Schwankert had to buy gear in Hong Kong because scuba is a novelty on the mainland. The first season drew only 100 students, at $50 for 45 minutes. But Schwankert says this summer will be “huge” and loves being a “pioneer.” “Diving in China is like the U.S. in the 1950s, except everyone doing it in America was military,” he says. “Here it’s all Yuppies, people with money.” With other outdoor sports booming, Schwankert envisions “revenue streams” in scuba manufacturing, gear sales and travel. His school is meant to attract customers to four-day, $600 diving tours to exotic locales. This summer he’s scouting the waters of landlocked Mongolia. At least there are no sharks.
