Edges of Earth x SSI: My Dad Learnt to Dive at 65 And Loved It!
June 16, 2024
As we celebrate Father’s Day 2024, we want to acknowledge all the amazing fathers and father figures who have encouraged and inspired us to go diving. In this latest Edges of Earth update, we join Andi Cross as she introduces her father to scuba diving and discovers how incredible diving with your loved ones can be. Read on to find out more.
When I first started my diving career, I was doing it on my own. I was learning everything from scratch and doing it alone, as none of my friends were interested. Or maybe they were, but it was never the right moment for us New Yorkers. So I went around as a solo diver, jumping onto dive boats with anyone who would take me in. From the Bahamas to diving in Bali, I planned my adventures around where I wanted to dive.
One day, I told my father about my diving adventures and casually mentioned that he should try it with me. Little did I know, it was the start of an incredible journey
Typically, when I make comments like this to people, I do not expect them to commit. Especially not my dad. It usually takes me about 100 times of asking and begging until he finally gives in to any of my ideas. However, once he does, he has the best time ever. But this time, he genuinely seemed quite interested —which made sense as he was the one who got me hooked on the underwater world in the first place.
Steve was an avid fish collector back in the day. And though I hate to admit it, he was an even bigger fan of exotic fish. At the time this hobby began, I am pretty sure Steve did not realize the issue with collecting wild fish. Nonetheless, I will not deny that this was a gigantic part of my upbringing. Not to mention his resourcefulness; he built all the fish tanks and filtration systems himself out of random pieces of junk he found lying around.
The fish tanks were made of plywood and epoxy boat paint, and filters were made from trash cans and PVC pipe. Between him and I, we loved those fish and Steve took care of them like they were his children. The fish tanks resided in his dental office basement, and he nurtured each of them for years. They were the healthiest captive fish we had ever seen.
These fish were so healthy that aquariums would take the fish off him when they outgrew the tanks—like his giant moray eels and his spectacular leopard sharks. Now in the modern world, where illegal animal trade and animal welfare are top of mind, I thought why not show Steve what these animals look like in their natural habitat?
So, off we went to take Steve’s Open Water Diver test in the Bahamas. He was so committed. I had not (and still have not) seen someone immerse themselves in their studies and handwritten notes— jotted down from the online exams—the way Steve did.
It was as if he was about to take a college admission exam and his entire life depended on not only passing - but acing it. And at that moment, although tirelessly ridiculing him as I like to do, I was proud that he was taking his diving work so seriously. It was equal parts genuine interest and pure terror of succumbing to the dangers of diving.
For that, I could not knock him, as it was exactly how I felt only a few months ago. After all, neither of us was very adept at swimming. We could barely swim a lap in a pool and had quite literally zero understanding of the ocean. Better late than never, as the saying goes.
I started diving at 31, but Steve was starting at 65. Huge respect for this guy getting out there and giving it a go, studying his flashcards and all
He passed his Open Water —just barely—and he was beyond proud. It was one of those moments where the roles of "child" and "parent" felt a bit reversed. I was beaming that he was feeling so accomplished. Now he could see his beloved moray eels in their authentic element! I knew that this little step in Steve’s life would be a defining moment for him, a chance to get him away from our small hometown of Broomall, Pennsylvania (which he HATES to leave) and out there seeing the world. And not just what is topside, but what is sitting beneath the surface.
Now, given Steve barely passed his Open Water, I knew that there was still going to be a steep learning curve for him when he tried to keep up on our dives. The minute he was out of a training environment and in the deep with just the likes of me, who again was still a novice, we would be dealing with a lot of unprecedented fear factors. So, that meant I had to move to Australia, become a more proficient diver, and ultimately become a pro.
Just kidding, this is NOT the reason why I moved to Australia (only partially.) I was hooked on the sport, and seeing how much my dad loved the experience, I wanted to get better and start showing him a whole new world.
Becoming an Open Water diver meant my father and I would have something special to share. Something that no one could take away from us.
We would create memories that would stay with both of us forever. So, I decided to invite Steve to come to Australia while I was taking my Divemaster course and be part of the journey. I had not yet realized the amount of saving and rescuing I would need to do as his dive buddy, but it became the perfect training for a rising Divemaster. And yes, this was a chance for Steve to be part of my dive journey. Plus, there is nothing better than diving in Australia!
