Meet, Kriti Shanbhag, a former fashion designer from Bombay, who swapped out a sketchbook for fins to become a divemaster in the Andamans.
The Andamans are a hidden gem, often overshadowed by the Maldives. But, despite the Westerner’s unfamiliarity with the area, it is renowned for its monsoons and diving. Given the tropical environment and lack of cities, the surrounding environment takes you back 100 years. And, while this means a lack of subways and skyscrapers, it also means pristine nature. Nonetheless, this natural beauty is tempered by a southwestern wind, which creates a monsoon season for nearly half a year. This is bad news for any sea-related activity. After all, diving in a storm is no fun, and even if you were to go (not
that any divemaster would take you), you wouldn’t even be able to see your hand in front of your face due to the agitation of the seabed caused by the choppy sea. Nevertheless, every once in a while, you get lucky. There is a low wind, sunny day, and
because it is monsoon season, no crowds, and that is exactly when I made my trip to the Andamans to stay at the Taj Exotica on Swaraj Dweep.
At the Taj Exotica in Andamans, all your diving needs are taken care of by an on-site dive group called Lacadives. Their mission is to be a steward of the sea, and they surely live up to their reputation. Our divemaster was a young woman named Kriti Shanbhag. And, she comes from the fashion world. Divers come from all sorts of different backgrounds. In fact, our other dive instructor used to be a musician. But, Kriti fits our magazine’s profile perfectly: a fashionista turned stewardess of the sea.
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Can you tell us about yourself?
My name is Kriti Shanbhag. I am 24 years old and grew up in Bombay. I studied science in junior college (11 and 12th grade in the USA). After that, I studied fashion design at the Indian Institute of Fashion and Technology; (this is the top college for fashion design in India). After graduating, I started working at a label called Naushad Ali. And, I learned a lot of things involving the management of the company. But, I wanted to be a fashion designer rather than a manager. So, I left the label.
So, where does diving come into your story?
Diving came as a recreational support to all my stress. After I started working, I met a few divers, and they piqued my interest in starting to learn. At first, I was apprehensive and didn’t want to spend all this money to get open water certified. So, I opted to take an experience dive instead of diving headfirst into an open water curriculum to see if diving was something I really wanted to devote all this time, energy, and money to learn. Then, I got into the water, experienced the dive, and as soon as I came out, I said: “Take my money, I’m doing the course.”
Right about then was when I quit my job at Naushad Ali, so in order to make some money, I did social media and bookings for a dive shop as a temporary job. While working with that dive company, I got to experience and understand the lifestyle and work of being in the diving industry. And, after deciding that I liked the lifestyle, I made the decision to get into it professionally and become a dive master.
How long did it take for you to go from complete beginner to divemaster?
Between my open water and advanced open water certifications, I took a year gap. I wanted to do fun dives, find my comfort, and not be stressed out. Diving was always meant to be recreation and fun.
I came to the Andamans as a holiday; it was my first self-paid vacation. But, in the back of my mind, I wanted to see the island to understand if I could live and work there. Eventually, I got an offer from Lacadives to continue working and do my divemaster course with them as well.
Can you recall the specific moment when you decided you wanted to be in the water forever?
There is! I’d say it’s right after when I completed my divemaster course in December of last year. And, more exactly, it must have been the 5th or 6th dive I was leading on my own without any support. When I came out of the water, everyone was happy and saw something interesting and made a new memory. That was when I knew this was what I wanted to do.
Krithi Shanbhag
Do you see yourself doing this in the long term? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
That’s an interesting question because I always have a plan. In my head, I have a picture I want to paint of my life in 5 years. So, by then, I want to have finished my instructor’s course and have taught 200 students. If it’s more, wonderful, but at least
200. There are also different levels of instructors, and in 5 years, I hope to be a staff instructor.
Are you planning to be in the Andamans or somewhere else?
I see myself in the Andamans for 1 or 2 years more, but after that, in about 5 years, managing and diving off a liveaboard.
Can you explain what a “liveaboat” is to our readers?
Sure. From the perspective of a client, you live and dive off the boat for a full week. But, from our side, we’re living on the boat for 4 months at a stretch: week after week with new clients exploring the blue.
So, now that scuba diving has turned from your hobby to your job, do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures that you indulge in now?
If it’s diving-centric, then it's underwater photography. If it’s not, it’s art. I sketch; I draw; I sing. And, I do all of these things solely for myself.
Have you always been into photography, or did it just happen that you saw a lot of cool stuff on dives and wanted to be able to photograph it?
It’s definitely not something that I have any intention of doing as a job, but I’ve always been enamored by patterns. One of the neatest things about exploring the sea is how every coral has a different pattern, so when I’m diving, being able to admire all of those designs really makes me happy.
Is your interest in patterns what drew you to fashion?
Initially, fabrics were what drew me to fashion. Afterwards, it turned to patterns. But, not simply in terms of appearances, more so with the base of design: the paper pattern that makes the t-shirt per se.
What did you enjoy designing the most?
Menswear.
I don’t hear that often. What drew you to menswear in particular?
It’s a super interesting area of fashion because it is the most important aspect by far of the whole design, and there is a lot of room to explore in that space.
When you went into fashion, you didn’t enjoy that you were put into a managerial role rather than a design one; have you ever thought about blending your two passions: fashion and diving?
Many times, but I feel like I’m too young in this [diving] industry. Only after a few years, after I’ve developed my base as an instructor, can I go back and figure out how to meld my two passions of diving and fashion together.
I feel like when you’re young in an industry, you have a lot of creativity and ideas on how the industry can improve. Have you ever considered using your fashion design acumen to create customized equipment, such as novel wetsuits or fins for diving? There is precedent for this, as advanced cave divers often customize equipment to better suit their diving style and environment.
For sure, but becoming a cave diver takes a lot of time and training. It is only after they gain all that expertise, that they can really understand why things are designed as they are and how they can be improved. For me to get to that level, I need to keep my head down and focus on becoming the best diver I can, before I venture off into fashion again.
I’ve noticed that you’re the only woman at this shop? Has that made a difference to you at all?
Not at all. Everyone here is very inclusive and kind, and divers come from all sorts of backgrounds. In fact, your other diving guide was a musician before he got into diving.
You’ve undoubtedly made a lot of progress in a year and a half of diving. Is there anything else about yourself you’d like to share?
I was doing a lot of management in my fashion job and felt stifled by not being able to be creative. But, here it’s the complete opposite. I want to be in management here. Being a manager at a dive shop involves building the base of the company and running it and all of those things that come with keeping a shop running. Things have really changed since my fashion days from 3 years ago. Working at Lacadives in the Andamans has allowed me not only to dive every day but to
learn the ins and outs of the dive industry. To keep learning is exactly what I want in my career.
Fashion and diving seem like an unlikely combination, but they work. And, the Andamans with its tropical environment and pristine natural beauty is the ideal place to spend your days diving. If you’re an experienced diver looking for your next getaway or an absolute beginner wanting to experience diving in the Indian Ocean for the first time, Lacadives at Taj Exotica is the shop to visit. If you’d like to follow Kriti on her diving adventures, her IG is: seeking_kriti.
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Adam Chinnasami is the president and co-founder of SNEQ, a children’s personal development program focused on building healthy sleep, nutrition, exercise, and quiet time habits in kids, ages 2 to 13.
