Diving Has Been My Passion for 40 Some Years

[TheScubaLady]

I owned a retail dive center for 32 of those years. I sold it in January of 2006 and now have the time to do all of the diving that I wanted to do then but did not always have time for. Believe it or not running a dive store is fun but very time consuming. Since the sale I have dove in Belize, Cayman Brac, Gilboa, Portage, Circleville and Lakeview Park quarries in Ohio, Mt Storm West Virginia, Tahiti, the Bahamas and Ginnie Springs in norther Florida - not bad for one year. I started my own web site and posted a few of my dive trips.

One of my friends read my report on diving Aqua Cat out of Nassau and suggested I join the ScubaBoard and share some of my adventures. She also suggested I post a few photos and I probably will do that. In the meantime I just wanted to say hello to everyone and join in the fun of this site.

My web site is www.thescubalady.com Check it out and let me know what you think.

 

[under water]

Welcome Carol.
I hope one day to be able to say that I have 5614 dives and adding more (not very likely though).
I'm sure a lot of us here will have a lot to learn from you.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Hi there Carol. Good to have you here. It is a lot of fun here and although we can have heated debates, it is usually very friendly. I'd love to hear about your adventures...

 

[ED928]

welcome To Scubaboard

 

[427Dave]

Welcome abored Carol. We need more uh older, uh aged, uh experienced people.

The secret password will be emailed.

 

[TheScubaLady]

I have been on two liveaboard trips in the past three months. The average age on the Tahiti Aggressor (I was there in October) was about 64 and it was close to that on Aqua Cat (December). This, in my opinion, proves that diving keeps us young.... and there seems to be some evidence to support that. All those exposures to high pressures of oxygen help cells to rejuvinate more often. Of course some people I have known in the past appear to have cancelled those benefits out with their alcohol consumption after the dives . But that is another story.

What does really worry me (seriously) is that if the average age is going up it means we are not attracting young people to this wonderful sport. At my dive center I used to put very special emphasis on kids programs and getting kids excited about diving. I am delighted to see that the agencies are beginning to recognize this and attempt to do something about it. For so many years setting age limits of 16 or older to get involved was a real turn off. We now accept divers as young as 8 for some programs and that is wonderful. I have a nine year old grandson who has logged more than 25 dives (most of them less than 15 feet) but he is thrilled to call himself a scuba diver. And I think he will continue to be excited about the sport.

I would really be interested in hearing from younger divers and how they got involved.

 

[k4man]

Another BIG Welcome to ScubaBoard, Carol, from one of your former customers at the ASK shop--from Bucyrus, OH!!!!!!

 

[427Dave]

I have been on two liveaboard trips in the past three months. The average age on the Tahiti Aggressor (I was there in October) was about 64 and it was close to that on Aqua Cat (December). This, in my opinion, proves that diving keeps us young.... and there seems to be some evidence to support that. All those exposures to high pressures of oxygen help cells to rejuvinate more often. Of course some people I have known in the past appear to have cancelled those benefits out with their alcohol consumption after the dives . But that is another story.

What does really worry me (seriously) is that if the average age is going up it means we are not attracting young people to this wonderful sport. At my dive center I used to put very special emphasis on kids programs and getting kids excited about diving. I am delighted to see that the agencies are beginning to recognize this and attempt to do something about it. For so many years setting age limits of 16 or older to get involved was a real turn off. We now accept divers as young as 8 for some programs and that is wonderful. I have a nine year old grandson who has logged more than 25 dives (most of them less than 15 feet) but he is thrilled to call himself a scuba diver. And I think he will continue to be excited about the sport.

I would really be interested in hearing from younger divers and how they got involved.

Very interesting about the average age I am 64 so that makes me average, therefore I should try a live-a-bored. We more mature individuals have more free time on our hands now, so I guess we are the ones traveling. Also we may be older, but I have not grown up yet!

I am trying to get my grandson interested more about diving. He love the marine life. He just turned 13 and did a SNUBA and loved it. I am promoting a summer camp that will teach diving this summer.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Welcome Carol. I met you at Mt Storm a couple years ago. I was diving with the guy who smoked the pipe and played the guitar. Don't know if you remember but you struck me as a most gracious lady and fine instructor.

 

[Jason Ooi]

Welcome to :sblogo:
:wave-smil :wave-smil