Captain Tony Bach was certified and began diving in 1973. A summer job starting in 1975 with the Evanston Lakefront Service afforded him the opportunity to hang around boats and dive, dive, dive. In 1977 he joined the Evanston Police Department as a dispatcher. He also joined the EFD/Lifeguard dive team in 1978, assisting in boat rescues and body recoveries along the shore of Lake Michigan and numerous small inland lakes. In 1979 he attended the Law Enforcement Diving Institute in Marquette, Michigan. After leaving the City of Evanston in 1983 he purchased his first boat a Boston Whaler, which he still has. The next six years had him boating and diving in the Chicago area. He also did survey work for the Underwater Archeological Society of Chicago.
In 1990 Tony tagged along on a charter to the Willie aboard the LEN-DER, needless to say, he was hooked. Most Wednesdays would find him in Milwaukee, diving the numerous intact wrecks, something the shallow waters of the Chicago area did not have. His proficiency in solo diving evolved during this time, as did the visibility, due to the runaway Zebra mussel population. Along the way Tony earned a handful of certifications from PADI, TDI Nitrox, and NACD full cave. In 2005 he was licensed as a USCG Master of "50 Gross Tons Upon The Great Lakes And Inland Waters," along with a commercial assistance towing endorsement.
As before, most Wednesdays will find Tony aboard the LEN-DER, not diving, but taking out the usual crowd and soon to be regulars on yet another diving adventure. Cap'n Tony resides in Palatine, IL (Yes, a flat lander) with his wife Irene. Their dive travels have taken them throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Grenada, Palau and Chuuk. More exotic dive destinations are on the horizon. |
Captain Amanda Schenk took SCUBA class while attending the University of Wisconsin Platteville and was certified at the beginning of summer in 2005. This was also her first summer as crew member aboard the Len-Der. Over the next four years, she went diving and continued to work as crew, operating the boat, lifting tanks, and enjoying meeting new people on the boat. She earned her USCG 50 ton Masters License in 2009 and you will continue to see her aboard the Len-Der helping out and having fun. Amanda graduated from college in 2008 and is a high school teacher for Milwaukee Public Schools.
|