James is the instructor I wish I had when I first got into SCUBA.  He is informative, passionate, tireless & fun.  And, you will learn to do it THE RIGHT WAY.  This guy clearly loves what he does & gives it 100% day in & out.  If you’re frustrated with all the BS from egocentric divers & instructors, give him a try.  Diving is fun again!
Nick

The time you spent with us out of the water working on our gear configuration and fitment, skills practice on dry land, and conveying your expectations of us underwater as well as what we can expect from you was instrumental. Your patience with us was most appreciated. You helped us realize and apply the concepts in a way we could understand the rationale behind everything, not just " because that's how we do it."
Thank you for all that you do for this wonderful sport and your dedication to changing the mindset of students, instructors, and already certified divers of all caliber.
Chris

I can't say enough good things about your instruction, it really blew me away. You're very approachable and read your students well. You know when to push and when to let up. You let us make mistakes we can learn from in a constructive way.
I felt like we were not just diving with instructors but lifelong friends.
Katie

The catering to each student's individual needs, in gear analysis, problem areas of buoyancy, and how each student learns best, really helped. So many classes are taught from a general perspective, and it really helped that you took the time to get to know each of us, our backgrounds, and how we learn in order to adapt to our needs. Thank you for meeting us where we were as divers and helping improve overall control, mental space, and diving ability. I would love to work with you again and keep working towards better buoyancy control, breathing control, and trim. Thank you!!!
Hailey

The Essentials class exceeded my expectations in many ways. I truly appreciate all the time and effort you put into the class. It really shows your passion for diving and your love for teaching.
Justin

Your instruction has been exceptional. I'm looking forward to getting back in the water with you. The Essentials class helped change my view on diving. I'm glad I took it. It taught me so much and makes me aspire to be a better diver.  I can't say that enough.
Josh

I earned a deck of c-cards on my way to becoming a Divemaster, but I learned more about being a skilled diver through UTD Essentials than all of my other certifications combined.  Essentials isn’t a just a class, its a curriculum upon which to build competence and confidence, and James Mott isn’t just an instructor.  He’s a teacher and a mentor.  Thank you James for introducing me to a whole new dimension of diving.
 Jim

James Mott does it differently.  He makes you think, walks you through what you are doing wrong and allows you to break down with all the bad habits and rebuild yourself as a proper diver.  This course is not a pay and get a card class.  This class is a breakdown of what you learned incorrectly, addresses it and makes you a thinking diver.
Kevin

Over the last few years, I’ve found myself wanting to do some of the deeper wrecks that haven’t been molested by souvenir collectors but realized that I needed additional training. My buoyancy skills were good, I handled emergency situations well and had great situational awareness so I started researching technical instructors. I kept running across guys that were more interested in making money than making good divers until a friend who was doing the same thing came across some tattoo laden ex-punk rocker named James Mott. I asked around and couldn’t get anything short of, “He’s the real deal,” and “He’s the guy you want to learn from.”
My buddy and I registered for Intro to Cave/Tech and we were on our way. In the short time I spent under his instruction, my dive skills advanced more than they did in the past nineteen years.  I’m sure he could have simply said, “good enough,” and mailed me a card, but he truly wants to create better divers and not just get the cash and run. He isn’t afraid to point out your deficiencies and has the uncanny ability to show you how to fix them. He also is very interesting to listen to, serious when he needs to be but never lets you forget that this is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. I am truly looking forward to continuing my dive education with him. 
Chris

I had done some rather demanding cold water, high current, and low viz dives before
signing up for my UTD essentials with James Mott. I considered myself a fairly experienced and
competent diver at that point. However, it was clear to me after our first session that there was so
much underwater magic that I had yet to learn. His classes are not the typical cash-in card-out
classes. You’ll work. You are gonna relearn what you thought you had long ago mastered. You’ll
get frustrated. You will master buoyancy. You will lust after perfect trim. You will gas plan with
confidence. You will learn that magic and your dive experience will never be the same.
Nathan

Had the pleasure of taking the Essentials with James Mott.  Learned way more than I thought I would!  His subject matter expertise is impressive but what’s even more impressive is the way he trains you to think about diving.  I feel like I have much better situational awareness when I’m diving which gave me way more confidence
and helped make me a better dive buddy.
Ian