Patti began diving in 1975 and is certified as a rebreather, cave and trimix diver. She holds instructor status up to the level of Technical Nitrox. Patti is the author of The Complete Guide to Underwater Modeling and the NAUI Student Workbook for Underwater Modeling. She has co-authored numerous articles and her photos have been published in magazines worldwide. Patti was one of the first women to receive the SSI Pro 5000 card (1993), is in Who's Who in Business, Who's Who in Diving and is the CEO and on the BOD of IANTD.