T H E W H A T
What Semper DIVE! Is To Me
Semper DIVE! is about a love of the ocean and teaching others how to enjoy, share, and protect the wonders down below. The origin of the name Semper DIVE! actually evolved over the course of two and half years. During the time I served as the Deputy Surgeon and Medical Planner for the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan, I spent as much time in the water as a fish. The name Semper DIVE! comes from a mixture of Marine Corps custom and SCUBA diving fun.
It is customary for Marines to bid each other “Semper Fi,” short for “Semper Fidelis,” or “Always Faithful.” In fact, most Marines will sign their emails “Semper Fi” or “S/f” for short. I built and maintained a database of all the personnel in the 3rd Marine Division who were divers, and setup trips and classes for them. In time I found myself signing emails about diving as “S/d” or “Semper Dive,” meaning, “Always Dive” – an obvious play on Semper Fi.
Upon return to duty in the U.S., I continued to sign dive related emails as, “Semper Dive!” In November of 2011, I took two students to Mt. Storm, WV, for an Altitude and Drysuit diving class. As I bonded with these students over good food and drink, I told them of my dream to start a dive business. A few weeks after the class, one of the students called me and suggested I use my ‘tag line’ as a business name. Of course, my first reaction: “Why didn’t I think of that?”
In March 2012, I founded “Semper DIVE! LLC.” Of course, I added the additional twist of making “DIVE” an acronym. (Enter Semper DIVE!’s current contest to see if you can guess what DIVE stands for). I then began working with a very talented graphic designer to develop a logo. It took nearly three months and about twenty five iterations to develop Semper DIVE!’s logo. But, when it was done, it was done. The artist was able to translate my thoughts and feelings to a design. The logo carries as much meaning for me as the name (see The Balance).
Over the first year of the business, I noticed one theme that kept reoccurring – children. After much reflection, coupled with really good ideas from my wife, I finally decided Semper DIVE! would do what many other dive business don’t, cater to children. That’s not to say Semper DIVE! is not interested in teaching and doing business with adults, simply that teaching children will always be a focus!
So there you have it – the origin of Semper DIVE!®
