Diving Couples Survey

[TSandM]

Peter and I were set up on a blind date when I was a surgical resident. We moved in together three days later, got engaged three weeks after that, and then I got cold feet and insisted we wait nine months before actually getting married. That was in 1988.

A road we often drove had a dive shop on it. From time to time, Peter would say, "You know, you ought to learn how to dive." (He had been certified in the late 60's, but hadn't dived in years.) I would always nod and say, "Yeah, one of these days." It wasn't something I didn't want to do, but it was low on the priority list.

Then, in 2005, I had a bit too much wine at a charity auction and bought a trip to Australia. On the way home, Peter sighed and said, "If we are going to Australia, now you HAVE to learn how to dive." Sheepishly, I agreed, although I said I'd do the classroom and pool work in Seattle and he would have to take me to his father's on Maui to do the open water dives, because there was no way on earth I'd set foot in Puget Sound.

I did my certification dives in a dry suit in the Sound, and that was over 800 dives ago. Neither of us had any idea that diving would become an obsession for me. Now we're both cave and tech certified, plan all our trips around diving, and Peter's gone on to become an instructor. We get along underwater about the way we get along on land, which is to say that we amuse the dickens out of the people around us.

 

[Lorenzoid]

When we met, she wasn't yet certified, but when she heard that I dived she told me how much she had always wanted to do it. The next thing I know, she was certified and we were dating long-distance. We recently got married in Curacao, honeymooned in Bonaire, and our next big dive trip is planned.

 

[drydiver]

Peter and I were set up on a blind date when I was a surgical resident. We moved in together three days later, got engaged three weeks after that, and then I got cold feet and insisted we wait nine months before actually getting married. That was in 1988.

A road we often drove had a dive shop on it. From time to time, Peter would say, "You know, you ought to learn how to dive." (He had been certified in the late 60's, but hadn't dived in years.) I would always nod and say, "Yeah, one of these days." It wasn't something I didn't want to do, but it was low on the priority list.

Then, in 2005, I had a bit too much wine at a charity auction and bought a trip to Australia. On the way home, Peter sighed and said, "If we are going to Australia, now you HAVE to learn how to dive." Sheepishly, I agreed, although I said I'd do the classroom and pool work in Seattle and he would have to take me to his father's on Maui to do the open water dives, because there was no way on earth I'd set foot in Puget Sound.

I did my certification dives in a dry suit in the Sound, and that was over 800 dives ago. Neither of us had any idea that diving would become an obsession for me. Now we're both cave and tech certified, plan all our trips around diving, and Peter's gone on to become an instructor. We get along underwater about the way we get along on land, which is to say that we amuse the dickens out of the people around us.

wow, talk about love at first sight makes me rethink my anti-blind date position. I am told that when you meet THE one, you will just know, sounds like that is what happened to you. That is a great story, you are a lucky lady

 

[drydiver]

When we met, she wasn't yet certified, but when she heard that I dived she told me how much she had always wanted to do it. The next thing I know, she was certified and we were dating long-distance. We recently got married in Curacao, honeymooned in Bonaire, and our next big dive trip is planned.

details man! how did you meet? How long did you date long distance before you knew she was the ONE? Did one of you move to close the distance for the marriage? Great choices for the wedding and honeymoon

 

[Lorenzoid]

details man! how did you meet? How long did you date long distance before you knew she was the ONE? Did one of you move to close the distance for the marriage? Great choices for the wedding and honeymoon

