Drive to dive
Sixty feet under water, Adam Unsworth glides over beds of freshwater clam shells, collections of rocks and an occasional catfish, and all around him the water is a murky greenish-brown. He can only see 6 feet in front of his face, the water is cool, and Unsworth focuses on nothing but his dive.
“Scuba diving just makes me forget about life above the surface for an hour or more,” Unsworth, freshman, said. “It is a way to get away from everything.”
Initially becoming interested in diving through his grandfather, Unsworth got his diving license at 13. Because he liked the sport, Unsworth pushed himself to get his license on his own, but said he received a lot of help from his family.
“I had a big family background [with scuba diving], and my family always supported me when I was getting into diving,” Unsworth said. “Other people aren’t as lucky as me. They have to start from scratch with gear, knowledge, everything.”
Unsworth visits Norfork Lake in Arkansas three to four times a year, where his grandfather owns a lake house. A popular location for scuba diving, Norfork Lake often has group events open to all licensed divers.
“[I] get to hang out with a whole bunch of cool people when [I go diving],” Unsworth said. “There’s also a lot of stuff to do, like this one time I went on what’s called a treasure dive. They hide soda cans around the lake and give out prizes to the people that find them.”
Unsworth said another aspect of diving that appeals to him is a sense of independence.
“I do this instead of sports because I’m more into the adventure aspect, and I’m more about independence than being tied to a team,” Unsworth said. “If something goes wrong, you have to be able to fix it yourself. There’s no way around that.”
Because Kirkwood lacks the bodies of water needed for diving, Unsworth only dives a few times per year.
“[I don’t dive] as much as I really want to,” Unsworth said. “I can pretty much only do it on vacation, which is hard, but it just makes it more fun when I do get to go.”
Up in the air
While most of his peers try to get their drivers permit, Adam Unsworth is in the process of becoming a licensed aircraft pilot.
“It’s going to be a long time until I get my pilot’s license,” Unsworth said. “I’m in the process of getting it, but I will probably be 18 when I finally get licensed. I think it will be worth it, though.”
Unsworth said he became interested in flying through his father, who also had a pilot license, and his father’s friends who had formed what Unsworth called a flying club.
“[My dad’s friends] asked me if I would want to go fly with them and I just figured ‘why not’,” Unsworth said.
Unsworth said he has not flown very frequently, taking a few introductory courses and spending only a few hours in control of a plane, but intends to keep up with the hobby.
“I try to fly as much as I can,” Unsworth said. “I don’t have too much experience, but that’s because of how expensive of a sport it is.”
For any aspiring pilots, Unsworth offered advice on how to get started.
“Join a flying club in Missouri and get to know as many people as you can,” Unsworth said. “The more connection you have, the easier it will be [to get your license].”
Although Unsworth said the takeoff is usually hectic, especially on a windy day, he finds flying to be relaxing.
“[After takeoff], the wind dies down and it is really peaceful,” Unsworth said. “There is just silence except for the engine, and it is really cool.”
