Lucien Pelletier

I was born on August 5th, 1962, in Bennington, Vermont, where my Grandmother raised me till I was four years old.

I was adopted and blessed to be taken to Canada, where I was raised on a very large dairy farm… Sunday evenings were two shows. One was the “Wild Kingdom,” and the other was “The Undersea World Of Jacques Cousteau,” where I sat mesmerized.

I became Scuba Certified in 1984. At the Tackle Shack, Pinellas Park, Florida. The owner was Lou Le Vine And Chad Carney was my Instructor.

I became a very avid spearfisherman. Eventually, making it my full-time profession from 1985 to 2010, working five days a week. I absolutely loved my days in the Gulf of Mexico!

1988-89, I met John Gaffney and entered the NASDS Instructor Training School in La Paz and California.

I have been lucky to have had so many amazing mentors over the years. So many of them are pioneers In our Industry. Through them, I gained instructional and retail experience that is so valuable to myself and the people I work with.

I worked at four incredible shops over the years, both in instructional and retail. These included the Tackle Shack, Mac’s Sports, Bill Jackson’s and my shop in Mexico, Freeshaft BUCEO!

I taught full and part-time from 1989-2024 and am still active. I love teaching. So many of my long-term friends started as my students.

I’ve taught under several agencies as the industry has changed/evolved. NASDS, TDI, SSI, NAUI and now excited to be involved with SEI!

I now find myself in Mexico, looking forward to the next chapter in my career.

For more information on Scuba Educators International in Mexico Or Latin America, please get in touch with me.