Steve lost me 2 points on my Divemaster training, that is for sure. But I passed and my dad was firmly a part of it. It was beyond special and truly something that meant the world to me, knowing that he watched and witnessed the tail-end of rigorous training that my Diving Instructor put me through and contributed to my learning journey.
Now, the question became where should my father and I go diving next?
The expedition trail was leading our team to go diving in California, where there are some of my favorite dive sites. I had spent months during the pandemic traversing up and down the California coasts diving the legendary kelp forests there, and I was blown away. This would be a perfect opportunity to get Steve back in the water. It took some convincing though, as California is known for its chilly waters and challenging conditions.
But, like always, after approximately 100 tries, Steve said yes and we were kitting him out for temperate water diving at a dive center in California, since hardly anyone scuba dives in our home state. And that March, Steve was on his way to meet us in California to get the unique chance to see kelp in the wild. I was stoked, but I also knew this would be a massive stretch for someone now pushing 70 with very limited ocean and dive experience.
The first stop was Santa Barbara to go diving in the Channel Islands, some of the most well-protected marine areas of the USA. I had spent most of my time diving here and became obsessed with these eight islands, amplifying my excitement to share these waters with my dad. We were hardly able to move in our 7mm wetsuits with hoods, gloves, and extra thick booties. To even put all this gear on requires work. But Steve was super focused on this very task and did it.
We jumped into the shallows and immediately faced issues at the surface of getting comfortable in waters very different from those of the Bahamas or Australia. After a short adjustment period though, we managed to get it together and went down into the kelp.
It was hard not to be amazed by this place, rightly known as the Galapagos of North America. The expedition team and my father were astonished.
There was so much vibrant life all around us, and it opened our eyes to different ecosystems than what we were used to. Spirits were high. However, these dives typically require surface swims back to the boat. So, I had the unique pleasure of putting my Divemaster skills to use and towed Steve back to the boat. We were still firmly in training mode around here!
The next stop was Catalina Island, one of the crown jewels of California’s diving scene. And here we were teaming up with the Catalina Islands Marine Institute (CIMI) to learn about how they educate the next generation to become ocean stewards.
This camp brings young people to live on-site and learn to snorkel, scuba dive, and learn all about marine sciences. It is one of the most amazing places for young people between the 4th and 12th grades. And because Steve’s diving abilities were not very advanced, I thought this would be the perfect next stop for him—to be surrounded by ocean educators and instructors. And in fact, it was. This was a breakthrough moment for my dad.
This was the first time I saw Steve comfortable on a dive, performing his tasks correctly, and having the time of his life!
There were a few dives where I saw him looking around at the smaller things—a sign that he was catching on to the magic of the underwater world. Sometimes, it is the things you least expect that make the biggest impression when diving. With each dive on Catalina, alongside the CIMI team, Steve’s confidence grew, and he graduated from the 4th grade to 5th grade, and so on. Dare I say that on this expedition chapter, he maybe even made it to a 12th-grade level of diving. I am just kidding!
But really, one of the highlights of the expedition thus far was seeing how proud my dad was coming to the surface and completing his dives WELL. We overcame fear, pushed ourselves, and came out on top. Much stronger and more resilient than before.
For people like us, who did not grow up by the ocean and are not true blue-water people, these moments are a big deal.
Even putting on a 7mm wetsuit genuinely requires human strength, and Steve powered through it without a single complaint. I thought I was proud during his Open Water course, but this time I was beyond proud. He stuck with something that is genuinely difficult unless you can go diving regularly and practice. He kept trying, over and over again, just to be closer to his daughter and have special experiences together. That is truly something special in my book.
I hope that, throughout the rest of this expedition, I will get the chance to dive with my dad again.
I hope that even after this monumental journey around the world chasing positive progress stories about our ocean, it is not the end of this amazing journey that we are on together. It never goes unnoticed that he is one of the few people to meet me where it matters most—under that thin blue line. And for that, I will be forever grateful. But not just for our time underwater; for introducing me to those aquarium fish when I was younger.
If not for that core memory and experience, we probably would not be diving today. Even though my love for the ocean manifested in the dimly lit basement of my dad’s dental office instead of on epic beaches teeming with life, I would not have changed my upbringing for the world.
Passion for the sea can ignite anywhere. Sharing that with the people you love is one of the most fulfilling things you can do. If you have the privilege of diving with someone you love, on Father’s Day, or any day, I suggest you do it now.
Why not start diving with your family this Father’s Day?
You will create some of the best experiences and the richest memories ever. Click the link below to find out more.