5 Reasons You Should Learn to Scuba Dive If You Want to Work in Marine Science & Conservation

Ep 009: Learning to dive was THE thing that jump-started my marine conservation career. But it taught me a lot more than just how to be a mermaid. I gained valuable skills and abilities that have boosted my resume, gotten me jobs, and kept me going in challenging times in my career.

I'm here to convince you to get in the water! Learning to dive might be one of the single most transformative things you can do if you want to work in marine science and conservation, not because it's required (although for many roles, it actually is), but because of what happens to you when you finally get under the surface. I'm talking about why "becoming a fish" rewires the way you observe the natural world, how you learn tons without trying every time you get in the water, the field skills that quietly stack up on your resume, and why being underwater might be the single best antidote to burnout in this field. 

In this episode, I talk about:

• why being in the water is the single fastest way to understand the ocean
• how passive education happens every time you get underwater
• the reality that for a lot of marine science jobs, diving isn't optional, it's required (and once cost me a position I really wanted)
• the transferable skills that quietly turn you into a stronger field scientist
• why nothing keeps you going in this field like being back in the water
• how to actually get started (and why you don't need to live somewhere tropical)

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

A lot of scientific work and conservation work is wearing a lot of hats and being able to do a lot of different things, sometimes at the same time, and diving makes you really, really good at that. What you learn in dive courses is exactly the kind of thing that makes someone an effective field scientist. This is Marine Conservation, the podcast where we talk ocean protection, science, activism, and everything that makes our watery world so impressive. I'm your host, Katie Smith. I'm a marine scientist, environmental optimist, and die-hard ocean therapy who's dedicating my career to see. Fighting for the health of our oceans isn't just my job, it's my country. And I'm here to share that love with you. Join me and my guests as we chat all things ocean and share the science, stories, and solutions that keep it thriving. Whether you're a marine professional or you dream of becoming one, or you simply just love the ocean and want to learn how you can make a difference, you're in the right place. Ready? Grab your fins and let's dive in. Hello there and welcome back to another episode of the podcast. Thank you so much for joining me this week. I honestly didn't know if I was going to be able to record this week. Just had one of those, you know. I had a boat trip for work um a few days ago that almost destroyed me. I don't know if it's just that I'm getting older that I'm getting more seasick or what the what the deal is. But I never used to get this seasick, and now I'm getting so seasick and it's terrible. It wiped me out for a few days. I had a bad experience in the field where someone was quite hostile to me. And then just yesterday I just fell down the stairs. Like it's just been a week. But I'm so happy to be back here on the mic chatting to you about all things marine conservation, my very favorite topic, and perhaps yours as well. So today's episode is going to be all about why you should learn to scuba dive if you're trying to get into marine science and conservation. Now, I definitely want to preface this episode by saying that scuba diving is certainly not something for everyone. There are many people that can't do it. There are many people that aren't interested and don't want to. Absolutely fine. It's not a requirement. But for me, it changed everything as far as pivoting my career. And it also has been something that I need as a skill to be able to work in the field, especially the underwater field. So yeah, I think if you want to protect the ocean, one of the first things you need to do is to get into it. So being on like the beach or a boat is really wonderful, like a great way to be a part of the marine system. Um, but you're kind of only adjacent to the ecosystem. I really think that being in it is a whole nother thing. So obviously, I'm super biased because I just got back from Gileadan in Indonesia, where I did my patty instructor. Actually, I say I just got back. It was more like two months ago. But um, I'd wanted to do my instructor course for quite a while. I was on the fence about it after I did my dive master. And then at some point I realized that I really enjoyed teaching. I really enjoyed showing people the ocean for the first time. You know, most people's exposure to undersea ecosystems are like, you know, a documentary or finding emo or pictures their friends post online. But to actually get people into the water, I loved that whole process. I loved guiding people and bringing people in to actually see it for themselves. And the transformation that I witnessed with a lot of my students was just, oh, there's nothing like it. Some people, you know, are crying on the surface, so terrified, and then, you know, surface after an amazing dive, uh, their first dive ever, and, you know, are shrieking with joy and saying they wish they could have stayed longer. Like I've experienced this now quite a few times, and there's really nothing like it. And it just goes to show how transformative time in the ocean can really be. And