Allison ShuppService/Repair Manager
Allison Shupp's Gallery:
Background:
Allison has been drawn to the water for as long as she can remember. A competitive swimmer growing up, being underwater always felt natural, and summers were spent at the beach searching for sea turtle nests and exploring anything ocean related she could find. That early connection shaped a path toward marine biology, diving, and the behind the scenes work that makes both possible.
She completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Marine Biology at Northeastern University through the Three Seas program, an intensive, field based curriculum focused on real world research, logistics, and operations. After graduating, Allison returned as a teaching assistant, where she led scientific dives, prepared dive plans and safety materials, filled tanks, and managed the practical details that keep complex dive programs running smoothly. That experience gave her a deep appreciation for systems, preparation, and reliability, and how much they matter when people are depending on equipment and process to do their jobs safely.
As East Coast Divers’ Repair Department Manager, Allison brings that same mindset to equipment service. With a background rooted in scientific diving, lab work, and operational planning, she is detail oriented, methodical, and focused on doing things correctly rather than quickly. She cares deeply about process management, consistency, and accountability, and believes divers should be able to trust their gear without hesitation. At the same time, she brings a friendly, approachable energy to the shop and enjoys helping customers understand their equipment and feel confident in how it is maintained.
Allison is currently a Divemaster candidate and continues to build her diving experience alongside her work in repair and operations, combining technical curiosity, structured problem solving, and a genuine love for the ocean in everything she does.
Favorite Dive Site:
Canoe Beach, Nahant, MA. This is where Allison’s first real diving with the Three Seas program began. Early dives here included sea star surveys, learning how to work in colder, lower visibility conditions, and getting comfortable with the kind of diving that requires awareness, planning, and teamwork. It is also the site of the annual underwater pumpkin carving, which turned into some of her most memorable fun dives. Canoe Beach is full of cool New England critters and small details that reward slow, curious diving. Diving here helped her realize that diving is not just about drifting over warm tropical reefs, but about exploration, observation, and building a connection with the environment you are in.
Favorite Creature:
Whale sharks. Just after getting her open water certification, Allison had the chance to snorkel with whale sharks, and it was an unforgettable experience. Watching these massive animals move so calmly and effortlessly through the water made a huge impression on her early on. Despite their size, they are incredibly graceful, and being in the water with them really drives home how small you are in the best possible way. It is something she would recommend to anyone if they get the chance, especially if you are confident enough in the water to keep up with them for a bit.
Favorite Certification Course:
The drysuit course stands out as the most fun for Allison because it took her to Hathaway’s Pond for the first time and really made things click as a New England diver. Learning to manage buoyancy, movement, and comfort in cold water felt like a rite of passage and opened up a whole new range of local diving opportunities. That course helped turn local cold water diving from something intimidating into something genuinely enjoyable and confidence building.
Goals In The Dive Industry:
Allison is pursuing her Divemaster certification because she wants to help others protect and love the ocean as much as she does, while continuing to build a deep, well rounded foundation as a diver. What genuinely excites her is being involved in the learning process and watching divers gain confidence, awareness, and respect for the environments they are diving in.
Equipment service and repair is a very strong area of interest for her. Allison cares deeply about reliability and believes divers should never have to question their gear. She is highly motivated by understanding how equipment works, how and why it fails, and how proper servicing directly affects safety, performance, and trust underwater. She wants to be part of raising the standard around equipment maintenance by focusing on precision, consistency, and doing things correctly every time. For her, good service work is not just support in the background, it is a critical part of safe, confident diving.