DIVING LOCAL: AN INTERVIEW WITH HOWARD AND MICHELE HALL
Sometimes the best adventures are found close to home, sharing outdoor experiences with close friends and family. Johnson Outdoors knows this well, helping SCUBAPRO emphasize local dive communities in addition to the world travel focus found throughout the dive industry. Local dive centers are the heart of all dive travel, and many are located in areas with fantastic scuba diving opportunities, whether single day or full weekend. As part of this Dive Local campaign, we’re interviewing some of our Deep Elite Ambassadors on what diving local means to them.
Howard & Michele Hall
Howard and Michele Hall run Howard Hall Productions, a production company specializing in marine wildlife and marine conservation films. They’ve won 7 Emmy Awards, and if you’re an ocean lover, you’ve likely seen their films on TV and in large format theater. In fact, Howard Hall directed two of the five highest grossing 3D films ever produced by IMAX Corporation.
It’s safe to say that Howard and Michele have traveled the world to film in some of the most exotic scuba diving and snorkeling destinations. Yet even with all this dive travel experience, the duo are passionate about diving close to home, spending many days a year diving off the California coast.
We’ve interviewed the Halls to see why they enjoy diving local, how they prepare, and even learn how aspiring filmmakers can sharpen their skills on local dives.
Diving Local
You’ve dived all over the world. What keeps you enthusiastic about diving locally in California?
Howard: I started diving in California and put myself through college teaching diving in San Diego. So, for me, diving in California always feels like coming home. I get that feeling even on days when conditions are not great and conditions in California are not great a lot of the time. Most dives in California can be described as murky with plenty of surge. But when conditions are good; when you have 80-foot visibility in a kelp forest, there is no better underwater experience anywhere in the world.
Michele: I have great memories of learning to dive in San Diego. My diving roots are here, and it feels like coming home when I dive locally. I love being immersed in a kelp forest, gliding over beds of brittle stars and stopping to look for what makes their home in those beds, frolicking with sea lions, watching Garibaldi and California’s other iconic fish; even observing sea hares lay their eggs holds a fascination for me.
As professional film producers, do you plan local diving differently than an international film trip?
Howard: The only logistical difference when diving in California as opposed to other parts of the world is the airplane ride. It’s great not to have to pack for airline mistreatment of our equipment. I just throw all my gear into our van and drive it to the boat.
Michele: Planning for local diving and filming is so much easier than planning an international filming expedition! For local diving it’s usually as simple as booking the boat charter, loading the packed gear into the van, and off we go. That means no airline reservations to book (and the accompanying worry about baggage arriving safely), no ground transportation to schedule, no hotels to reserve, and no jet lag.
Do you find that diving local helps to prepare you for big trips? (Practicing skills, more time learning about the ocean and marine life, etc.)
Howard: Diving in California is tougher than diving in the tropics. The water tends to be cold and I almost always wear a dry suit, which makes diving much more cumbersome. If you are comfortable diving in California, then diving almost any other location is going to be easy. So, yes, California diving is excellent practice for maintaining skills. When I’m home, I try to get out at least once every two weeks to stay sharp. During Covid, I made many beach dives with my rebreather to stay comfortable with the technology.
Michele: Every dive adds to ‘diving muscle memory’ and to keeping my skills sharp, which helps me stay in shape for diving anywhere. Since “big trips” are usually to a warm-water destination, I’ll add that the gear I wear for local diving - whether it’s a dry suit or a 7mm - is bulkier and more cumbersome than what I wear for warm water diving. So while the dives themselves can be strenuous, they help me keep my skills honed and more prepared for the next big trip.
Do you have any advice for aspiring filmmakers who are just beginning to explore the diving opportunities near their home?
Howard: I am often asked this question. So a few years ago I wrote an essay that offers a detailed answer. Those who are interested can read it here: http://www.howardhall.com/breaking-in/. But the short answer is to concentrate on your diving skills. Learning about the ocean and marine life is a life-long endeavor. Learning to operate a camera is something that can be learned much quicker.
What is your favorite marine life encounter while diving California?
Howard: In 1989 I jumped into the water off San Diego to film blue sharks feeding on a patch of krill. A blue whale came in and ate the whole patch. I had the camera running and pointed in the right direction. As far as I know, that was the first time a blue whale had been filmed feeding underwater.
Michele: One of the more dramatic underwater moments for me while diving in California was at Catalina Island as I swam through a shallow kelp bed and turned around to see a very large Black Sea Bass behind me, and then another as I looked over my right shoulder. This was exciting not only because the fish were so large, but because their presence represented one of the great comebacks of a critically endangered fish.
And of course, how can we watch some of your films?
Howard and Michele: Most of our films are available for viewing. You can find links on our website: www.howardhall.com, or searching for Howard Hall on sites such as Amazon.
SCUBAPRO is proud to help Howard and Michele create and share marine life stories with the world, whether local or in far corners of the globe. This community focus is found throughout the Johnson Outdoors family of brands, inspiring people to get outside and find new adventures.
Tagged Diving