I really hope that that can be something that I continue to do, continue to teach diving adjacent to my marine science and conservation career. So this episode is for you if you are thinking about learning to dive in order to complement your career, or you're just interested in getting into the ocean a bit more. I'm gonna talk about why I think diving should be not essential, but whatever comes before essential, like just before essential, really, really beneficial. So here are five reasons why you should learn to dive if you want to work in marine science conservation. And here's how to get started. So let's jump in. So one of my favorite ever quotes is the best way to observe a fish is to become a fish. It's Jacques Cousteau, of course. And I really couldn't agree more. Ocean ecosystems really are different from land ecosystems because wildlife on land tends to kind of already know about humans, human impact. Oftentimes they'll be more fearful of people. For example, if you're going in the jungle or forest, you might hear a lot of wildlife, but a lot of times they're hiding from you. Like they aren't gonna just make themselves be known so easily. In the ocean, it's so different though, because most ocean animals have not ever had access to humans or they've never seen humans before. And they're a lot less fearful, they're a lot more curious, and they're oftentimes a lot more likely to give you a really close interaction. I know that I've had much more intimate wildlife encounters in the ocean than I ever have on land, simply because you're in a place that you're not normally, you know. And we're really lucky that that's even possible for us, you know. Scuba diving is quite a new sport, all things considered. And it wasn't all that long ago that such a thing wasn't possible. So, in a way, it's actually more accessible to interact and observe wildlife in the ocean than it is on land, which sounds totally counterintuitive, but I actually really think it's true. And snorkeling, it might give you a piece of it. Being on a boat may give you a piece of it, but being actually in the water column, it completely changes your perspective. One of my favorite things about diving is how slow and peaceful it is. It's totally a lazy sport, and you're absolutely doing it wrong if you're panting or rushing. It's just super calm and peaceful and meditative. And in that state, I've found that I am super observant, super attuned to watching different animal behaviors or species interactions and just being in that headspace, it really sets you up for good observation. It's so easy in this day and age to forget to be observant when in nature. I mean, simply just walking down the street, you can spot birds, you can spot little mammals, squirrels, things like this. But oftentimes we're either in our phones or, you know, we just don't pay attention as much as we used to. And I think diving it forces you to because you're there in the middle of it. I mean, you cannot check your phone. Uh, you're in this peaceful meditative state, and it makes you much more attuned to what's going on around you. Being observant is part of being good at scuba diving, both for your safety and for the enjoyment of it. So I think it's really like the difference between standing in a zoo, looking over a fence at an exhibit, or being right in the middle of the exhibit yourself. Becoming a fish, to me, that was the first step for me to realize that I wanted to work in marine conservation science. It had a profound impact on my life. And I've seen students understand like the power that nature has that they had no idea of just a couple hours earlier. Becoming a fish, it has a power that no lecture or documentary can have. That observation leads to caring, and caring, of course, leads to action. So that's the first reason why you should learn how to dive if you're interested in marine conservation and science. Okay, the second reason why you should learn to dive is because when you're diving, you just learn things. Like education just happens. This might be my favorite thing about it, actually. How much you learn about the ocean simply by being in it and looking around and observing and being there. I feel like every single dive is a lesson in the field. You'll see things that maybe you've only ever seen on a screen, but you see them in context, you see them in motion. And it's the real ecosystem that's imparting its knowledge on you just simply by you being there. And I think we've all taken a photo of a sunset or a beautiful landscape and looked at that photo after the fact and thought, damn, this really doesn't capture it at all. Like the atmosphere, uh, the feeling, the emotion, the profound beauty. It's the same thing as being underwater, except for like times a hundred. I think this is super overlooked in conservation, how you just learn when you're in the field. And it has such an emotional side to it that makes people really transformed. Like people get connected to a space or a species. That's step one. That happens before people take action to protect it. And that kind of thing can only happen in person. So you just learn when you're in the field. I always love the ocean. I didn't always know that I wanted to work in conservation until I learned to dive. So I had my first scuba diving experience, and only a couple months later I had applied to a graduate program in marine conservation. Like that's how fast it happened. That's how profound the effect was on me. And I already had learned so much about the ocean just by being in it, being around