CAPTAIN CURTIS GASKIN’S office is the bright blue ocean, with a view of the horizon each day.
One of the captains of the Atlantis Submarines team, he has made himself at home on the ocean over the last 13 years despite nearly drowning twice in his life.
Gaskin described himself as fun-loving and a hard worker, and his boss, Roseann Myers, confirmed that he is indeed “a great asset to the company; always immaculately turned out, courteous, very calm, positive and fun in his interactions with team members and guests”.
Gaskin became part of the Atlantis Submarines team after he returned from Cuba and had nothing to do.
“I was on vacation looking for a job and applied here. I started working and ended up making here home. It just happened,” he said, laughing. “I loved what I was doing and just enjoyed it.
“For me when I came in, my ability to speak Spanish was an asset. As the years progressed I learnt everything there was to learn regarding the operations. Right now after the pilots, I am the next qualified person to do everything; a typical master of all trades on the submarines, if you may,” he said casually.
When he isn’t in his office, he can be found at Crossfit Islandfit keeping his physique in shape. The gymaholic also plays volleyball for the island’s national team. And although he had to stop for the last year because of a shoulder injury, he intends to return to the sand next year.
A typical work day for Gaskin starts at 8:30 a.m. From there, both he and his crew members perform pre-dives to get the fleet ready for the workday ahead. “If there is underwater work to be done, that is usually completed before passengers arrive for the first dive at 10 a.m. At that point is where I transform from that rigid and stern person, and while still being authoritative, I would free up and make others relax,” he said, smiling.
The current Atlantis Submarines team has 12 members in its operations department; four pilots, four co-pilots, two captains and two maintenance guy. “Sometimes I would rotate into the position of co-pilot and do tours. The guests usually come for a quality tour, and that is what I deliver. For me co-piloting is a lot of fun because I prefer to interact with the guests instead of being upstairs in the captain’s wheel house. Upstairs can get a bit boring and dull sometimes,” he admitted.
Of his job captaining the transfer vessel he said, “I love the sea but I don’t think I would “die” at sea. I may have another ten years or so left in me, but it’s not a job I can say I am tired of because every day is an adventure.
“There are days that are stressful,” he confessed, “but it isn’t the typical job where you come to work, you’re upset with the world and stay that way. You speak to some crew members, you chat with some guests and what you were mad about becomes water under the bridge.”
Additionally, Gaskin, who celebrated his birthday last Tuesday, pointed out, “The one thing that has stayed with me over the 13 years I have been here is having a wonderful sense of humour and being able to have conversations with just about anyone. I just love talking to people, although I can be shy at times.”
As for the short pants which are a part of his uniform, laughing heartily he said, “the girls like the short pants. Right now they are long; before they were much shorter. When I first started working here I didn’t like them having to walk through town in a picky, little short pants, but after a while I got used to the compliments. Right now though I love them and they get me comments ever so often.”
If he was not on the ocean every day he would be in the classroom instead. “Teaching is my other passion, so it would be either teaching or coaching at secondary level. I actually studied PhysEd in Cuba for five years and had the opportunity to teach last year at my alma mater, The Lodge School,” he said.
Reflecting on the experience, he said, “It was superb. It put me in a role of giving back with my mentor Mr Fingall, rather than giving trouble. It was great being in his shoes and being able to instil discipline. Being able to talk to some of the youngsters, because some of them need guidance, was quite the experience.”
Just before parting ways with the EASY magazine to resume his duty on the transfer vessel, Gaskin offered this advice to anyone looking to get into his field. “If you want to work in this field, be prepared to work hard. You must always be vigilant and aware of what is going on at all times. I have never had any out of the way incidents, but where little children are concerned, you can never take anything for granted.
“You can never be scornful either. If someone gets sick while on the vessel or on the submarine, more often than not you end up being the person doing the cleaning. You must be a team player as well and also do your best to get along with others. Having another language and being mechanically and technically inclined would also work to your advantage,” he added.