Coromandel man Kalani Doole’s passion for diving lands navy career

A Royal New Zealand Navy diver uses an underwater sonar system to help locate and mark coordinates of explosive remnants of war in Nanumea Lagoon. Photo NZDF/Supplied

Coromandel man Kalani Doole was bitten by the diving bug as a schoolboy and, just a short time after leaving school, has made it his career with the Royal New Zealand Navy.

The 19-year-old is one of 27 people who recently graduated from Junior Officer Common Training (JOCT) at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland. He is on his way to becoming one of the next generation of navy divers.

Midshipman Doole grew up in Coromandel and started diving when he was 16, going on deep dives on shipwrecks and in the waters of the Poor Knights Islands.

Midshipman Kalani Doole on graduation day of Junior Officer Common Training at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland. Photo / Supplied

He said joining the navy was an obvious way to make diving his career.

“The navy gives me so much opportunity to progress my passion and it gives me a chance to travel the world. I think the navy will allow me the chance to become the best version of myself,” he said.

JOCT is the first training officers undertake in the navy. The 21-week course takes men and women from a civilian life and teaches them core military, mariner and leadership skills. It also trains and tests their fitness, resilience, discipline and leadership skills, along with teaching sea survival and defence studies.

Midshipman Doole was head student at Coromandel Area School, which he said gave him a taste of what it meant to become a leader.

“My experience with leadership at school was really valuable. We also did a lot of navigation on water at school which I really enjoyed. Now the navy is the perfect place for me to develop these skills.”

The midshipman will be embarking on his Initial Sea Time training soon, where he will start putting in real-time learning to live at sea.

He will then continue his training to become a warfare mine clearance diving officer, which involves leading teams of divers in mine clearance, ordnance disposal and maritime security tasks.

“I’ve already had the opportunity to deploy to Fiji on HMNZS Canterbury on Operation Mahi Tahi. It really gave me an experience of what life is like on a ship.

“It reinforced that I’ve made the right decision to join the navy and I can’t wait to get back to sea,” he said.