I (American) was touring around Belgium, drinking good beer, etc., and I met her through some mutual friends there. We were just e-mail penpals for several years, but at some point we both found ourselves without a S.O. and wondered whether we did not have a spark with each other and whether long-distance dating might just be possible. We decided to give it a shot. Over the course of the next year or so, we visited each other's country couple times. She did the classroom/pool portion of her OW class in Belgium. She took a trip to Australia that I didn't go along on, and that's where she did her referral dives and got certified. On one visit to the US, we road-tripped to Charleston, NC, and I proposed. At that point, we had to figure out what to do about the little issue of where in the world to live. I love Belgium, but she loves the US even more, having spent 5-1/2 years here as a student, so the decision was made that she would attempt to immigrate. It's more or less a myth that simply by marrying a foreigner, one can stay in the US and all will be rosy. Rather, following the maze of immigration regulations, we duly filed a mountain of paperwork to apply for a Fiancee Visa for her. During the visa approval process, which took about 5 months, the regulations effectively prohibited her from visiting me in the US, so we used the opportunity to meet elsewhere. Once, we met in Mexico--we dived in Cabo San Lucas. Another time, we met in Bermuda--we rented a little cottage and spent our days diving and our evenings watching the sunsets from our backyard chairs and looking forward to a life like that together. A detail that I left out of my original post is that, because she still couldn't enter the US until the visa was issued, we had our "wedding" and "honeymoon" before we were actually legally married in the US. (The Fiancee Visa requires that the couple marry in the US.) Her family and my family all flew out to Curacao, and we had a wonderful ceremony on the beach in November, followed by a week of diving in Bonaire. The light at the end of the immigration tunnel came shortly after that, when she finally received her visa from the US embassy in Brussels and arrived here in the US on December 27, 2009. We had the US-legal wedding on New Year's Eve.

 

[ScubaSam]

I (American) was touring around Belgium, drinking good beer, etc., and I met her through some mutual friends there. We were just e-mail penpals for several years, but at some point we both found ourselves without a S.O. and wondered whether we did not have a spark with each other and whether long-distance dating might just be possible. We decided to give it a shot. Over the course of the next year or so, we visited each other's country couple times. She did the classroom/pool portion of her OW class in Belgium. She took a trip to Australia that I didn't go along on, and that's where she did her referral dives and got certified. On one visit to the US, we road-tripped to Charleston, NC, and I proposed. At that point, we had to figure out what to do about the little issue of where in the world to live. I love Belgium, but she loves the US even more, having spent 5-1/2 years here as a student, so the decision was made that she would attempt to immigrate. It's more or less a myth that simply by marrying a foreigner, one can stay in the US and all will be rosy. Rather, following the maze of immigration regulations, we duly filed a mountain of paperwork to apply for a Fiancee Visa for her. During the visa approval process, which took about 5 months, the regulations effectively prohibited her from visiting me in the US, so we used the opportunity to meet elsewhere. Once, we met in Mexico--we dived in Cabo San Lucas. Another time, we met in Bermuda--we rented a little cottage and spent our days diving and our evenings watching the sunsets from our backyard chairs and looking forward to a life like that together. A detail that I left out of my original post is that, because she still couldn't enter the US until the visa was issued, we had our "wedding" and "honeymoon" before we were actually legally married in the US. (The Fiancee Visa requires that the couple marry in the US.) Her family and my family all flew out to Curacao, and we had a wonderful ceremony on the beach in November, followed by a week of diving in Bonaire. The light at the end of the immigration tunnel came shortly after that, when she finally received her visa from the US embassy in Brussels and arrived here in the US on December 27, 2009. We had the US-legal wedding on New Year's Eve.

What an absolutely fabulous story. Congratulations!!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[SailNaked]

My wife and I met at work and were friends for a few years, we decided to get married in BVI, unfortunately she developed breast cancer and we had to reschedule for a year later after an intense year of treatment. We chartered a Sailboat for two weeks of sailing, diving and snorkeling. She did not dive other than to breath off of my regulator at the surface and lots of snorkeling. For our second anniversary we decided to go back and this time she got semi certified doing the KR and pool work before our trip. we did about 15 open water dives and she was hooked. she got fully certified when she got back. Since then we both became dive masters and will be in the April IDC. it still lights me up to see her get excited about something new and how far her diving has progressed. on our first trip she almost drown me putting my body between her and a barracuda, on our last trip we were chasing after reef sharks to get a closer look.

 

[Zieg]

My story.

