Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnathan Watson.
Hi Johnathan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, scuba diving was woven into the fabric of my life. Both of my parents, grandparents, and even my great uncle were divers, and long before I was old enough to be certified, they shared their stories and passion for the underwater world with me. My grandfather was a dive instructor, and I vividly remember playing with scuba gear as a young child. It always felt natural, almost like a second skin.
I became certified at just 10 years old and began diving immediately, with my first trip taking place in Ambergris Caye, Belize. That experience marked the beginning of a lifelong passion. I was in awe of the ocean’s beauty. From that moment on, a deep-rooted love for marine life was planted in my heart. Throughout my middle and high school years, I continued diving with my family across the Caribbean, and my appreciation for diving only grew stronger with time.
After high school, I quickly realized that college and traditional higher education were not the path for me. Instead, I chose to serve and joined the Dallas Police Department. Alongside diving, my interests included firearms, racing cars, the outdoors, and most importantly, a strong inner drive for justice and a desire to make the world and people’s lives better. I entered the police academy at 21 years old. Following graduation, I was assigned to deep night shifts in Southeast Dallas, where I spent two years patrolling some of the city’s most challenging areas. I later accepted a position on a Crime Response Team, where my role was to proactively locate and arrest individuals with felony warrants and reduce crime in Southeast. Since my time in CRT I promoted to Senior Corporal where I trained rookies fresh out of the Accademy, spent some time as a Domestic Violence Detective. Now I am currently assigned to the Criminal Intelligence Unit.
During the formative years of my early twenties, I was immersed in the harshest realities of society. At the same time, I was facing personal struggles at home that ultimately ended in divorce. Slowly, I felt my spark and zest for life begin to fade as the constant weight of trauma, stress, and loss overshadowed the passions that still lived within me: diving, justice, humility, and compassion.
Eventually, I realized I needed to return to my roots. I reached out to a local dive shop, International Scuba, and signed up for several trips, including one to Roatán, Honduras. While I was there, a close coworker tragically took his own life. That moment changed everything. It forced me to reflect on my own years of darkness and the critical role that my supportive community had played in pulling me back when I needed it most.
That realization became the foundation for Thin Blue Dive. Thin Blue Dive was created as a nonprofit organization where law enforcement officers and first responders can come together through shared experiences, struggles, and purpose. It is a space to release the constant weight we carry into the water and replace it with peace, connection, and healing. Diving becomes more than a hobby; it becomes a sanctuary. It brings calm, restores balance, and unites people in a powerful way, helping them rediscover their strength, resilience, and passion for life.
Today, Thin Blue Dive is in the process of becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with a mission dedicated to bringing first responders and their families closer together through scuba diving. As a company we have organized Discover Scuba events for First Responders and their families and are now providing courses for Open Water Scuba Certification. Our vision is to organize dive trips for our local heroes and their families to experience the joy that is scuba diving. Bringing community, healing, and hope- above and below the surface.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
With everything worth doing there will be challenges. I don’t look at struggles or challenges as a bad thing. Instead I look forward to them, seeing them as opportunities to learn something.
The main barrier I have faced with the jumpstart of Thin Blue Dive is my lack of experience in business and marketing. However, I have decided to take the challenge head on and use it as an opportunity to learn. I try to surround myself with successful business people, seeking advice and being a sponge in any way I can.
We’ve been impressed with Thin Blue Dive, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Thin Blue Dive is a Corporation in the process of becoming a 501C3 non profit. Our mission statement is to use SCUBA diving to help active or retired first responders, first responders who have been injured or lost their lives in the line of duty, and their families to bring unity, community, and a mental escape to promote mental health and wellbeing. We currently put on Discover Scuba events for police and fire departments, as well as certify first responders and their families as PADI Open Water Scuba Divers. We are looking forward to putting on trips for these heroes and their families to some of the best scuba locations in the world. By doing all this we are able to build a community of like minded people; however, changing the environment from that of their day to day hardship and trauma to one of adventure and exploration.
How it works:
Participants pay for their Open Water Certification, Thin Blue Dive Merch, and their spots on trips. All of the earnings from this, and future donations go towards putting on Discover Scuba events for local police and fire departments, as well as the certifications for heroes who were severely injured in the line of duty, or the families of a Hero who lost their life in the line of duty. These Heroes and their families can also be sponsored to go on a trip free of charge to not only show appreciation of their sacrifice, but also use the ocean and underwater world to heal the mental and physical traumas they carry. By choosing to become certified or participate in trips and events through Thin Blue Dive you are not only gaining Scuba certifications and experiences, you become a part of an adventurous community who chooses to give back to the selfless heroes who risk their life for our safety and freedom.
If there is a Hero or family member of a Hero has a physical disability we work to accommodate these barriers and we ensure maximal participation in the scuba diving experience. By partnering with the Adapt-Able Foundation we are able to certify and dive with various populations including: those who use mobility devices, those who are paralyzed, amputees, deaf, blind, those with neurodevelopmental conditions, and more. Although this will require clearance from their primary care physician.
Ways to Donate:
Standard donations are available through our website www.ThinBlueDive.com. Every little bit helps!
Sponsor a Hero: $1,000 This will cover a hero’s required personal gear (Maks, Fins, Snorkel), and Open Water Certification.
Sponsor a Trip: $10,000 This will cover all from Heroes sponsor plus, a dive trip (Air fare, lodging, food, diving) For a Hero and a loved one.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I always had a deep passion for scuba diving and a desire to help those in need. Through my experience with DPD, I have learned the value in surrounding yourself with a strong, like-minded community and I have been blessed with a clear calling to join my two passions in order to bring adventure, community, joy, and unforgettable life experiences to those who are most deserving.
Pricing:
- Open Water Scuba Certification: $675
- Standard Donation: Every Little Bit Helps
- Donation Sponsor a Hero: $1,000 This will cover a hero’s required personal gear (Maks, Fins, Snorkel), and Open Water Certification.
- Donation Sponsor a Trip: $10,000 This will cover all from Heroes sponsor plus, a dive trip (Air fare, lodging, food, diving) For a Hero and a loved one.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thinbluedive.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinbluedive/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580027815429
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinbluedive
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qPxENJKzpeiTN14XUVYay
