By Kevin Majoros
Situated over 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean shoreline, Ocean First is the #2 ranked Scuba Schools International (SSI) dive shop in the United States with 1,400 certifications in 2019.
Located in Boulder, Colorado, their mission is to create a powerful ecosystem where swimming, diving, adventure, education and preservation come together to form a unique community.
Ocean First launched in 2007 with a business model that was predicated on marine conservation and ocean education.
Curriculum for Scuba Divers and Non-Divers in Marine Science
One thing that was determined in their first year of operation was that the dive industry was not educating divers on the marine environment.
“Most people were not learning about coral reef conservation or ocean ecology,” says Graham Casden, Founder & Chief Visionary Officer. “We wanted to create educated and passionate stewards to protect the environment.”
Faced with the daunting task of taking on an industry, Ocean First Education was spun off in 2008 to develop science courses that complimented the dive programs they were already offering.
Their science courses were created for both adults and youth divers along with non-diving speciality courses for those who do not scuba dive. On the youth side, Ocean First Education provides engaging digital marine science curricula for grades K-12.
Partnering with SSI on Ecology Courses
As a brick and mortar small dive shop, Ocean First was courted by Doug McNeese, President and CEO of SSI. He would become a mentor to Ocean First and worked with them to create ecology courses for the dive industry.
Six of the courses created by Ocean First have been adopted into the SSI model – Marine Ecology, Fish Identification, Natural History of Coral, Sea Turtle Ecology, Truth About Sharks and Manta & Ray Ecology.
Two more Ocean First courses will be added by SSI in 2020 – Marine Mammals and Invertebrates.
Blue is the New Green
Ocean First is incorporated as a Benefit Corporation and certified as a B Corp™. Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
They meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability and aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.
“We went through a six-month assessment with B Lab regarding our employees, workplace safety and energy use,” says Casden. “The certification is a powerful reflection of the ethos of our business model.”
Ocean First is a member of Eco-Cycle’s Green Star Business Program. Through this program, businesses are provided with comprehensive, long-term, customized sustainability consulting that helps to address waste reduction, water and energy conservation, sustainable purchasing, green building, alternative transportation and staff training.
Going a step further, Ocean First is also Blue Certified which is an eco-label for the dive industry. It provides dive operations with the tools to perform better for themselves, the environment, their local community and their customers.
The goal of the program is to provide dive operators and their employees with a clear path that leads to more efficient business practices and cost savings, all while benefiting the environment and strengthening marketing reach.
Ocean First’s TIDES Program Connects Youth to the Ocean
TIDES was developed collaboratively between Ocean First and Ocean First Education in 2009 to connect students to the ocean, regardless of where they live.
This immersive experiential program combines confidence-building scuba diving, classroom science, and fieldwork to give students an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience that increases achievement and agency while creating a deeper connection with the natural world.
TIDES is either conducted through one of their partners, which include private, public, and charter schools, dive centers, and third-party organizations such as homeschool co-ops, or directly at Ocean First. They have developed six years of programming so students can start as young as 12 years old.
“We had noticed for years that the dive industry was looking to draw in youth, and we feel that our school program is the answer. It gets them excited about the sport and marine ecology,” says Casden. “TIDES is a good first experience for youth and meets their school’s needs on experiential and progressive programming.”
Of the 1,400 dive certifications achieved at Ocean First in 2019, 700 certifications were youth ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old.
The TIDES model has tremendous potential for growth and is currently being licensed to other dive shops in Arizona, Pennsylvania, California and Ohio.
Creating Educated and Impassioned Recreators
Whether you want to swim, dive, travel or educate yourself at Ocean First, you will be guided to develop a lifelong passion for the marine environment.
In order to share their scuba experiences with current and potential adventurers, Ocean First has filmed 360-degree virtual reality videos that can be viewed with virtual reality headsets at their shop.
Visitors can explore the RMS Rhone in the British Virgin Islands or cruise over the vibrant reefs of Indonesia. Additional videos have been recorded in Costa Rica and the Galápagos Islands.
“A lot of times, the dire straits of our ocean is ‘out of sight, out of mind’ for many people. We want to serve as a reminder that the ocean is the lifeline that connects us to life,” Casden says. “Our actions in Colorado will affect what goes on here and in coastal communities.”
Check out Ocean First Online and Instagram.
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media