Sam And Justice, Dive Buddies & Good Snacks

Andy Woerner   Mar 06, 2022

Justice and Sam have been a welcome addition to our dive and retail team since they joined in 2020. In addition to being avid divers, these guys also work at our Tiger Shark Deli on weekends, making homemade sandwiches for our divers and café visitors.

Justice 23, is from San Clemente, California and Sam, 25, is from Laguna Niguel, California. We talked with this young married couple about their diving experiences and what makes Kona, Hawaii the place to be.

How did you guys meet?  

[JUSTICE] Our paths crossed in high school. Sam wrestled for his high school, and they were our rivals. When we met at a match, we became fast friends.

When did Scuba Diving come into your life?

[SAM] When we graduated from high school, we jumped straight into 9-5 jobs.  Then we took a trip to the Bahamas. We had so much fun there, being in the water, seeing sea turtles and sharks. That changed everything in our life. We got back and knew we didn't like what we were doing. 

We quit our 9-5 eventually and started working at one of our local dive shops, BC Scuba. I worked there for about two weeks and then became an Open Water Diver. Justice got a job as an Amazon inventory person at the dive shop and became certified herself. That was 7 years ago.

What made you decide to come to Hawaii?

[JUSTICE] We liked diving in California mainly because we were used to it, but when we came to Hawaii, it was a whole different experience. When we were deciding where to begin our diving career it was between Florida and Hawaii. We were considering Florida only because of the cost of living in Hawaii. But we made the leap of faith, and now Sam's parents live here also, and we are loving it!

What is your favorite dive site Justice? 

The harbor sites, specifically Manta Ray Bay. Our classic dive trips often include these sites. They are comfortable to dive, you see a lot of small critters, but you do get the big marine life visiting as well.

Sam what is your favorite site?

The site Touch of Gray is one of the sites we visit on our long-range trips. On my first dive there, a whale shark swam with us. When we usually see whale sharks, they stay around for just a little bit. This whale shark stayed with us the whole dive and stayed close during our surface interval! Even if I visit there and never see a whale shark again, that site will remain my favorite because of that first experience.

 What do you like about diving with each other?

[JUSTICE] Being able to laugh with each other underwater. Sam has a hood that he wears and pretends to be a dolphin. I laugh every time.

[SAM] It's Justice's hood for me! She wears a frog hood. It has two huge eyeballs on it, and every time I turn around, I get startled. Every time!

What do you want to do with your diving career?

[SAM] I like being in the water and Justice is really skilled at management. It'd be cool one day to either have our own small pop-up shop or just a boat to do private diving or snorkeling excursions. We complement each other, and we make a terrific team.

Stop by the town shop during the week or visit ourcafé on the weekendsand meet, Justice and Sam. Not only can they help you get geared up for your next trip or help you pick out the perfect dive equipment, but they can also cook you up a mean sandwich while they're at it!