We chat to Dale and Kim Sheckler, who are absolute mines of information on diving the west coast of the United States, seasoned underwater photographers, authors, and the founders of the California Diving News magazine and the long-established Scuba Show.
Photographs courtesy of Dale and Kim Sheckler
How Dale and Kim Sheckler Discovered Scuba Diving
Q: As we always do with these Questions and Answer sessions, how did you first get into scuba diving?
Dale – A: When I was a very young child, I begged my uncle for a clear glass bowl full of colourful fish because I wanted to see underwater. My superhero was Mike Nelson in the Sea Hunt TV show. While my favourite ride at Disneyland was the submarine, my best early memories came from Marineland of the Pacific. I glued myself to the TV for The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. I knew from the age of 12 what I wanted to do was to be an undersea adventurer. A snorkelling adventure into the life-filled seas off a southern California breakwater sealed the deal. My father did not allow me to learn scuba until the age of 16, so I saved my money and the day I turned 16, I signed up.
Kim – A: I grew up in Southern California, a mile from the beach, and spent my whole life in the ocean – going to places like Marineland of the Pacific was a regular family outing. I snorkelled with my Dad and my brother off Palos Verdes. Though Dale and I frequently snorkelled together, including on our honeymoon in the Virgin Islands, it wasn’t until he got the idea of starting California Diving News that I got certified. Alongside ten other family members, including my Mom and Dad, we were certified as a family. I made my checkout dive off Malaga Cove in Rancho Palos Verdes; my first official dive was on Lulu Reef on Catalina Island.
Over 5,000 dives later, the rest is history. I must say with all those dives under my belt, only one was without Dale, way back in 1984 off Catalina. In 2001, I was inducted into the International Women Divers Hall of Fame. I only wish there was something comparable to honour Dale for everything he has done for the diving community.
From Commercial Diving to Underwater Photography
Q: Dale, you initially went down the commercial diving route. What was the draw of this type of diving, and where did your commercial diving career take you?
Dale – A: Initially I wanted to become a marine biologist but a knowledgeable mentor made it clear I would have to spend years in college and then years in a lab before I would get some serious water time. I did not have the patience for that, or the dollars for college. I saw an ad in a dive magazine promising ‘Travel, High Pay and Adventure’ as a deep-sea diver after attending their trade school. Sign me up! I learned the skill of welding, and that started me on the path of underwater welding.
Through my career as a commercial diver, I gained the additional skills of underwater construction, underwater ditch digging (yes, there it such a thing), and underwater photography as part of my underwater inspection skills. My acquired skills led to steady work. I travelled to work in the offshore waters of Venezuela, Brazil, the Persian Gulf, and Africa, as well as the coastlines of California, Texas, New Jersey, and Louisiana.
Q: How did you get started in the world of underwater photography?
Dale – A: As a commercial diver, the more skills you had, the more money you made. Underwater inspection photography came natural, so I began to dabble in the more-creative portion of underwater photography. Besides, it beat underwater ditch digging!
Kim – A: Dale always had a camera in hand when I began diving with him. We learned together how to frame divers, fish and scenery. I was his underwater model and loved every second trying to help him find the best photographs. We learned a crude underwater way of communicating, with a little American Sign Language thrown in. As Dale saw the scene through the camera, I learned to view the area backwards to get the best shots. Once in a while he would hand me the camera, hence with over 100,000 images in our library, very few are of him.
The Story Behind California Diving News
Q: You founded California Diving News magazine way back in 1984. What were some of the reasons you set up the magazine, which I believe is the oldest continuously published diving journal in the USA?
Dale – A: When my commercial diving employer was bought out, and they offered me a cut in pay, I walked and headed home to California. I tried getting a job with a national dive magazine in advertising sales. Turned down, I realized the huge population of California divers were ridiculously underserved. They, along with I, were thirsting for information and inspiration on diving California. With no publishing experience, Kim and I dived right in.
