Koza - The Best Name In Production Assistants

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida - I have spent nearly 15 years traveling around the country working with the most diverse and talented individuals in the National Park Service. The agency has a feeling of unity for those who truly subscribe to its “unimpaired for future generations” ethos. Occasionally, as with most journeys in life, you meet extraordinary individuals who possess a certain quality that you just inherently want to be around. For me, in my NPS journey, no one ranks higher than Jim Koza

A tremendous retired NPS employee who spend his career on the waters of the NPS keeping visitors safe through buoys, docks and aids to navigation. Koza embodies those old tales of sailors who reach mythical status through storms and heavy seas. He is meek soul who can humble you pretty quickly by docking a boat or tying a knot – all without a hint of intent. He has been supporting SRC operations for years, long before I was with the NPS. He is a rare breed of diver that has crossed over from the old guard who founded SCRU and new leadership currently at the SRC helm.

My acquaintance with Koza began at Lake Mead NRA on a small skiff looking for a submerged B-29 aircraft with a drop camera around 2000. My friendship began shortly after by spending several weeks on houseboats, barges and pretty much anything that would float discussing the NPS, diving and more importantly life. Koza was the engine of the logistical train in our deep mixed gas diving operations at Mead. If a dive requires hours of decompression there is a very short list of individuals I want supervising the op with an eye toward the weather. Koza is unequivocally at the top of the list...