it. Like I understood, for example, when I learned to dive, I had to pay the marine park fee in the place where I learned. And I was like, okay, what does this marine park fee go to? Like, who uses it? How do they use it? How do they make sure that it actually is protecting their marine environment? Like, what effect does it actually have? Just thinking about things like that. And I hadn't even gotten in the water yet. And then once I did, I saw so many cool things underwater that completely changed the way I thought about ecosystems, the way I thought about marine processes, and also different species. I had the amazing experience of seeing two cuttlefish mating underwater, most mind-blowing thing ever. But then, of course, you know, you you understand how it kind of works by watching them and just things like this. So passively, you're really learning so, so much. You learn things about currents, how weather affects different dive sites, you learn about species habitats, behavioral patterns of animals and corals. You can observe predator-prey dynamics, symbiotic relationships, my favorite. You don't even realize it's happening, but it's an absolute masterclass in nature. And I don't think it should be missed by anyone that wants to work in marine science and conservation. So that's point number two, that education just happens when you're in the water and it invokes such an emotional response. Okay, reason number three why you should learn to dive is because for many roles, it's actually not optional. It depends, of course, what you want to do. Um, but for someone like me who loves field work and research, I want to be in the water, and obviously I need to know how to be in the water. So, like I said, this may not apply to you if you are more like a lab-based person or you're more interested in policy, things like this, then maybe it's not as important. But for lots of things like, yeah, field research, habitat monitoring, uh, refrestoration, all these kinds of things are not usually going to happen on land, maybe a bit of refrastration, but you're gonna have to get in the water. And a lot of employers in programs, they don't just expect that you have your open water either, like your first dive certification. They actually expect that you're a really proficient diver. So that you have advanced certifications, that you have a number of log dives, that you have experience in varying conditions like uh tropical waters versus cold waters. And it takes some time to build up, so you know, start now. Uh I once was rejected from a position because I had less than a hundred dives. So a lot of people they want proof that you have experience, that you have time in the water. Nothing can replace that. It just you have to build up your experience. There's no way to shortcut it, and it takes time. So definitely get started if that's something you want. And yeah, I know certainly like I was so frustrated because I didn't have a hundred dives at the time, and I was like, oh, there's nothing I can do besides get more dives. So I did. Yeah, that's the only way to do it. So scientific diving certifications are also perhaps important depending on what you want to do, but start with your open water and then go from there. Another thing is I know in this age of technology, humans are still gonna be needed in the water for many different tasks, things like deploying cameras or equipment or surveys or photography and videography. That's not gonna, that's not gonna go away. And I think that people are also in the water and then they become storytellers, and that's not something a robot can do. So I believed at the beginning that getting my certifications was just about loving the ocean, wanting to be in the water, but they've absolutely been a resume booster for me too. It does not hurt to have them. Some places and some positions will require it. And so if your dream is being in the water next to species that you love or ecosystems that you care about, definitely get in the water because you can't get those positions or get those volunteer opportunities if you don't have water skills. So do it for the love of the ocean, do it for the resume, do it for both, and absolutely enjoy it. So that is reason number three that for many roles, it's required. Okay, reason number four is the transferable skills. Oh my goodness, there are so many transferable skills that you learn while diving. So, just to name a few, first of all, situational awareness is massive. Things like reading conditions, making judgment calls is seriously important, especially when you're doing field work. Perhaps like the weather is not cooperating or something about the current is unsafe. Being able to read that situation and know how to make a good judgment call is absolutely vital. And oftentimes is, you know, the decision between life and death. Things like noticing changes in the environment and staying calm when things get uncertain, all that is really essential for field work, but also pretty helpful in just like regular life. So, yeah, that situational awareness is something that can only be gained through the experience. And scuba puts you in crazy situations that you would never have imagined yourself in before. And, you know, being in a place where humans normally can't breathe. It really does something to the way your mind thinks, it makes you very observant. So even without trying, you're observing things, like that's why you got in the water, right? Because you want to see what's down there. But you learn to really look, like not just, oh wow, that's cool