Jeff Johnson is a 42-year-old Texas native who fell so deeply in love with scuba diving that he left a career in finance to start a YouTube channel, Generations Below, with his 13-year-old son, Gunner.
As he builds his channel, which is purposefully designed to explore the world of scuba diving from a relatively amateur father-son perspective, Johnson has embarked on an ambitious project to create a global underwater treasure hunt.
Simply named ‘The Hunt‘, Johnson and his son hide coins underwater, each of which is stamped with a logo and a QR code that will earn the discoverer a high-end dive gear prize when discovered.
The project is still in its infancy, but so far, three lucky winners have earned themselves some pretty decent goodies. A diver in St Croix won an Insta360 X5, and another diving Balmorhea State Park in Texas earned themselves a Shearwater Peregrine dive computer.
A third coin had to be recovered after a major wall collapse at the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, and a fourth coin has already been hidden, but the location has yet to be revealed as Johnson builds up support for his channel.
We caught up with Jeff to explore his motivation for embarking on a project that could, potentially, become a huge success amid a growing number of social media channels exploring the underwater world.
‘I walked away from a career in finance because I didn’t want my son growing up thinking success was measured by somebody else’s metrics,’ he says.
‘I wanted to build something real with him, something rooted in adventure, legacy, and the kind of experiences that leave a mark long after we’re gone. That’s where Generations Below was born.’
‘I took my first dive in 2018, and as a hopeless romantic, I was immediately captured by the sea,’ he says. ‘Diving wasn’t just a sport for me; it felt like stepping into a world that matched everything I’d always imagined… beauty, danger, mystery, and freedom.’
In December of 2024, Johnson’s son, Gunner, earned his Open Water certification at just 12 years old, and the father and son team embarked on a journey together that Johnson says has been ‘nothing short of transformative.’
Johnson is keen to point out that he is not an expert diver. He’s currently working towards his Rescue Diver certification, and approaches Generations Below from the perspective of a diver keen to share knowledge that other divers will find valuable, rather than detailing the technical minutiae of equipment that many divers won’t – and don’t need to – understand.
‘Beyond The Hunt, we’re building our brand around sharing diving in a way that’s approachable,’ he says. ‘Our gear reviews aren’t overly technical, and we break things down so new and average divers can actually use the information.
‘Our dive site reviews aren’t just about what you’ll see; they focus on the soul and meaning behind adventure travel, pairing visuals with storytelling that resonates.
‘And through it all, we bring a father-son perspective that is rare in this space.’
Johnson’s Generations Below has already landed some notable brand sponsorships, particularly Ocean Reef, for whom he has been reviewing its Neptune 3 full-face mask, and he’s hoping to attract more sponsors to expand The Hunt worldwide – a lofty ambition, but one he’s working hard to achieve.
‘The response has been incredible,’ he says, ‘We’ve proven it works in Texas and the Caribbean, and we’re dreaming bigger. ‘We’re actively seeking partners to take The Hunt international, but at the end of the day, this isn’t about stats, views, or even sponsorships.
‘The ultimate goal of Generations Below is to create a legacy with my son. The Hunt is just the framework. What it really represents is a chance to share something meaningful with the ones you love, and to inspire others to do the same.
‘For me, every dive with Gunner is part of that story. And Generations Below is how we share it with the world.’
To find out more about Jeff, Gunner, and The Hunt, head to generationsbelow.com, and follow their adventures on their YouTube channel at @Generations-Below
