We chat to the liveaboard pioneer, Clay McCardell, who has built up a fleet of vessels across the globe since the late-1980s about his favourite dive destinations, how he got started in the diving industry, and his love of taking to the skies in his plane as well as going diving.
Photographs by Clay McCardell
From Geology Student to Liveaboard Pioneer
Q: As we always do with these Questions and Answer sessions, how did you, Clay McCradell, first get into scuba diving?
A: When I was just learning to read, my favourite books were a series about a kid swimming with turtles and dolphins in crystal-clear water, exploring all the different reef inhabitants. I wish I could remember the author. Flipper was a favourite show – remember that one? My mom tells stories about me giving her fits when I was three or four – I couldn’t yet swim, but I was comfortable in the water, and she’d take me swimming in the murky farm pond where we lived. I’d disappear underwater just to emerge a bit later nowhere close to where I went down. My first dive was, I think, in about 1975 at the age of 12, with an instructor in Cozumel – I remember being 30m down (times were different then!) and being amazed by the life even in the sand flats, not to mention the reef inhabitants. I finally got certified in college in 1982 or so.
Q: Your route into the diving industry was very unusual – tell us more how you came to end up in St Maarten in 1987 and assuming control of your first liveaboard dive boat.
A: Who told you that? Yes, my family was in the real estate business for a bit and invested in a liveaboard dive boat to lease to an operator in the Cayman Islands. Let’s just say that it wasn’t the smartest business decision ever made. I’d been a geology major in college and was camped out in the mountains east of Great Falls, MT, analysing a bunch of abandoned mine tailings. I went into town one day to phone in, and learned that the crew hadn’t been paid, the captain had been using his own money to buy the fuel, and the dive gear that the operator had been promising for months never showed up. I hopped a flight home, repacked, and headed to St Maarten. Three months and a steep learning curve later, we were officially running a liveaboard, the original Caribbean Explorer.
“We go to great lengths behind the scenes to listen to our guests, constantly evaluate our performance, and improve. It takes constant attention”
Q: Explorer Ventures now boasts a veritable fleet of dive boats across the planet. When you first took on the Caribbean vessel, did you even imagine that one day you’d be a global player in the liveaboard business?
A: Not even a little bit. I’m still not sure how that happened. It’s been quite a ride for 38-plus years now, and I still haven’t figured out what I want to be if I grow up.
Balancing the Skies and the Seas
Q: As well as diving, you are also a huge fan of flying. Heading into the sky rather than descending into the depths are polar opposites, tell us about how you developed a love for flying as well as diving.
A: I suppose a philosopher (which I’m decidedly not) would tell you that flying and diving both free you from two-dimensional movement, but honestly I couldn’t tell you that they’re related. I’ve been a pilot since about the time I got into this business, but they really were separate paths. I just like doing things well, and both appeal to my desire to be skilled and know as much as possible about something so that you don’t kill yourself doing it.
How Clay McCardell Prioritizes Safety at Explorer Ventures
Q: There have been a few high-profile incidents involving liveaboards over the years. What makes Explorer Ventures stand out on the safety side of things, and why should divers consider any of your vessels for their next adventure at sea?
A: I think what makes us exceptional is the dedication to doing the best we can, every week. We do our very best to support the crews and to keep open lines of communication so that we know what’s happening on board, what challenges they’re facing, and what we can do or what resources we can provide to make sure we’re doing things to the best of our ability. Adventure sports in general aren’t without risk, but we’re very risk-averse. We go to great lengths behind the scenes to listen to our guests, constantly evaluate our performance, and improve. It takes constant attention.
“We had the honour of pioneering Green Fin’s first-ever sustainability protocols tailored specifically for liveaboards – something that didn’t exist before and a first for the diving industry”
Leading the Industry in Marine Sustainability
Q: Explorer Ventures is also very environmentally aware and a leader in sustainability, heavily involved in programmes and partnerships with the likes of Reef-World Foundation, Green Fins and PADI Eco Centres. Give us an insight into this side of the business.
A: If you’re not focused on environmental responsibility, you’re risking the one thing that the entire industry depends on. It’s been woven into our DNA since the very beginning, before ‘eco’ and ‘sustainable’ became buzzwords. We began operations in June 1987 in the Northeastern Caribbean, the same month that the Saba Marine Park became the first self-sufficient marine park, and our mooring designs and procedures were well ahead of their time. In 2008, we formalized that commitment by creating the Dive Green Environmental Management Policy – a fleetwide framework designed to identify potential environmental impacts, track measurable goals, and continuously try to reduce the fleet’s environmental footprint.
Then a decade later in 2018, we partnered with The Reef World Foundation, supporting the Green Fins initiative under the UN Environment Programme. We had the honour of pioneering Green Fin’s first-ever sustainability protocols tailored specifically for liveaboards – something that didn’t exist before and a first for the diving industry. That collaborative model influences more and more operators around the world each day.
Currently, four boats within the fleet are Green Fins Certified, including the Caribbean Explorer II and Turks & Caicos Explorer II. The other two, Humboldt Explorer and Tiburon Explorer in the Galapagos, are also designated as the first and only PADI Eco Centres in the region, an achievement we’re incredibly proud of. It reflects our team’s commitment at every level, from waste reduction and energy efficiency to guest education and reef-friendly practices. For us, sustainability is a very much a shared responsibility.
Deep Drifts and Island Life: Clay McCardell’s Personal Highlights
Q: What is your most memorable diving experience?
A: Deep drift dives – I won’t say how deep – along the spires and chutes just off Saba’s shore. Very few have had the opportunity to see that.
Q: On the flipside, what is your worst diving memory?
A: Let’s just say there are downsides to having a self-sufficient dive shop and trained personnel immediately available after a hurricane when the police need help.
Q: What does the future hold for Clay McCardell?
A: You never know. Ear problems limit my diving these days, but I fulfill my need for adventure by exploring remote areas of Wyoming (where I’ve lived since 1994) and now spend time on our sailboat on the Canadian border north of Seattle. Starlink’s been a game-changer. As far as Explorer Ventures goes, stay tuned – we’re not done!
FAQs
Who is Clay McCardell?
Clay McCardell is the founder and president of Explorer Ventures, a world-renowned liveaboard dive fleet. He began his career in the late 1980s and has since expanded operations to include destinations like the Galapagos, Saba, and the Turks & Caicos.
What is Explorer Ventures known for?
Explorer Ventures is recognized for being a pioneer in the liveaboard industry, particularly for its commitment to safety and environmental sustainability through partnerships with Green Fins and PADI Eco Centres.
How did Clay McCardell start in the diving industry?
Clay’s journey began in 1987 in St Maarten when he took over the operations of the original Caribbean Explorer after a family investment in a vessel required hands-on management.
What are the green initiatives of Explorer Ventures?
The fleet operates under the Dive Green Environmental Management Policy. They partnered with the Reef-World Foundation to develop the first-ever Green Fins sustainability protocols specifically for liveaboard vessels.
This article was originally published in Scuba Diver Magazine
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