A friend invited some people for a weekend of diving in Panama City. He then informed me that he had invited these people and that they were staying at my house and that I was setting up the dives. What a good friend.

Some of the people coming asked if they could bring along one of their friends who dives. I was informed she was a commercial diver and had her act together. I agreed to let her come along.

We were introduced to each other on ICQ. I entered a conservation with about eight people all typing away at once. She and I started chatting and before we realized it, it was about two in the morning and everyone else had left without us noticing.

When everyone arrived, we went to dinner, in order for her to get a feel for me and to decide if she was going to stay at this stranger’s house for the weekend. We went to one of the local seafood restaurant. Afterwards she complained that she didn't notice anything about me since she had a magnificent flounder to keep her company. I was incredibility impressed with the way she dissected her flounder. I had never seen anyone eat a fish soooo thoroughly. All that was left was a pile of sucked clean bones. Most people I know tend to pick at their fish, not her.

When we went diving, she carried her own gear, set it up, and growled at me when I reached over to help her zip her dry suit. I had never seen anyone get into a back entry dry suit and zip it up by themselves before. I've also rarely met such a capable, competent, and independent diver.

This all took place the weekend before Valentines Day and I did something I had never done before. I sent her flowers. I bought them online. You know, just a small bouquet of roses. You know, something simple and inexpensive. Nope, that's not how it worked out. I guess the florist had a cancelation on a bouquet and they decided not to waste the flowers and "bumped" up my order. I understand the bouquet was actually taller than the deliveryman. Evidently it made an impression. She was attracted to me before, now it was over the edge. We started driving back and forth between S. Fla. and Panama City on weekends till we couldn't stand that drive anymore and she moved up here to Panama City and married me.

I know the friend who started this whole weekend likes to take credit for getting her and me together, but I believe the blame should rest entirely on the shoulders of the guy who brought her along. It was our own Walter. In fact, Walter was one of the Bride's Maids at our wedding.

 

[joystershell]

Walter, a bride's maid? I wanna see the pics of this!

 

[drydiver]

I (American) was touring around Belgium, drinking good beer, etc., and I met her through some mutual friends there. We were just e-mail penpals for several years, but at some point we both found ourselves without a S.O. and wondered whether we did not have a spark with each other and whether long-distance dating might just be possible. We decided to give it a shot. Over the course of the next year or so, we visited each other's country couple times. She did the classroom/pool portion of her OW class in Belgium. She took a trip to Australia that I didn't go along on, and that's where she did her referral dives and got certified. On one visit to the US, we road-tripped to Charleston, NC, and I proposed. At that point, we had to figure out what to do about the little issue of where in the world to live. I love Belgium, but she loves the US even more, having spent 5-1/2 years here as a student, so the decision was made that she would attempt to immigrate. It's more or less a myth that simply by marrying a foreigner, one can stay in the US and all will be rosy. Rather, following the maze of immigration regulations, we duly filed a mountain of paperwork to apply for a Fiancee Visa for her. During the visa approval process, which took about 5 months, the regulations effectively prohibited her from visiting me in the US, so we used the opportunity to meet elsewhere. Once, we met in Mexico--we dived in Cabo San Lucas. Another time, we met in Bermuda--we rented a little cottage and spent our days diving and our evenings watching the sunsets from our backyard chairs and looking forward to a life like that together. A detail that I left out of my original post is that, because she still couldn't enter the US until the visa was issued, we had our "wedding" and "honeymoon" before we were actually legally married in the US. (The Fiancee Visa requires that the couple marry in the US.) Her family and my family all flew out to Curacao, and we had a wonderful ceremony on the beach in November, followed by a week of diving in Bonaire. The light at the end of the immigration tunnel came shortly after that, when she finally received her visa from the US embassy in Brussels and arrived here in the US on December 27, 2009. We had the US-legal wedding on New Year's Eve.

hee hee, wow, thanks for the details, I am glad I was pushy, what a great story talk about overcoming obstacles, congratulations!