and move on. Like you learn to spot things that perhaps an untrained eye would completely miss. So one of the things I pride myself on is my ability to spot Nudibranks underwater. But that absolutely did not just happen. Like I had to really work at it. So, in case you don't know, Nudibranks are little sea slugs. They're found all over the world from cold water to tropical waters. And they can be really colorful, they can be really ornate, they're beautiful, they're kind of my favorite. And I would always get so excited when someone would point one out to me while diving. And then, of course, I wanted to be the one to find them myself, that they're really hard to spot because they're tiny. And even though some of them are quite colorful, they can still blend in with the beautiful coral reefs where I've dived and looked for them. So, you know, someone points them out to you and you're like, oh my gosh, how did you even see that? And then you practice and then you try to spot them yourselves. You pay attention to where they like to be, like where other people pointed them out to you. Were they on a rock, were they on a coral, whatever? And you start keeping an eye out for them because you know what you're looking for now that you've seen them before. And then you start spotting them yourself. That's a field skill. It's huge. Uh, being able to notice things that a lot of people often miss. And those observation skills are transferable, not just to field work, but to lab work as well, and also stakeholder engagement, which is really cool. Uh, you can notice things in people while you work with them for marine conservation efforts. Something that I think is is majorly overlooked. So another transferable skill that is super important is safety and risk management. When you learn to scuba, you learn just how vital every safety protocol is. You get really diligent about it, you do your buddy check, you do your equipment check, you learn when to call a dive, you learn how to adapt when things don't go to plan. This is so common in field work that you're gonna have to check equipment, that you're gonna have to check each other, know when to call it if conditions are bad or things go sideways. That happens and the safety element of it is vitally important to any scientific fieldwork and just also, again, life in general, you know, knowing how to stay safe, how to keep each other safe when you're working with the team. That is huge, super important, something that you can put on your resume as well. Okay, another transferable skill is multitasking under pressure. When you learn to dive, for example, you may be navigating a square pattern underwater while managing your buoyancy and breathing, and also looking at the fish around you, making sure that your buddy is paying attention. This is also quite comparable to data collection in the field, to executing work when you're out there and you need to get things done and you're in an environment that may or may not be helping you. A lot of scientific work and conservation work is wearing a lot of hats and being able to do a lot of different things sometimes at the same time. And diving makes you really, really good at that. And it also teaches you when to block out the five other things you're focusing on during your multitasking session and then focus exclusively on one important thing that needs to be the priority in that moment. I think that what you learn in dive courses is exactly the kind of thing that makes someone an effective field scientist. Diving doesn't just teach you like how to clear a mask, it also teaches you how to be a water human. And that really applies to so many different things, not just jobs, but volunteering experiences, internships, school things like this. So if you're doing it for nothing else in the professional sense, then do it for the transferable skills. And then reason number five why you should learn to dive is that nothing keeps you going like being underwater. At least this is true for me. And I a lot of people I know feel the same way. Marine conservation is not the easiest field. It's really challenging in a lot of ways, it's underfunded, it can be slow moving and can be genuinely discouraging sometimes. And being an optimist is actually required, I think, for a job in marine conservation because of how much you have to continually pump yourself up, believe in yourself, believe in the cause. And that can get exhausting. And I think being underwater really is the antidote. It's meditative. It's a lot more to me like yoga than it is to swimming. You're focusing on your breathing, you pay attention to your surroundings, and you're just present. It's really good for my peace of mind. And it almost forces you to remember why you're doing it in the first place. Like, look at all these beautiful things in front of me. How fascinating are they? How amazing is this coral? How beautiful is this shark? Like, you can't not feel inspired. It's actually impossible, at least for me. And it reconnects you to the things that you're fighting for. You often are not going to feel this way. That inspired, that pumped up when you're sitting at your desk or you're in the lab or you're even on a boat. A lot of times that isn't enough, at least for me. Again, this is personal for me. But I truly have never met a diver that came up from a dive feeling less motivated to help the ocean. So that's huge. And even people who marine conservation was not on their mind at all. I've seen people come up from dives and be like, oh my gosh, that was amazing. Like, what