Exploring the World,
One Dive at a Time

Heyo! My name is Ashton Kinsey and I’m a PADI Master Instructor. Since 2010, I have been diving and exploring our underwater world. In that time I have been able to explore all seven continents, trying to find as many different nudibranchs and cephalopods as possible. (I am still on the never ending quest to find a blue ring octopus, and the Glaucus atlanticus nudibranch.)

Growing up on the shores of endless cornfields in Nebraska, the ocean felt very far away. My first scuba experience was a Discover Scuba session held in a pool during a family trip to Florida. The new experience weightlessness and breathing underwater imprinted on my 10 year old brain. After moving to Chicago years later, I signed up for certification classes at Underwater Safaris. From the moment the class started, I was hooked, again–I loved being underwater. I completed my Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver training the following year and continued learning more, eager to build up my skills and start the Divemaster program.

I started the Divemaster program in 2012 with the goal of that being my final course. During the course, while assisting other instructors I learned how much I enjoyed working with students. Seeing students work through challenges, and gain confidence with skills was a very rewarding experience. So much so that in 2013, I passed my instructor exam and taught my first confined water class the next day.

I’ve continued to teach at Underwater Safaris, leading courses from Open Water Diver through Assistant Instructor, as well as specialty courses including Deep Diver, Wreck Diver, to even more “out there” courses like Zombie Survivalist Diver and Underwater Pumpkin Carver. While scuba should absolutely be serious and safe, it should also be adaptive and fun.

When not teaching, I am slowly working on a couple of personal diving goals. I completed the first, to dive on all seven continents, in February 2019 with the final dives in Antarctica with a variety of seals and penguins. I am now trying to dive in each of the 50 states, the 5 US territories and each of the Great Lakes. I am roughly halfway done and planning on diving in the more difficult inland states in the Midwest soon. I still hope to get a picture of a great white shark, while in open water and not in a cage.

Photography gives me a way to share the underwater world with people who may never get the to experience it for themselves. My interest in underwater photography grew naturally out of that love for detail and storytelling–plus I like the weird and “unique” looking creatures. Nudibranchs (aka sea slugs), are on the top of the wierd and unique list of creatures. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some like the Shaun the Sheep nudibranch (Costasiella kuroshimae) can be as small as 2mm while others like the Spanish Dancer (Hexabranchus sanguineus) can be over 2 feet long.

One of the things I love most about diving is how wildly varied a dive can be. Some dives are about exploring large coral fields, canyons, or wrecks, while others, like during a muck dive are about finding the tiny macro creature hiding in coral heads. Some dives are about the kind of story that sounds made up until you show someone the photos (and even then, they won’t be sure it wasn’t made up). A few of my most memorable dives include swimming with fur seals in Antarctica, finding nearly see-through nudibranchs in the Philippines, and exploring an abandoned Titan I nuclear missile complex in Washington state.

I’m passionate that everyone who wants to dive should. When leading a dive, I care deeply about creating a space that feels welcoming, respectful, and affirming–even though I can be a bit sarcastic at times. Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I try to foster that environment for my students and fellow divers

I look forward to sharing the underwater world with you.