Diving Deep

By Delaney Whittet
Staff Writer

History teacher Ian Uhalt swims away from teaching history and dives into a different kind of classroom during his scuba diving trips in various locations throughout the South Bay.

Uhalt was certified as an open water diver by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, or PADI, in 2008 and became a scuba instructor in 2013.
“Scuba diving is a great escape from day-to-day life and allows you to focus on the moment,” Uhalt said.

Growing up in South Redondo Beach initially sparked Uhalt’s interest in scuba diving. Some of his favorite locations to dive in California include Veterans Park in Redondo Beach, Shaw’s Cove in Laguna Beach and Catalina Island.

“The locations I like the best all offer really great interaction with the local wildlife,” Uhalt said.
While scuba diving, Uhalt has hand-fed mako sharks, swam with a 30-foot whale shark, and swam through a shipwreck 100 feet underwater at night. His personal goal is to one day photograph a humpback whale and great white shark.

“I think photographing and interacting with those animals would feel exhilarating,” Uhalt said. “It is also a reminder of how big and interconnected the world is, especially out of the water.”

There are risks that come with scuba diving, including drowning, animal attacks and decompression sickness. To be prepared for any danger, Uhalt underwent additional training with PADI and became a licensed scuba diving instructor.

“I believe that the dangers associated with scuba diving are almost always related to the diver’s ability to make good decisions about the situations they put themselves in,” Uhalt said. “I made sure to have the extra training so that if a moment comes when there is an issue, I will have the mental tools to fix it.”

Uhalt teaches classes and runs charter trips alongside the Adrenaline Dive Company and Pacific Wilderness Dive Shop. Some trips include spontaneous specialized excursions where participants go to the Catalina Channel in order to find sharks by using chum as bait.

“My greatest diving experiences have all pushed the boundaries of a typical diving trip, ” Uhalt said.
He also dives with No Beach Too Tough (NBTT) divers and the Los Angeles Underwater Photography Society. Uhalt always dives with groups ranging from two to 20 people.

“Diving is a social event, and it’s about sharing the experience,” Uhalt said. “Part of the fun is sharing the places you have gone.”

Uhalt plans to continue scuba diving for as long as possible and will travel to Fiji this summer in hopes of seeing bull and tiger sharks.

“The best part of scuba diving is the sense of adventure,” Uhalt said. “You never know what you will see.”