Inside Under: Our Story
Inside Under: Our Story
My name is Alex, and I was born and raised in the Arizona desert, which may be why I am so drawn to the water. I first learned to dive while visiting the Galápagos Islands in 2011. That first experience in a rich, pristine marine reserve captivated me; I at once became a student of and steward for the ocean. I spent the next year diving and gaining experience in some of the most difficult and diverse diving conditions on the planet.
In the Galápagos, I worked at the Charles Darwin Research Station as a field research assistant and as a field ecology instructor with an NGO called Ecology Project International. After completing 80+ dives and my PADI Rescue Diver course, I returned to the United States fluent in Spanish. I spent the following 2 years completing my Divemaster course off the coast of California, around Catalina and the Channel Islands.
In 2014, dive-industry work called to me from the warm, vibrant waters of the Caribbean. I moved to Roatán, Honduras, where I became an instructor and worked at a top-rated independent valet dive shop. Two years, 100+ certifications, and 750+ dives later, I returned to the United States an eager dive instructor ready to explore new possibilities.
At the start of 2017 I travelled throughout Southeast Asia, focusing on the diving around western and central Indonesia. As a freelance instructor and guide, I gained invaluable experience in a wide range of work environments and cultures. Bringing my lifetime count to 1300+ dives with nearly 200 hours of dive time in Indonesian waters, the trip opened my eyes to a new world of diving possibilities.
From 2018-2023, I worked as a divemaster and boat captain in Kona, Hawaii. I found a passion for guiding blackwater dives and off-shore ocean safaris, encountering mysterious and sometimes iconic sea creatures at night and iconic and sometimes mysterious marine megafauna during the day. After more than 3,000 dives, 2,000 hours underwater and 1,000 hours on deep ocean safaris, I’ve broadened my experience immensely in the ocean eco-tourism industry.
I began building Inside Under in 2015, exploring opportunities in dive travel planning and private dive instruction. At Inside Under, the mission is to empower people to become stewards of the marine ecosystem by inspiring a deep passion for and connection to the world’s oceans. I hope to provide people with an inside look at life underwater, in the most pristine aquatic environments around the world through concierge dive travel and private dive instruction.
See my areas of global experience, click here.
Photography courtesy of Alex St. Jean.
See what people are saying...
See what people are saying...
I can't imagine having learned how to dive with anyone else. Alex helped me fall in love with scuba diving.
I would recommend Alex to EVERYONE doing ANY [diving] course. He is the best instructor I can remember for any new activity/sport.
Talking with others, I realized how lucky I was in that Alex is an exceptional instructor. He obviously has a love for diving and passed on that passion to us…in fact, I would love to have him certify my kids in the future.
He is professional, yet makes you feel like you are more than just a client. You can tell that he really loves his job and that he’s in his element.
Life might be good enough with us so we can dive together again…AHHHHHHHH *angelic voices singing*!!!
His skill and competence made our trip to Roatan a success! Would definitely recommend Alex to anyone looking to learn Scuba and have a great vacation. I can't say enough positive things about my experience in his class.
[Alex] did an amazing job of creating a relaxed environment that made diving comfortable and enjoyable while staying focused on safety.
I really felt comfortable entrusting him with my safety. He answered all of my questions and took my concerns seriously. Additionally, his enthusiasm and outgoing attitude was infectious.
Alex is super helpful and well versed in his profession. 10/10 instructive af...
I felt so comfortable in this class. I am a perfectionist and have to feel that I am doing things correctly and safely. Alex gave me the time to do this.
Alex was the perfect instructor for me...genuine, friendly, safety driven and comprehensive.
I was quite nervous when we started but having Alex as our instructor instantly made me feel very comfortable, and I always felt safe every time we did a dive with him.
I would not hesitate for any of my children or friends to undertake instruction with Alex. His instruction was top notch.
Alex was the most patient and collected instructor I have trained with.
Alex was great, he Made me feel very comfortable in the open water, which was a hurdle for me getting over some childhood fears of the water.
Alex was the perfect fit to instruct me for this course. I would highly recommend him to anybody wanting to become a diver. I hope to get together someday and dive with him again...5 out of 5 stars for Alex.
Our instructor Alex has inspired my enthusiasm in diving and more importantly given me confidence.
He is the best. If you can dive with him it's a gift.
Alex was very outgoing and thorough in his teaching ways. He made safety of his students the #1 priority, which I really valued.
Professional, competent, calm, funny, attentive to detail, friendly, thorough...