When he was 16, senior Reagan Dupriest dove deep into the waters of the British Virgin Islands. Reagan, his instructor and a few other divers were diving off the shore of Scrub Island, which was a destination he had drift dove before. The water boasts cliffs nearly 100 feet deep and various underwater patches of coral and other reef life. Normally, divers hope to spot an octopus or even a shark, but this particular dive did not live up to ‘normal’ expectations.

“We started hearing a clicking noise, then my dive master started shaking a bell so that we would look at him,” Reagan said. “He was pointing to dolphins. There were about seven or eight of them and they were circling us. They followed us for about 15 minutes while we swam around the outskirts of a reef. I’ve only seen dolphins in the wild twice before and seeing them in their natural habitat was probably one of the coolest things I’ll ever do.”

Reagan first started diving in eighth grade and has kept with it ever since. With support from his parents, Darren and Noreen Dupriest, and various diving instructors, Reagan has been training to be an instructor himself and will be certified by the spring.

“We just do the mom and dad thing as we encourage him to do what he loves,” Reagan’s mother, Noreen, said. “Scuba diving has become something that has defined Reagan. At home, Reagan can be more reserved and quiet, but when he is discovering the ocean, he morphs into a studious learner, insightful leader and reverent guest of the sea.”

Darren and Noreen showed Reagan an ad for a scuba diving camp which allowed young divers to experience the tropical waters of the British Virgin Islands and immediately, Reagan was on board. Once there, Reagan lived on a catamaran sailboat for three weeks and scuba dove every day. The experience sparked his interest in diving by providing him with opportunities to dive and sail, learn about environmental services and tropical marine sciences, partake in community services and cultural exchanges and live with other divers from various parts of the world.

“Hearing the stories of his various dives, especially wreck and night dives, is very enjoyable,” Darren said. “It’s amazing to see him take such an interest in something a bit out of the ordinary that can take him all over the world.  I really haven’t worried as he takes his safety training very seriously; his mother does enough worrying for all of us.”

Although diving has the potential to be dangerous at times, Reagan has logged over 100 dives and earned multiple diving certifications to ease his parents’ worries. Darren said diving may be recreational, but it requires a great deal of training, preparation and focus to do it safely.

“It’s not a lot of practice, you just need to know how to do it right to be safe,” Reagan said. “Depending on how you’re diving or where you’re diving determines how much time and practice you need to put into that specific dive. Getting ready for a dive takes about 20 minutes but getting out to where you want to dive or the rest time in between dives takes a couple hours. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”

Noreen realized the actuality of Reagan’s passion shortly after she received a call from him while he was scuba diving in the British Virgin Islands. He was calling for her permission to stay an extra three weeks at his scuba diving camp, and she immediately answered, “yes.”

“I believe that Reagan was surprised that I was willing to let him stay, but what he couldn’t understand is that I was willing to allow this because it is something that he loves,” Noreen said. “While everything under the sea is simply amazing, watching Reagan discover a passion and successfully experience it is far more rewarding, and to see my child do something that makes him perfectly happy is complete bliss to me.”