What gave you the itch or motivation to take up diving

[markmud]

To be honest from the first time I watched "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" as a little guy in the 60's

Being 5 years old and watching my dad sprinkle talcum powder into the legs and sleeves of his wetsuit while gearing up for a dive, and then walk out of the ocean an hour later, flip his DH reg back over his head, and be carrying a speared halibut or white sea bass on his stringer and/or having a game bag full of lobster, abalone and scallops

Grew up boating, waterskiing/wakeboarding, and swimming.

Hi 12th Man,

Good thread! Thanks!

All of the above and throw in fishing for albacore, yellowtail, yellowfin tuna, marlin, dolphin fish, swordfish, halibut, and more.

The ultimatum that proved to be the last straw was from my future wife: Get certified to dive or else! Early on in our relationship, it was deal breaker.

My response was: Hell yeah!

Here we are (Curacao, 2019):

m²v2

 

[scrane]

I got into SCUBA because I was unable to hold my breath for one hour.

 

[JMBL]

Growing up in the 70's in front of a TV set when reruns of "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" were broadcast again and again got me addicted to everything linked with the sea and the underwater world. There was also the TV serial 'Primus' (I wish I could it once more).

But I had to wait 1990 to get my PADI Open Water Diver and my first dives, almost 30 years ago (next April). Never stopped to dive since, turned tek now, closing on 1 000 dives, hope to dive at least 30 more years. Deep down underwater is where I feel best.

 

[Skulmoski]

Mike Nelson and getting a mask to play with during bath time as a 5 year-old. Mike Nelson would say things like "The fish looked like good eating, but it made a deadly breakfast. It was to have a weird effect on these two friends of mine." Who could not continue to watch and want to scuba dive!

 

[Kamaros]

No real reason. I've always been the type who will try most anything once, and when I had the opportunity to try a DSD, scuba was no different. Where it does differ from other things that I've tried was that I found it to be entirely magical, causing me to become totally obsessed afterwards.

 

[Aviyes]

I almost forgot...also watching the TV show Seaquest DSV.

 

[matt86]

My dad was big into diving before having kids. He told me lots of stories of all the wrecks in Lake Michigan, and they always intrigued me. One day a few years ago, he was talking about it, so I looked up dive shops in the area, went to one, and signed up for an open water class. I had hoped to dive with my dad, but he tried and was unable to get his breathing under control. He quit smoking several months ago and is breathing better, so I'm hoping to take him out to a nice easy wreck this summer. The opportunity to do something with my dad that he had so much passion for is ultimately what got me into diving.

 

[MargaritaMike]

I was living in the middle of the desert in Saudi Arabia. I met an instructor at a party. He gave me his number. About six months later, my wife left to spend the summer and some in the states. I was bored, called the instructor, was certified in about 6 days, got my AOW 14 days later. By the time she got back in mid-October I was a Rescue diver with 4 specialties. I never looked back. I kept going. She left for good the next time and after a lot more dives I picked up more specialties and took the DM course. I was hooked, you could say. So, I owe diving to my ex-wife. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Cheers - M²

Edit: added a word and deleted a word for readability-M

 

[CWK]

I was working out in a gym one day and figured that scuba diving would be a more enjoyable way of burning calories.

 

[rhwestfall]

The constant theme of being inspired by JYC, and there was this Saturday morning show called "West Wind" that frequently had diving adventures... This would have been the early 1970's

Around then, my folks bought me a Woolworths snorkel set when we started visiting my snow birding grandparents in FLA each Easter recess from grade school. I was around 6 or 7 then.

It all fed the fever.

We never could afford SCUBA lessons, but when I went to college, I found I could take it as a physical education class. And, it would only cost $25 as a lab fee (okay, there was this college tuition thing attached)!

After college, I ended up living on the Great Lakes, and diving passion peaked as well as the funds to allow it. For the first 20 years I only got to warm water twice, but was blessed with the shipwrecks of the lakes and rivers of the region. Met my then to be wife, and she became a diver too.

Now, we are a diving family (wife, daughter, and me), enjoying both cold and warm water adventures.