Many times in my life I have had to literally force my mouth to stay closed while my wife’s fingers dig into my arm to prevent me from interfering with something that is not under my control. Never more so than now as a dad watching my kids learn how to negotiate the new skill of scuba diving. This past weekend was the culmination of several months of online training; pool sessions (not easy during a pandemic lockdown, I might add); a successful, if murky beach dive; and now the holy grail for a new diver: The legendary open water checkout dives from a real dive boat. Incredibly, both my 13 and 16 year old kids took on the challenge and became certified with flying colors.
Chuck Schonder, a local veteran scuba instructor for NAUI, risked developing grey hair by taking on the job of turning my swimmers into divers along with 2 friends, and it was with equal measures of excitement and nervousness that we found ourselves gearing up for the first dive of the day aboard the dive boat, Spectre. Thankfully, this make up day out near the east end of Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park in California, was sunny and calm with just a light wind and better than hoped for visibility (a solid 45-50 feet). Our prior attempt had been cancelled as something akin to a force 10 hurricane had descended on the Santa Barbara Channel creating 11-15 foot wind waves and virtually plucking the very feathers from surprised seagulls. Not so this day. Even better, the anticipated heavy west swell had failed to materialize meaning that my guys wouldn’t have to battle nausea along with the demands of donning and using heavy scuba gear. I was also secretly pleased that due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, the Spectre was operating at 50% capacity so I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone in my group turning around awkwardly with their BCD and air tank knocking someone over on a crowded deck. Of course, the offender would most likely be me, but I saw no reason to share this information…
Soon enough, my kids were briefed, dressed for immersion in the chilly 56 degree water, and lined up behind Chuck ready to take the plunge into a completely different world than they’d experienced during their brief time on the planet. They’d done it all with minimal help and progressed through their checklists and prep together as a buddy pair-all I was allowed to do with my years of experience and know-how was to pull up a hard to reach zipper on my daughter’s wetsuit. In fact, soon after my valuable contribution, I discovered that my own arms had shrunk a foot or so in length and that I too needed help reaching my wetsuit zipper. So much for experience. One by one my friend Jason’s kids and my own followed their instructor off the swim step at the stern of the boat into dazzling blue water. Jason and I followed as we were allowed to trail the group serving as an extra pair of eyes and not as co-instructors (I could almost feel my wife’s fingers on my arm as I agreed to the directions). Without any fuss each student signaled the divemaster that they were okay and grouped up by the anchor line. My kids signalled to me more subtly that they were fine, and that I could, well, go now, Dad. Jason and I buddied up and with a short blast of air from our BCD’s swam down to the bottom clearly visible 30 feet or so below to distract ourselves on this momentous occasion and watch the action while satisfying our own desire for exploration.
This dive, and the 2 subsequent ones, were notable for the clear water, thick shady kelp beds attached to large and interesting rock formations looking for all the world like an ancient sunken city lit by laser beams of golden sunlight through the waving fronds, and of course the diversity of wildlife. Sometimes called the Galapagos of North America due to the explosion of creatures thriving in isolation, the CINP boasts clear water teeming with fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals such as seals and sealions. We saw dozens of species of fish including calico bass, wrass, whitefish, opaleye, gobies, the obscenely orange garibaldis that lord it over other duller species while fiercely guarding their territory, and ever-present hopeful sheepshead that have learned divers will sometimes sacrifice an urchin with their knives to tempt fish in front of camera lenses. We saw octopus, nudibranchs, sea cucumbers, lobster, and the largest sea hares I’ve ever encountered clustered together in a colony (or orgy, as Jason succinctly put it).
My kids brought a fresh perception to this old favorite activity of mine and I found myself watching them as they explored the deep as much as the wildlife swirling and lurking around me. I discovered that they had become adults somewhere along the way during their training and was surprised by the depth and complexity of their observations as well as their burgeoning self-reliance. Later, while discussing this change with my wife, we permitted ourselves a pat on the back for providing our kids this opportunity for personal growth as there is truly nowhere to hide when entering this wild and fluid environment: by its very nature, the ocean is a true wilderness and there is no taming it. Divers here at the CINP have to deal with extremes of cold water, weather, tough sea conditions and wearing thick gloves, hoods, booties, and wetsuits to delay exposure to debilitating cold. All of this takes good mental and emotional control and solid skills, and I’m proud to say that my kids demonstrated this and loved every minute of the experience. In fact, we are all excitedly planning our next foray to explore more of the Channel Islands National Park.
Note: The Channel Islands National Park comprises 5 islands located between 11 and 20 miles or so off the Ventura and Santa Barbara coastline. It was formed in 1980 and provides many opportunities for diving, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, and camping. To find out more visit their website:
Several dive boats operate in the CINP out of Ventura Harbor. We chose the Spectre and you can book a trip via their website: Dive Boat Spectre
If you would like to spend the day or camp out on the islands themselves, Island Packers runs daily trips as well as whale and bird watching cruises and much more. You can find out more at their website link here: Island Packers
For kayak rentals and kayak tours visit Channel Islands Kayak Center or Santa Barbara Adventure Company
