Meet 30A local, Blaine! This is the most in-depth, personal story I’ve received and I’m so grateful for it. Blaine is such an inspirational person that we can all learn from. He gives back. He loves our community. Thank you for sharing Blaine!Blaine was born and raised on the west side of Pensacola, where he grew up in government housing. At the age of about 16 he left home and ended up in legal issues a few years later. Blaine moved to completely change his environment because he knew he was capable of more.
He started working on ships as a Deckhand and continued his career path until he became a ship Captain. Currently, Blaine is working on a 550 for Subsea Construction Vessel. Blaine also contributes to a prison mentorship with incarcerated youth. He takes his negative past and transforms it into into something positive by helping young men realize that they can turn their life around and become successful. He is able to speak in prisons located in Florida and Georgia. Additionally Blaine started two small businesses. The first is a charter company: Destin Spearfishing where he is the bearer of a 1600 Ton/3000 ITC Master’s License and a 2nd Mate Unlimited Tonnage USCG License. Captain Atkinson is also certified in Medical Care Provider, Advanced Shipboard Firefighting, Water Survival, First Aid/CPR, Environmental Awareness, Proficiency in Survival Craft, and is NAUI SCUBA Certified and FII (Freedive) Certified. His second small business is a local insulation company, Coastline Insulation. A portion of his profits go to helping ministries in Nicaragua.
“I love doing the prison mentorship because it makes me feel like I’m giving back to the communities and making an actual difference. They are able to speak with someone who grew up in a similar fashion, but was able to escape that environment and become successful in a sense. The guys love seeing photos of the ships too. Once my wife and I saw the 30A area, we just felt like it was home. She is a local musician and yoga teacher in Alys Beach. We love the lifestyle, the environment, and that the community always has something going on within one of the local venues.”
Thank you so much for contributing Blaine! You can follow his motivational stories and posts on Instagram @blaine30a and book a spearfishing adventure at Destin Spearfishing!
If you’d like to be featured on 30A Locals Guide, please email your photos and story to aloha@the30alocalsguide.com !