Karl Shreeves
Diving Safety and Technology
Professional Association of Diving Instructors

Karl is vice president, technical development for DSAT (Diving Science & Technology), a corporate affiliate of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). In that role, he participates in the production of diver training courses and materials, and consults on the technical aspects of diving.

Growing up watching Lloyd Bridges on Sea Hunt and following the Apollo missions, Karl has had a life-long love of both underwater and space exploration. As a boy of 11, he simulated Apollo missions in real time using toy space craft; in 1970, barely into high school, he became a certified diver. He became an instructor in 1985 and an instructor trainer in 1989.

With an undergraduate degree in journalism, Karl has been widely published in diving. A former contributing editor for Discover Diving and Scuba Times (since purchased and absorbed), today he writes the "totally tek' column for Skin Diver Magazine, and is the senior editor for The Undersea Journal, PADI's publication for professional scuba instructors. His work has appeared in aquaCorps, Immersed, AQUA, Sport Diver and SPUMS Journal among others, and he was a contributor/reviewer to the 2000 NOAA Diving Manual.

Karl's interest in space travel intersected with diving when he began work on his masters degree in instructional system design theory. Much of his preliminary thesis research drew upon NASA training techniques, and his interactions with key flight simulation personnel led to his being selected as a principal investigator for the first NASA Extreme Environments Mission Operations underwater mission.

As an underwater explorer, Karl is an experienced cave/technical diver and participant in two Farb Monitor Expeditions, the Cambrian Foundation Akumal Project and Nohoch Cave Diving Team (three years), among others. He lives in Orange County, California, and his hobbies apart from diving include fitness training and photography.