Meet Nicholas Lara | Scuba Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicholas Lara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicholas, how does your business help the community?
I started Angel City Divers to address the inaccessibility of scuba diving in my community. I was fortunate enough to have most of my beginner and intermediate scuba courses paid for through my employment as an LA County Lifeguard and by an anonymous donor at my university. If not for these two factors, I never would have been able to afford to become an instructor. I have realized that many others aren’t so lucky but should still be given the chance to explore the underwater world. Eventually, I would like to turn Angel City Divers into a non-profit with the main goal of bringing people from underserved communities to experience the beauty that lies beneath our coast.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
From a young age, the ocean always fascinated me. I could easily spend hours exploring tidepools and getting tossed by waves. After high school, I decided pursue a Bachelor’s in Marine Biology and while I was accepted to a few four-year universities, there was no way my mom or I could afford it. So I went to community college first and joined the MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) program at Rio Hondo College. Here I met Dr. Spieler, probably one of the most driven and inspiring women I have ever met. She pushed me to apply for REU’s (Research Experience for Undergraduates) which are usually funded and provided a stipend, making them a great option for people who cannot afford to take time off work. This is how I ended up studying microbiology at the University of Southern California for a summer before I transferred to the University of California, Santa Cruz. It wasn’t all smooth sailing as I had to withdraw from a physics class and failed organic chemistry, but I kept on pushing and eventually graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Marine Biology. All it took was 5 years and around $20k of student loan debt, thanks FAFSA. From here, I decided to get my feet wet in the field, literally. I accepted a job as a fisheries observer in Alaska but it wasn’t a great fit so I quickly moved on to another job as a scientific divemaster in Honduras. That was in March of 2019… Queue 3 years of COVID, unemployment, scuba diving constantly, and doing some remote work. Finally, I decided to get out of the funk and made a rough plan to start my own dive business/non-profit. They say that perfection is the enemy of progress and I agree completely, so I tried not to worry and just started doing. I moved back in with my mom, and picked up as much overtime as I could while saving as much as possible. After about a year I quit that job, became a scuba instructor, and bought a few thousands dollars in scuba gear to use as rentals. At this point we’re pretty much caught up to today, I’m still learning new things everyday and figuring it all out but am a lot happier now that I have a real sense of purpose.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well first I would take them diving of course! While technically not in the city, the Casino Point Dive Park on Catalina Island is unlike anywhere else in the world and offers an unforgettable experience. If they are not divers, the beaches on the mainland are also incredible just to hang out for the day. Point Dume in Malibu and Little Corona in Newport are some of my favorites. Another great hangout spot is Angel City Brewery, an awesome place to have a few beers, play games, and just chat with friends. For food, there’s the Estrano pop-ups, Koi Thai Cuisine, and of course In-N-Out. LA and Southern California in general are so vast with so many options, its incredibly hard to single out my favorites but hopefully these answers give some ideas.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Growing up, I didn’t always have the best relationship with my family. Luckily I’ve met a ton of incredible friends throughout my life and travels. Some I only knew for a few days or weeks while I was on the move, others I grew up with and knew for years. Time spent together does not seem to play a major factor, the only thing that really matters is that each one of them has inspired me in some way or another. Also, many times I’ll go to them with big decisions because their opinion is so valuable. I don’t think I would be where I am without them.

Instagram: @divewithnick / @angelcitydivers

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholaslaramb/

Other: Email: divewithnick@gmail.com

Image Credits
Vanessa Miranda