Kim – A: There was no doubt in my mind that Dale’s idea would be successful, he is a very determined man. With his love of the ocean and his work ethic, I knew he had a great idea in the works. I worked as a Registered Nurse at night and we worked together raising a new baby and a six year old, all the while putting the magazine together. Though our college degrees were not in publishing, we both had great experiences in writing and English classes.
Favourite Dive Destinations Around the World
Q: You are obviously devoted fans of diving in your local California waters, but you have also travelled extensively around the world. Where have been some of your favourite destinations to visit?
Dale – A: That is not a fair question. All areas of the world offer their own unique underwater adventure. Try them all. And I still have many, many to explore. There are, however, places of unsurpassed beauty that deserve mention. I loved the reefs of Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
In the Caribbean, Little Cayman and Cozumel. Roatan is pretty cool, too. The boys and me thrilled at the sharks in the Bahamas. Kim and I have been to the Sea of Cortez many times. My favourite dive location? California, of course. Kim – A: I love wall diving and wreck diving. Anywhere that has that will keep me occupied until my bottom time runs out.
The Origins of the Scuba Show
Q: You created the Scuba Show in 1988, an annual consumer event that recently celebrated its 38th year in operation. What led you to set up this show, and what – after selling it in 2011 – keeps you actively involved, along with many family and friends, in the behind-the-scenes organisation of the event.
Dale – A: As much as I loved disseminating information in California Diving News, it lacked the direct interchange of information in a one-on-one basis. Through the large circulation of California Diving News, I could tell the readership was good, but I wanted to get to know the diving public on a personal level. Ultimately, I have learned as much about diving from the general public as they have learned from us. And so many in the diving community have become friends and family. The Scuba Show is a gigantic family reunion.
Kim – A: By 1988, I was full time with diving, writing and running a successful business. Dale and I put our heads together and incredulously came up with the idea of putting on a consumer show. We were on dive boats and beach dives all the time and ‘everyday’ divers would tell us that they would love to attend the DEMA show, but it was not allowed for them as they were not involved in the industry. That idea kept ringing in our ears and though we had never done something like this before, we knew the California dive community was itching to experience something like this. Thus, SCUBA ’88, The Dive Show was born.
When we started the show, we reached out to every family member and friend and yelled, ‘help!’ With a staff comprised of every side of the family and many close friends, it became clear we had a successful formula. As the show grew from 101 booths in 1988 to eventually almost 300 in 2011, our formula did not change. Every family and friend stayed with us as we gathered more along the way. We went from having a babysitting room of 11 children on the Queen Mary to those children working the show, including our three now-grown boys, who worked their way through college working CDN and the Show.
When we sold the show to Mark and Ginny Young, we asked our ‘family’ to help us with the transition in 2012. Starting with that show, we combined our ‘family’ with their ‘family’ and now we all work, have fun and enjoy every second – Scuba Show is as much fun for us as it is for the diving public.
Most Memorable and Challenging Dive Experiences
Q: What is your most-memorable diving experience?
Dale – A: Three. The first was lying on my back in the kelp forest enjoying the sunlight shattered into beams through the kelp and fish swirling about in this magical place. It was a simple yet profound vision and spiritual experience. I wept.
The next was freediving off Fiji and encountering a humpback whale and her calf. She was so awe-inspiring, so powerful, yet so gentle of heart. Then she gazed at me with her eyes moving, tracking my cautious movement.
The third was on the vertical coral wall at Bunaken National Park in Indonesia. My head and shoulders hovered over the wall’s edge at 3m while my feet hung over 900m below, all the while in a single glance were hundreds of species of multi-coloured fish. I asked God why he created this. He replied, ‘This is for your delight Dale’. The wonders underwater are not just some kind of biological soup, but rather was purposefully designed for our wonder and enjoyment.
