahamas for 3 years as an Instructor and Shark Feeder before heading down to the BVI in January 2011. Rupert’s other passions are sports (too many to mention, but is often chatting to the guests about the games the previous night) and weather !!! Yes that includes going Storm Chasing and seeing some amazing thunderstorms and tornadoes. He’s experienced 7 tornadoes up close so far and yearns to see more.

Top 3 Dive Sites:  Santa Monica Rock, Carvel Rock, Tow Rock

Captain Steve Ellefson

Steve Ellefson

Captain & Scuba Instructor

Steve is a SW Florida native, but has spent the last 16 years in the Caribbean.  He’s a multi-tasker on land and in the water, shooting great photos and keeping our boats in top shape.  He’s also a fun Instructor with dive experiences from all over the world.  He’s a great boat captain as well!

Top 3 Dive Sites:  Santa Monica Rock, Carvel Rock, Tobago Canyons

Looking to join our team?

Scuba Instructor

We are currently hiring for Instructors and Captains.  Email your CV to jobs@divebvi.com today!

Top 3 sites: to be determined – we’ve got a lot to choose from!

Andres Acevedo

Scuba Instructor

Andres, Colombian/Argentinian, was born in a city between mountains far from the sea where he dreamt of adventures above and under the surface, inspired by Jacques Cousteau. He is a sailor at heart and has been diving for 30 years. His adventures have allowed him access to the underwater world of the Caribbean, North and South Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean.  His favorite marine creature is the Flamingo Tongue snail.  Luckily, BVI has loads of them for him to enjoy seeing daily!

Top 3 sites: Wall to Wall, RMS Rhone, Ginger Steps

Bart Botterweck

Scuba Instructor

Bart is a SSI & PADI instructor who also likes to be the boat captain to switch things up! Sitting in his home office during COVID on a rainy day back in the Netherlands, he decided this was not the life he wanted to live. He decided to follow his dream and become a dive professional. After an intense 6 months divemaster internship on Crete, Greece he went to Utila, Honduras to become a scuba instructor. Once that was completed, a last minute decision brought him to Curaçao for his first job as an instructor. This is where he met his partner Chrissy and together they had a quick stop on St. Eustatius before landing on Virgin Gorda. Bart’s absolute favorite fish is a Balloonfish, this derpy looking creature has the prettiest eyes, if you look at them from up close they look like a galaxy!

Top 3 sites: 

Chrissy van der Linden

Scuba Instructor

Chrissy is from the Netherlands. She used to have a fear of the open water, after a near drowning experience as a pre-teen. And at the same time she had this obsession with mermaids and life under the sea! So at the age of 30, she decided it was time to overcome her biggest fear. She did a PADI Discover Scuba Dive and, for the first time ever, she realized what she’d been missing in her life. Becoming an open water instructor for both PADI and SSI was the next big step. And now she makes it her mission to teach and show everybody how amazing the world underwater is. Her favourite marine creature: the Juvenile Smooth Trunkfish! 
 

Top 3 sites: 

Katelyn Collins

Retail Associate

Raised in the beautiful British Virgin Islands, Katelyn has always felt a deep connection to the ocean. Whether it’s spending time at the beach to unwind or helping visitors find the right gear; Katelyn enjoys being surrounded by the sea and the energy it brings. As a retail associate, Katelyn is here to make sure every customer feels welcome and taken care of. Katelyn hopes to become a certified diver in the near future!

Ruby Daniel (Finey)

Retail Associate

Called Finey because, as a baby, everyone in her St. Kitts’ neighborhood said she looked so fine.  Finey has been with Dive BVI for over 30 years!  As our friendly retail clerk, Finey is so helpful with our divers and shoppers that they often find more than they were looking for! She is the source of all island information so stop by and let her fill you in.  Make sure you stop in and see her for all of the latest island goings on!

Queja Barrow

Retail Associate

A proud dual citizen of the USVI and British Virgin Islands, raised in the BVI, Queja is known for her bubbly personality and a talent for connecting well with others . She’s passionate about the boat life, even though she’s a fish on land. Queja is always up for a good time, especially exploring the beautiful island she calls home. On this new venture with Dive BVI, she hopes to earn her fins & meet Jaws one day.  

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