Welcome to the Dam Dive Shop!

Chuck Russel

Course Director

Chuck started diving in 1992 at Beaver Lake when he took his open water diver course. The experience was an example of how not to teach a SCUBA course and it was 2 years before he took Advanced Open Water. The experience this time was a good one and he and his wife began taking more classes and enjoyed spending time with the diving community. 

In 1996, Chuck and Renee, his wife, became Divemasters for a store in Tulsa. The store was growing and in need of more instructors so in 1997, he became an instructor. Over the next several years, Chuck advanced higher and was very active teaching other how to dive. In 2005, he became an IDC Staff Instructor and started assisting in educating other dive instructors. When 2013 came around, he applied and was accepted to the 2014 Course Director Course. This started him on the path to focusing on training the next wave of diving instructors. 

Kathy Shaw

Master Instructor

Certified in 2000, dive pro in 2004, instructor since 2008. She lives in Bentonville, AR with her husband Connor. She works in the Walmart Home Office and loves shipwrecks, Key Largo and the Cali coast. 

Connor Welch

Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Certified in 2015, dive pro in 2018, instructor since 2022. He lives in Bentonville, AR with his wife Kathy.  Connor works in commercial insurance and his favorite place to dive is Catalina.

Sharlene Kenyon

Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Sharlene lives on Beaver Lake with her husband Walt, a few miles away from the Dive Shop. She has been a scuba instructor since 2014 and was a teacher for more than 20 years before retirement.

Master Scuba Diver Trainer

Shawna Wright

Dive Master

Roger Wright

IDC Staff Instructor

Certified in 2008, dive pro since 2015 and has been around the shop since 2014. Married to Shawna Wright. He lives in Springdale, AR and works as a technology director at Tyson Foods. Hawaii is his favorite dive spot. 

Mike Tryon

Master Instructor / Repair Specialist

Certified in 1989, dive pro since 1991, professional PADI member for 35+ years, been around the shop at BEAVER DAM® for 10+ years. He lives in Tulsa, OK and is currently retired from the business world but serves as the BEAVER DAM® Dive Shop repair specialist. Certified in all levels of technical diving, experienced in dive travel all over the world and associated with the Garmin beta testing team. 

Randy Lewis

Instructor

Certified in 2021, became a Dive Master in summer '24. He lives in Eudora, KS, owns an asphalt company and loves Jeeps. 

Kneale Ewing

Instructor

Certified in 2021, became a dive master in the summer of 2024, and on track for instructor. He lives in Jenks, OK and runs a mental health counseling agency. Loves diving anywhere that is wet, but prefers the Caribbean and is also a pilot.

Derek Fulp

Dive Master

Derek, from Southern Missouri,  started diving in 2019 and earned his Dive Master certification in 2024. He loves exploring the underwater worlds of Destin, FL, and Beaver Lake, with a particular passion for Tec and Cave Diving. Derek's advice to new divers - have fun, no need to be nervous, the instructors are key to your success.

Toni Braden / Dixie

Dam Store Manager / Dam Dive Dog

Toni Braden - Certified in 2016. Discovered the Dam Dive Shop in 2017, and started being there almost every weekend in the summer until 2021 when she took over the shop as the Dam Manager. Lives above the shop and this is her real full time job. Mom to Dixie. 

Dixie - Born in 2018, but was rescued from the local Good Shepard Humane Society in 2020. She was on the campgrounds evey weekend in the summers until she moved here in 2021. She has been giving kisses, and alowing belly rubs every since she moved in. You may see her "watching" from above anytime you come into the shop.