can I do to get involved? So that in itself is so powerful. We have to make sure that we're protecting our sanity, our mental health as we are pursuing this amazing career in marine conservation. Being around the water is a great start, but I think being in the water makes the most difference. So that is reason number five why you should learn to dive. Oh, hey, that rhymed. Nothing keeps you going like being underwater. It really doesn't. It'll keep you motivated and inspired and with your eyes on the prize, even when the going gets tough. And it certainly will. So always have it in your back pocket to keep you feeling positive and motivated. Okay, so now let's talk about how you can get started. So the very first scuba diving certification is called your open water. It's the first entry point into scuba diving. You can also do something called Tri-Scuba or Discover Scuba. They're the same thing, just from different certifying organizations. And that is something that's good for people who just want to give it a go. They want to do a little bit of pool training and perhaps one dive in the ocean, but you don't get a certification from it. So if you really want to learn, you're serious about it in the future, you know, you're going to do more, do your open water. It's accessible and it's your gateway into the diving world. In a lot of places, it's also quite affordable. So there are two main scuba certification organizations. Patty is one, it stands for the Professional Association of Dieting Instructors. And the other main one is SSI, SCUBA Schools International. And you really can't go wrong with either if you're diving recruiting. Recreationally, it really doesn't matter all that much. I've personally been a paddy diver my entire diving career. If you want to go pro one day, become a dive master or a dive instructor, it matters a little bit more which certifying board you go with. So do a little bit more research there. But otherwise, if you just plan to do recreational courses and then get a lot of experience, it still definitely can be more than enough for field work and scientific work. Just choose a school that you really like and an instructor that you like, and then tell your instructor your goals. So a good instructor will frame the course differently for someone who's looking to dive in order to get into science and conservation versus someone who is just diving on a holiday, having a good time, trying something new. So if you haven't already, get your open water course on the books. Summer is right around the corner. There's no better time to do it. If you already have your open water, then look into the next scuba course. And then while you're doing your course and also after, when you're doing just fun dives, make sure that you log your dives with intention. I think a lot of people get really complacent about this, and sometimes people just aren't into it, they don't like it. I personally am a huge nerd about this. I love logging my dives on paper still. So I have a physical dive log. A lot of people use a digital dive log, which is also totally fine, but I really treat it like a field log. So I put every dive as if it were a trip into the field. I write down species that I saw, I write down behaviors that I witnessed, conditions. I don't just write down how I felt, although I do include that as well. I include any skills that I practiced or, you know, how the students did if I took students out that day. But I think it's really, really helpful to have a record of your training. So, like I said, every single dive you do, you learn something, you gain experience. And recording that is not only a good field skill, but it gives you a record of your progress. So you can look back and see just how far you've come, like how far your observation skills have come, how you've progressed into a little baby open water diver to a pro, like I did. I can see where I wrote down in my books, like how I felt, how I was super excited when I finally got to spotting Nudebranks consistently, things like this. And you can see the transformation that you've made. And I also think this is really handy when you're going to put things on your resume that are related to scuba or field skills. You can check your log and see uh the progress that you've made, and then more easily define those field skills like underwater observation, for example. You can be more specific about what you're actually capable of doing and the skills that you've developed from scuba diving. And then from that point, I would say if you've done your open water, you've done perhaps your advanced open water as well, look into some specialty courses that have to do with the kind of career you're looking for or things that you're interested in in relation to marine science and conservation. So underwater naturalist is a cool one, fish ID is my absolute favorite, things like search and recovery. These are all really good for field prep, and they're also genuinely super fun. And then you can combine diving with volunteering work. So there are a bunch of different citizen science programs, for example, like Reef, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, does fish surveys, um, reef check, coral watch. These are all organizations. I'll link them in the show notes that you can look into. They do things like coral surveys and reef restoration. And even with a basic certification, even with just your open water and a little bit of experience, you can get involved. And those things are super amazing for your resume. Put your dive education on your