Trained by Captain Walter A. Rhame, Divers delve into the murkey and trecherous waters off the coast of Savannah in search of ocean life, shipwrecks –and a challenge.

I’m kneeling on the floor of a 14-foot pool. I’m not swimming, not struggling—but I am breathing. The thought of drowning flits in and out of my head. I exhale, and tiny
little bubbles quickly float past my face. I’m not afraid; I’m amazed.

Underwater is a strange place to be, and it’s not easy on the human psyche. After all, we aren’t fish. It feels unnatural and incredibly surreal, yet there’s something about scuba diving that’s intoxicating.

You don’t have to explain it to Captain Walter A. Rhame. “I have a deep passion for diving,” he says seriously. It’s a good thing he does because Rhame heads up one of the few scuba diving charter companies in the Savannah area. He’s also a patient instructor, as I learned when I enrolled in one of his certification courses.

Scuba (acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) diving is a low profile pastime in the Lowcountry. There’s a definite shortage of tropical fish and turquoise water off our shores. Rhame believes the relative obscurity of the sport in this area is not due to the setting but rather to the difficulty level. “The average visibility is 20 to 30 feet, but I’ve been down there when you couldn’t see five feet in front of you,” Rhame explains. “Also, you’re 16 to 20 miles off the shore compared to one or two in, say, the Keys. You’re dealing with big tides and big currents.”

It’s hard to appreciate the beauty and vastness of the underwater world on TV or film, but in Rhame’s diving videos, you can get a sense of the diverse conditions associated with Savannah’s offshore scuba diving. In one video, the thick green debris of the Atlantic swirls around the camera lens. In contrast, another video shows much improved visibility and a school of fish so dense that it actually momentarily traps the divers.

Rhame’s charter company, Mako Dive Charters, helps divers navigate these unpredictable waters. With a whopping 400 dives under his belt in just three years, Rhame understands the need to be prepared. He requires his clients to not only possess open-water diving certification, but also an advanced scuba certification.

Teaching these skills to novice divers comes easy to Rhame. With intense classroom, pool and field instruction, hopefuls will learn everything from how the equipment works, to equalizing pressure underwater and emergency skills.

But, as Rhame will tell you, there’s nothing like the real thing. That’s why the final step of certification is an open-water dive, possibly in a freshwater spring like Ginnie Springs in Florida. That locale boasts beautiful, crystal-clear waters but Rhame says the real test lies back at home. “There’s nothing like diving in the Lowcountry,” declares Rhame. “I love diving in the Keys, Hawaii, the Caribbean—good times, of course, but they don’t present a real challenge.”

Rhame’s love of the water began at a young age. Growing up in Camden, South Carolina, Rhame bought his first boat, a 14-foot johnboat with a 15-horsepower engine, at the age of 11. The vessel cost $300 and Rhame was thrilled. From that moment on, rarely a day went by when Rhame did not spend time on the water.

His taste in boats has matured over the years. Today, Rhame captains a 32-foot Boston Whaler he dubbed Sua Sponte (a Latin law term meaning “of our own accord”). Her twin 250-horsepowered engines are quite an upgrade from his first foray into the boating lifestyle.

Rhame learned to scuba dive while serving in the United States Army. The military also led him to the Hostess City more than 20 years ago. He has never regretted it. “I love the Lowcountry,” he exclaims. “I’ve been all over the world and there’s no place like it.”

He started Mako Dive Charters in 2007 in an effort to share his passion for the sport with the Savannah community. His steadfast mentality and love of all things in and around the water led to a business that not only offers scuba diving, but also marsh tours, sunset cruises, inshore fishing and spearfishing dives.

“If you want to fish with the big boys, you have to get off the boat,” Rhame jokes, poking a little fun at traditional fishing methods. All kidding aside, Rhame has strict requirements for divers wanting to don spears. He reviews their logbooks and obligates them to accompany him on a regular scuba outing before he agrees to guide them on a spearfishing trip. The extra effort is worth it, according to Rhame. “We usually always come back from a spearfishing trip with really good numbers. I have some good spots,” he says with a wink.

The sweet spots and stunning scenery help Savannah divers get their scuba fix close to home, but what helps to keep them coming back for more is the tight social network. “The atmosphere around diving is more like a community,” describes Rhame. “Anytime you have an activity that a lot of people enjoy, it allows those people to do that activity together.”

Diving is, by nature, a buddy sport, not just for safety reasons, but because the only ones who can understand the intensity of life underwater are people who have been there. The Lowcountry waters are full of shipwrecks, animal life and surprises just waiting for you. So raise your red and white flag, take a deep breath and dive right in. To contact Mako Dive Charters and Captain Walter A. Rhame, call 912.604.MAKO, or visit www.makodivecharter.com.

Learning to Dive is as Easy as 1,2,3
Rhame’s passion for the outdoors and diving in particular lead him to become an SSI (Scuba Schools International) open-water scuba instructor, as well as the owner of Mako Dive Charters. Under his guidance, one can become certified in scuba in three steps: classroom instruction, pool instruction and a two day open-water diving trip.
1) Classroom instruction. The first step involves reading and understanding the SSI open-water diving manual as one would do in any classroom environment. You will learn basic scuba equipment, procedures and, inevitably, what it takes to plan your own diving trip.

2) Pool instruction. In the middle of this step, scuba students will find their knees touching the bottom of a 14-foot pool, performing various underwater skills such as equalizing changing pressure, sharing air in the event of an emergency, or just swimming around in awe of the ability to breathe underwater.

3) Open-water diving trip. This stage solidifies the certification process. The student tests his or her freshly acquired scuba skills with Rhame in an actual open-water dive. Over the course of a weekend, the student will make five dives. Once these dives are completed, open-water diving certification is granted.

Certified for fun
Savannah has several companies serving up scuba certification:
Fantasia Scuba. Offering open-water training, as well as advanced certification, these professionals can also provide advanced classes covering nighttime or limited visibility, equipment techniques and deep diving. 3 East Montgomery Crossroads, 912.921.8933.
Zero Gravity Diver’s Depot. Offering open-water training and other services. 8602 White Bluff Road, 912.920.1155.