Kim – A: The kelp forest off Catalina Island will always be my most favourite. Dale calls me a ‘kelp hugger’ because that is frequently what I do when I first get into the water. I hug the kelp and thank it for harbouring such glorious life. Nothing beats the kelp forest for its beauty, and it feels like flying among the redwood forest and I get to interact with every ocean animal you could possibly imagine.
The most-memorable would have to be freediving off Fiji with a Mama humpback whale and her baby. Somehow she allowed us lowly divers to spend hours watching and playing with her and her calf. When we would get too close, she would sound and take her baby with her, but return a few moments later to continue the interaction. I felt like this was a gift from God and I also thanked St Brendan (the patron of scuba divers) to help us along the way.
Lessons in Diving Safety and Risk
Q: On the flipside, what is your worst diving memory?
Dale – A: I got bent four times. Two were while commercial diving (not my fault), and the other two sport diving. Of those, one was definitely my fault. The other incident was an ‘unexplained’ hit. By the grace of God, I have come through all of those experiences relatively unscathed.
Kim – A: I have to say that Dale’s worst memories were just as bad for me, I did not get bent, but watching the US Coast Guard carry away my husband was pretty bad, just as it was bad for our youngest son watching a matching scenario for bend #4.
Now for my worst experience. It was a deep, cold, dark dive on an unnamed reef off Catalina Island. The captain had us go down the anchor chain to reach the reef. After huffing and puffing to get to the reef at 24m, I ignored all my training and did not check my gauges. Dale and I reached the top of the reef together and immediately spotted two ocean sunfish (also known as mola mola). We quickly got into position and began the job of modelling and taking pictures with the creatures. Once the photos were done, I checked by gauge and I had only 15bar of air in my tank and was at 25m in depth. I knew I had made an unforgiveable mistake. All my years of diving and safety went out the window to get a stupid photo. Dale and I made it to the surface without a safety stop and I was okay, but scared to death with that experience burned into my brain. Nothing is worth our safety!
The Future Vision of Kim and Dale Sheckler
Q: What does the future holds for Dale and Kim Sheckler?
Dale – A: I have been in awe of what God has gifted me through the years. He has given me a loving family, close friends, and a successful business, and beauty of nature especially that living in the ocean. I want to give back in service to others, in particular to give a voice to those that have no voice in our society — the homeless and unborn.
I want to continue to dive and write about it. I want to continue to exchange ideas and knowledge about diving.
Kim – A: In around 2004, Dale got the idea (Ha, God gave him the idea) to become an ordained Deacon in the Catholic Church. Together, we embarked on a five-year mission of education before being ordained in 2009. With that said, we both had a lot of ideas of how we can give back to the community in a non-diving way. Through mental health education, homeless work, the unborn, we ‘dived in’. But that did not take away from our love of the ocean and the diving community.
We still live within one mile of the beach and cherish our Pacific Ocean. As long as we can dive and snorkel, we will continue to share the underwater world with as many as will listen and can read. After all, God created the oceans, as well as blessing us with an incredible life. We can’t help but share and give back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Dale and Kim Sheckler?
Dale and Kim Sheckler are veteran scuba divers, underwater photographers, authors, and founders of California Diving News and the Scuba Show.
How did Dale and Kim start scuba diving?
Both were inspired by ocean exploration from a young age, with Dale influenced by marine adventure shows and Kim growing up near the California coast.
What is California Diving News?
California Diving News is one of the longest-running diving magazines in the United States, founded in 1984 to serve the Californian diving community.
What is the Scuba Show?
The Scuba Show is a major consumer diving event launched in 1988 to connect divers with industry professionals and the global dive community.
What are their most memorable diving experiences?
Their highlights include kelp forest dives in California, encounters with humpback whales in Fiji, and spectacular coral walls in Indonesia.
What advice do they share about diving safety?
They emphasise training, situational awareness, and never sacrificing safety for photographs or unforgettable moments underwater.
This article was originally published in Scuba Diver Magazine
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