My name is Lynn Nettles. I am the President and Founder of Wet Set Publications, Inc. publisher of Scuba News and creator of this website for the sole purpose of helping my company get out of debt. I am a University of Florida Graduate, class of 1972 from the School of Journalism. I have been fortunate to share my passion of scuba diving through my Journalism  training. After studying Journalism, it was my dream for a very long time to publish a magazine. I was close to giving up on that dream when my mother told me, "if you want it bad enough, you will figure out how to do it." As they say, the rest is history...I was able to combine my two passions and work my dream job.

When I started the job of publisher, I imagined traveling to exotic dive locations, venturing where few have gone underwater, like diving the Andria Doria or mapping a new underwater tunnel in a cave system. Or even going down in a submersible to see the Titanic first-hand. My ultimate dream was to live underwater in an aquatic habitat for awhile and report back to the world to get people excited about the "living" underwater world. I wanted to dive Truk Lagoon to go back in history. My dad was part of the Bimini Atomic bomb tests, so I wanted to travel there to see how those tests affected the underwater world and imagine what he felt like sitting in that small boat when the bomb went off. Years after starting Scuba News, I found out my dad was once a hard-hat diver in the Navy--something I always wanted to do. I even applied for career training in the mid-60's at a school in California. My imagined publisher's job and reality were two vastly different things. Due to health problems, I have not been able to travel or dive, but that does not stop my imagination. I still dream frequently about diving, especially chasing lobsters, and it is so real, I wake up tired from all the swimming! But I never wake up at the dinner table with a freshly cooked lobster.

When I started Florida Scuba News, I was shocked that people used the oceans as a dumping ground. I remember the toilets from the old Gator Bowl being dumped offshore. The thought of garbage barges heading out to sea made me sick. I knew I could do something about it and I did! I have used my magazine for 25 years now to get people to appreciate the beauty of the underwater world through scuba diving and help raise their consciousness. I have tried to make diving safer by encouraging training in all areas so we don't have to hear about someone dying in a diving accident or in a cavern or cave dive because they were not trained for that environment. My magazine was one of the first to encourage Nitrox training as a recreational sport so the "Mayport Maddies" could be officially trained in mixed gas diving and know reputable places to take training. I am proud of the accomplishments of my magazine over the last 25 years and know we can continue to make a difference and do so much more--if we can survive the economy.

Well, I was never able to travel and dive exotic places, but I have no regrets because I was able to dive Florida extensively. Diving  provided a lifetime of adventure even though my diving career was shortened by health problems. I earned my Instructor Certificate through PADI a long time ago (1981--Instructor #12145). I only taught a few classes, mostly to friends because I was too busy trying to make a living, but I kept my Instructor rating active through 1984--then I got too busy trying to produce a magazine. Originally, I was certified in 1963 at the age of 13, by Bob Axelrod  through the YMCA when classes took a minimum of 10 weeks. Several years later I accompanied a friend through her certification so I was re-certified by NAUI and IDEA. I assisted local instructors, like Steve Matheny, for several years with their classes before earning my own instructor rating.

In 1993, I was listed in the "Who's Who of Scuba Diving" published by Best Publishing and compiled by the Academy of Marine Sciences and Underwater Research on the Golden Anniversary of Scuba Diving.  Over the years, I was also listed in Strathmore's  "Who's Who" 13th edition in 2006-2007 and in "Who's Who of Professional and Business Women" sixth edition in 1999.  Before publishing Florida Scuba News, I worked a short while in real estate to help my mother's company--Cypress Realty, Inc in Putnam County, where I started their first dive club. I am semi-retired now, working as a consultant for Scuba News for the health insurance coverage and because I still have a passion for diving and helping other small businesses. We have accomplished so much, but there is still so much work to be done. There is a tremendous amount of information to share and I take great pleasure in providing an outlet for others to share.

Our Business

In 1984, I started Florida Scuba News to establish a network of communication by and for divers throughout Florida. I wanted a publication that was at the heart of the diving world, providing timely and accurate information that divers could rely on. I remember before starting my magazine, reading about a treasure hunt in South Florida in the only dive publication at that time. The only problem was the news was more than 3 months old--I thought it would have been great to participate in that treasure hunt had I known about it. The next time that treasure hunt was held, I was there and so were a lot more divers because they read it ahead of time in Florida Scuba News. I have dedicated half my life promoting diving all over Florida. Several years ago we dropped the "Florida" from our name and expanded our distribution throughout twelve Southeast states as Scuba News. There is so much information to share.

I want to provide the same excellent communication throughout the Southeast that we have provided all these years in Florida. Due to the constraints of the printed magazine, especially the expense of printing and mailing, we have created an exceptional website to allow us more room for news and features, plus the ability to show videos. The website also allows us to introduce the Southeast USA to the world and the world to the most lucrative diving market anywhere. We just launched our new website at www.scubanews.com so check us out. Despite the economy, we are investing in the industry by creating this new tremendously interactive website for dive businesses and divers all over the world. As we grow, we will expand the world's knowledge of the great diving, not only in Florida, but throughout the Southeast. We are not just resting in our rubber booties, we are moving ahead providing the diving industry and the diving public what they need to enjoy a lifetime of adventure and dive safely and consciously. Please help us continue our destiny by clicking here.

Who We Are

We have a great team of people helping prepare Scuba News each month, but I did not want to embarrass any of them with this web site, so they don't know about it--yet. As I considered options and reviewed all we have already done to keep the company and my dream alive, I feel like there is little left unless this economy turns around quickly. We have all worked hard to cut back, trim down expenses, streamline, borrow to the limit, max out credit cards like so many other companies. Despite all our efforts, we are sinking just like the economy and we need YOUR help. We have made so many changes and improvements and we are ready and moving to the next level, but we still need help.

When the economy turns up, we are poised to succeed, we just need your help to survive a little longer. 

President Barack Obama stresses that the government's bail out programs are intended to help taxpayers keep their jobs or to create new jobs. Well, this is a perfect example where bail out help is needed and would save jobs; however, I am sure the government funds are not going to be coming my way, so I turn back to you. Please click here to help.