Jason Chambers feels embarrassed that he wasn’t more careful in the sun before his skin cancer journey.
The charter captain and Below Deck Down Under star recently spoke to PEOPLE about being diagnosed with melanoma in December after noticing changes in a sunspot on his left side.
“I had a little spot there for many years, but it kind of changed color and someone told me I should get it checked out,” he recalls. “I went to the doctor and said, ‘Is it that serious?’ And they said, ‘Yeah, you need it taken out now.’”
“It was a little bit too much to take in,” he tells PEOPLE. “There were a lot of scary things.”
Skin cancer is the abnormal growth of skin cells that typically develop on skin exposed to sunlight, namely the sun’s UV rays, according to The Mayo Clinic. Per the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma is one of the three major types of skin cancer.
“Personally, I feel a little bit silly and stupid about it — as someone that’s worked on the water, someone that’s Australian — that I actually didn’t know the severity of skin cancer and I thought that I was immune to it,” Chambers admits. “I kind of look back at myself and go, really?”
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After undergoing a biopsy and receiving his diagnosis, Chambers, 52, says he did a lot of research about the severity of skin cancer, which left him sheepish about acting so carelessly in the sun.
Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun’s UV rays in as little as 15 minutes, according to the CDC. Additionally, 132,000 melanoma skin cancers occur globally each year, with Australia — where Chambers resides — having one of the highest incidence and mortality rates.
“I was like, wow. I should know this,” he says. “I’m out in the sun all day. How did I think that I was going to be unique to everyone else?”
Chambers has since had two procedures “deep into the tissue” to remove the cancer on his side. Doctors told him that his prognosis is good, with only a 5% chance of the melanoma returning.
“On Christmas Eve I got a phone call from the doctor saying, ‘It’s within the limits. We have to do one more cut and you’ll be fine,’” he shares. “So it was a tough month. I’ve got a nice six-inch scar now, but it’s been great news.”
“Now, I’m protecting myself more — what we call in Australia, ‘slip, slop, slap,’” Chambers adds, referring to the country’s popular campaign for reducing the risk of skin cancer. The message encourages people to slip on sun-protective clothing, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat.
“I’m doing all these things now and I’m protecting my daughter too,” he says of his 10-year-old daughter Saskia, who he often spends time with in the sun.
Chambers admits that his melanoma battle has also made him a lot more health-conscious in general.
“I think I’m pretty lucky to be where I am and healthy at my age, but I want to take it to the next step,” he explains. “I had a really bad end of the year last year. My father’s got Alzheimer’s. Mom’s not well. I had a best friend that passed away. I had melanoma. I don’t think things could have gotten any harder for me at the end of 2024.”
“So I started approaching it in a way that my mate that passed away would want me to,” he continues. “I’m going to work on not just physical health, but mental health as well. I want to prepare myself for what is ahead in life.”
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Chambers previously told fans that he walks daily and does yoga stretches and band exercises rather than hitting the gym. He also takes ice baths and hits the sauna at least three days a week. A
Although he already practices meditation and does breathwork, Chambers says he is further working on his mental health by starting therapy for the first time and hiring a manifesting coach.
“This year’s going to be a big one for me,” he tells PEOPLE. “I feel like I’ve been a good balance throughout my life. I want to see how I can get to my absolute best this year.”
Below Deck Down Under premieres Monday, Feb. 3rd at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo. Each episode streams next day on Peacock.
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