Blog - Jeff Cinciripino

The underwater world is an incredible place and I have been fortunate to venture into this world. My life underwater has been simply amazing. I hope to share my experiences and observations with you.

My journey has taken me far in the world of scuba diving from open water diver to dive professional and dive shop owner. I have now embarked on a new phase of giving back to the industry. There is always something new on the horizon.

Never slow down and keep going strong. Hope you’ll come with me on this journey.

We Must Ask – Deregulation At What Cost?

Here in the United States we are in what I consider an unprecedented era of massive deregulation. It seems like everyday we are hearing of executive orders, agency directives and proposed changes that are an all out assault not only on the environment but also have long-term impacts on our health and well-being. For many of us we are asking the question – At what cost?

We Cannot Rely on Good Judgment Alone

Regulations related to the environment exist because we have learned over time that we cannot rely on the good judgment and stewardship of businesses and individuals alone. There are those corporations who are genuinely concerned about protecting the environment and enact practices that support sustainability. Bravo to them. There are however, a multitude more who do not embrace this sensitivity to the world around them. Whether it be burning more and dirtier fossil fuels, destroying the ocean floor with unregulated deep sea mining and bottom trawling, or removing protections on marine mammals, there are many see regulations as an impediment to their profit levels.

It’s Time to Find My Blue Mind Again

I was last in the ocean 205 days ago. Each day spent away from the water has disconnected me from my blue mind. Two years ago, I wrote about Finding Your Blue Mind. I talked about the simple ways that I could find my blue mind through what I called blue mind moments as I made my way to the ocean. Over the past couple of weeks, something seemed missing. Even with the advent of daylight savings time and more sunlight throughout the day and the warmer weather, I believe I have discovered the missing piece – My Blue Mind.

The Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote in his letters to his friend, Lucilius that you must change the mind, not the venue. While that is sound advice, I think for me, there is a venue component that helps change my mind. That venue is a warm, blue ocean, where I can descend beneath the surface and be immersed in this therapeutic environment. Being a scuba diver takes me to locations and the activity that enables my mind to change.

It’s Time for Connecticut to Say No to Foam

There is little doubt that we have a plastic pollution problem plaguing the planet. It is everywhere and while there are many ways to clean up the environment, it is imperative that we turn off the tap of plastic entering the world. This is a challenge that might seem too steep to overcome, however, there are ways to solve parts of the problem. Legislation designed to eliminate the use of single-use plastic foam can make a dramatic difference.

In the last episode of my podcast – Episode 18 – Scuba Educational Alliance Ocean Podcast, I discussed a report that was recently released by Oceana (Plastic Foam Needs ‘To Go’). In that report they listed several northeast states including Maine, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey as having bans on various types of plastic foam. Connecticut is not on that list but it could be. We certainly need states to step up given the current situation at the federal level.

Can we get it right? We need to!

Two of the biggest threats to the sustainability of our blue planet today are pollution and climate change. Pollution that clogs our waterways and spews an unimaginable amount of plastics into the ocean. Climate change is causing sea levels to rise, ocean acidification, and temperatures to reach unprecedented levels killing off many species. Is there hope?

This week a new book by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson will be released. The title is – What If We Get It Right – Visions of Climate Future. Last week I listened to an interview on NPR with Ayana where she discussed this new book that includes interviews with 20 experts across various disciplines to provide their perspective. Her position is that we don’t get to give up.

Looking at Retirement Part Deux

In 2021, I retired from corporate America after more than 35 years. After being discharged from the US Navy, I had the opportunity to work at Sonalysts, Inc, Hewlett-Packard, The Hartford and Travelers Insurance. Each stop along the way gave me the ability to learn, grow, have unique experiences and work with outstanding professionals. That retirement from Travelers was not really a retirement. I refer to that as Retirement 1.0. You see, in 2017 I also became an owner of Scuba Shack in Rocky Hill, CT. At the time the circumstances seemed right to make the investment. In July 2021, I would move from the full-time corporate world to the full-time small business owner. Retirement 1.0 wasn’t really retirement and now is the time for Retirement Part Deux.

Last week, I officially wrapped up my work at Scuba Shack. The dive shop was sold at the end of July and I have been engaged in a transition to the new ownership team. With this work complete, there is the newfound freedom. Just how will that look?

Disconnecting really allowed me to connect

I recently returned from having spent a week onboard a liveaboard dive boat. The trip was in the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez. We traveled from Phoenix to Puerto Penasco before getting on the boat and heading to the Midriff Islands located approximately 130 miles southwest of the port. Even though the islands are in close proximity to Baja California, they are quite isolated. I would essentially be off the grid; disconnected for the entire week. Would I suffer withdrawals? Would I constantly be reaching for my phone to check social media or email? Or would I choose to embrace the solitude of being isolated for the week. I decided I would take advantage of the loss of the cell service and no wifi access and that was liberating.

Finding the middle – Why we need it now more than ever.

Yesterday was the 4th of July and we celebrated our nation’s birthday. I did not feel like celebrating, however. My reflections centered on the debilitating polarization across America. Republican versus Democrat, left versus right, liberal versus conservative. It made little sense. What happened to the middle? You know, the middle where we respect one another’s opinions, debate our points of view, and compromise when necessary to achieve a greater good. Can we make the move to the middle once again? Our world of scuba diving is certainly an example of how we respect the middle.

Still littering after all these years – WHY?

Last week, Donna and I were heading out to the northwest section of Connecticut. Our mission was to drop off some scuba cylinders for hydrostatic testing. It was an absolutely spectacular Friday morning as we made our way across the state. Donna was driving, and that allowed me to take in the scenery. I am normally driving and my focus is on the road as opposed to the surroundings. It was a welcome change. At least I thought so until I observed the trash that was strewn across the landscape. There was so much debris. The paper bags and containers from the fast-food restaurants dotted the highway. Bottles and plastic bags gathered in the storm drains. We couldn’t travel more than a hundred yards without more trash coming into view. This was not an accident. It was a conscious decision to litter. The situation is sad, disappointing, and it got me down right upset to think that we are still littering after all these years.

How to be something instead of just doing.

In my latest episode of Scuba Shack Radio, I touched briefly on how some people take our scuba diving course and may never dive. Some people may only dive occasionally, while others become scuba divers. So this got me thinking a little more deeply about being versus doing. It is the difference between being a scuba diver versus doing scuba diving. (This doesn’t just apply to scuba diving. There are so many other endeavors in life where this resonates)

The Need for Speed – Maybe Not

In 1986, Maverick and Goose felt the need for speed. Top Gun was all about speed as the F-14 Tomcats raced across the sky battling MiGs and bogies. As the long-awaited sequel to Top Gun hits the movie theaters, I’ve got to wonder do we still feel the need for speed in 2022. Or do we really need to slow down? Do we really need to take the lessons learned from the pandemic and realize there is much more to life than going Mach 2.5 with our hair on fire?

Scuba diving teaches us to slow down. Slow down our movements. Slow down when we prepare for a dive. Scuba diving teaches us not to rush and not to take shortcuts. All of our training runs counter to the need for speed. This doesn’t mean that we can’t be quick and efficient. One has to strike the balance between moving at warp speed and being stuck in the mud.

Jeff Cinciripino

Author and Scuba Diver

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