resume, it absolutely counts, but also put your dive experience, your volunteering, your surveys, your restoration participation, add that all in. It really looks good on your resume and it's gonna give you quite the edge. And then finally, don't wait until you feel ready. I think that if we as humans wait to feel ready for almost anything, then we wait the rest of our lives. And no one wants to do that. So jump in, take the leap. If you're nervous about diving or you're not sure if diving is for you per se, that's absolutely fine. I would totally recommend just doing a tri-scuba, a discover scuba. You'll know pretty quick, I think, whether or not you're ready to continue with it, or if you think, hey, it's just not for me. That's totally fine. That doesn't mean you can't be a great scientist, it doesn't mean you can't be a great conservationist. But I think the water teaches you faster than anything else about why we need to protect the planet, how we can do it, how to observe nature. So just get in. If it's been calling to you, don't wait. Make it happen this summer. All right, so let's do a quick little recap, shall we? So, why you should become a scuba diver if you're interested in marine science and conservation. Well, I hope it's obvious to you by now. As the one and only Jacques Cousteau said, the best way to observe a fish is to become a fish. And gosh, I couldn't agree more. There's nothing like being a fish. It's truly the best thing there is. Get in the water and you'll learn to observe like you never thought possible. It's true for me. I never thought that I would have the eagle eyes that my dad does, for example. Like the quintessential scientist that you can't go for a walk in the woods without him pointing out 10 different species of tree and this. And I always thought it was the most amazing thing. And now I'm able to do that underwater just because I've been diving, just because I've been observing the natural world in a very intimate way. So never underestimate the power of becoming a fish. Reason number two, education just happens when you're underwater. You learn so much simply by being there. Reason number three, for many roles, diving is not optional. It's absolutely required, and it's often required that you be a good diver, an experienced diver, one that has multiple certifications, high number of dives. So all the more reason to get going sooner than later. Reason number four, the transferable skills are so real. You will have so much to put on your resume, you will be much more prepared for field work in the future, and you will be amazed by how much you learn and how many skills you acquire that you can use in so many different places in your career. Nothing will keep you going in this field, like getting to be in the ocean. It will keep you positive, it will keep you hopeful, and it will remind you why you're doing this all in the first place. There are plenty of people that love the ocean, but they're kind of doing it from their couch, which is totally fine. I don't think that it's for everyone, like I mentioned, but I think everyone should try it for sure. I mean, you never know if you don't try. So I'm actively encouraging you to go beyond the surface, get under the waves, and see what it's actually like down there. And whether you're a student, early career professional or career changer or someone who just cares about the ocean, get started. Get in it. It doesn't have to be a tropical island either. I think it's so easy to think, oh, I can't dive because I'm in New England. Like I live in New England, for example. And yeah, okay, the ocean's cold, but you can still get in it. There are great white sharks. Sure, you can still get in it. Uh joking, but not joking. There are dive shops here where I live, and there are some really great diving spots here. It's not to be overlooked. So don't think that you have to be in a tropical place. Diving is everywhere. Even if you're landlocked, you can learn in a pond, you can learn in a lake. So, yeah, my challenge to you is to get started with your first or your next diving certification. If that's something that interests you, if you think it will further your career and help you get where you want to go, I challenge you to get going this summer. So I want to hear from you. Send me a DM on Instagram or send me an email. My email is in the show notes. Have you learned to dive yet? Let me know if you're doing your first certification or your next certification and what it is. I can't wait to support you. I can't wait to encourage you. Reach out and we'll celebrate being myrrh people together. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. I would appreciate if you took just a minute to leave a review. If you're listening to the show on Spotify, you can leave a comment there. If you're on Apple Podcasts, you can leave a little review. If you're listening on YouTube, leave a comment. And don't forget to subscribe to the show wherever you're listening to it. Thank you so much, and I'll see you again next time. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a review. It really helps other ocean lovers find the show. For the links in the show notes, head over to castys.com slash podcast. And hey, if you have a friend who'd love this episode, make sure to send it their way and spread the ocean love. Remember, the ocean is all of us to respect it, protect it, and keep it wide. Each one of us can make a difference. Until next time, keep standing up for our team, and I'll catch you on the next episode of This Is Marine Conservation.