AJ Powell (USA, Ret.) - DOO / DTO
AJ is the Dive Operations Officer, Dive Training Officer, and Primary Instructor for Pinnacle Diving Company.
AJ is a Christian, a retired United States Army NonCommissioned Officer who served in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army, and he is a world-traveled American combat veteran.
AJ’s professional career started in 2001, working in the fields of both Aviation and Diving simultaneously throughout his entire career, both operationally and as an instructor, and has spanned the full spectrum of occupational areas in-between. He first learned to dive while serving in the Navy, and has since been blessed (or cursed) with assignments and opportunities to dive in some of the most challenging and demanding environments and conditions around the world.
AJ is a professional occupational diver, adventure / expedition diver, certified technical diver, closed circuit rebreather diver, and certified NAUI dive instructor. He has over 1,500+ logged dives and more than 1000+ logged hours of accumulative underwater dive time, mostly in cold open-ocean waters, using both open and closed circuit systems, as well as surface-supplied systems.
AJ has been teaching professionally as a qualified educator, specialized skills trainer, and certified instructor across a multitude of expertise, for most of his career. AJ chooses NAUI to teach with for their policy of academic freedom and reputation as the highest training standards in the world. As an independent instructor, he draws extensively on his career-long training and experience, both military and civilian, while incorporating many overlapping aspects from the world of aviation into the world of diving, to grow his students into highly skilled divers far above the standards. As a result, AJ has developed a reputation for teaching and training both military service members and civilians alike to become well-educated, highly competent, confident, capable, and safe divers, who are passionate about diving and growing in their diver KSA’s.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/powellaj/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armyveteranaj
Anthony Libertini (USN, Vet.) - DSO / LDM
Anthony is the Dive Safety Officer and Leading Divemaster for Pinnacle Diving Company.
Anthony is a veteran Petty Officer of the United States Navy who completed the NAUI VA Skillbridge Program in 2024. During his Naval career, he served as a Small Boat Operator and Team Leader, with an array of additional assignments as Unit Armorer, Line Coach, Swim Instructor and Lifeguard, EHSS Operator, and more, and training specializations including small teams tactics, maritime operations, safety, security operations, and weapons and tactics.
Anthony was born in Northeast Ohio, and he grew up on the Lake Erie waterfront. Not only did this afford him the opportunity early in life to learn to swim and survive in rough, cold waters, but also to respect mother nature by witnessing powerful summer storms and massive winter swells.
Anthony first learned to dive during the summer of 2022 with Pinnacle Diving Company while stationed in Japan. He was initially motivated by wanting to become a better asset to his unit and progress his future career in the military. However, since then, his goals have shifted to becoming a technical and closed circuit rebreather diver, as he enjoys marine wildlife, and underwater landscape and topography, and wants to progress his diving education and training to allow him to explore these things safely and with confidence.
As the company Safety Officer, Anthony genuinely cares about the safety and wellbeing of all PDC staff and every diver we care for. He ensures PDC maintains compliance with all industry standards and implements organizational safety policies, keeping PDC up to date on new changes, and he is constantly finding ways for PDC to improve and lead the industry in safety.
As the company LDM, Anthony leads the Travel Division, managing all aspects of dive trips and events, planning and coordination, registrations, and he is the supervisor for all other DM's that work for/with PDC. He further uses his position, education and training, Naval experience, and knowledge of the maritime environment, to be an asset to his fellow divers in keeping them safe, and ensures their needs are cared for. As such, Anthony's exceptional customer service and attention to detail are invaluable to both PDC and all our customers alike.
LinkedIn: Coming Soon.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photolibertini
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divenautical