Jacob TovrovStore Team / Instructor
Background:
Jake Tovrov is an integral part of the East Coast Divers family, and since joining the team, he’s brought more than just experience—he’s brought presence. Calm, kind, and endlessly patient, Jake is the kind of instructor who can make even the most nervous student feel like they belong in the water.
His dive career began back in 2006 and has taken him from the chilly North Atlantic to the sun-washed reefs of the Florida Keys, the kelp forests of California, and even to Panama, where he worked as an underwater videographer. That camera work taught him to slow down, look closer, and tune into the rhythm of the ocean—something he brings to every course he teaches.
As an instructor, Jake is all about fundamentals and forward-thinking. He believes diving should be joyful and skillful, and his favorite course to teach—Stress and Rescue—proves it. For Jake, it’s the turning point when a student stops diving just for themselves and starts thinking like a teammate. It’s also the course where confidence is earned, not assumed.
Whether he’s teaching Open Water or leading advanced workshops, Jake never rushes the process. He’s invested in building thoughtful, capable divers who are just as excited about the next dive as he is.
Favorite Dive Site:
Jake’s seen a lot of the underwater world—and narrowing down a favorite dive site is a losing game. He’s chased big animals in the Pacific, drifted along reef walls in the Caribbean, and ducked into the quiet kelp forests of California. Every site tells a different story. But whether it’s current-swept or calm, warm or cold, he’s at home wherever the ocean decides to show off a little.
Favorite Creature:
Jake’s ocean favorites say a lot about how he sees the underwater world.
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Manta Rays for their effortless grace
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Sharks for their raw presence and mystery
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Dolphins for the intelligence and joy they bring to a dive
Each one reminds him that even in a world of silence, there’s always something powerful being communicated beneath the surface.
Favorite Certification Course:
Jake’s favorite course to teach is stress and rescue because it flips a switch in people. It’s where divers start paying attention to more than just their own gear and buoyancy—they start reading the room (or the ocean). He loves watching that shift happen: when someone who was focused only on themselves suddenly becomes the diver others look to in a tough moment. It’s real-world, hands-on, and full of those “oh wow, I can actually do this” moments. For Jake, that’s the good stuff.
Goals In The Dive Industry:
For Jake, diving isn’t a job—it’s something closer to purpose. He dives because it keeps him grounded, curious, and connected. But he teaches because he loves that moment when a student surfaces from their first dive with wide eyes and a whole new world unlocked.
He’s here to build divers who care—about the ocean, about each other, and about doing it right.