David The Gnome:
Ever since I started my open water certification I've been trying to talk my girlfriend into getting certified too. Unfortunately she's terrified of swimming in anything other than a pool. Because of this I gave up trying to talk her into it and just accepted that it's something we won't get to do together. Come vacation time I'm afraid this might cause some friction between us. I just got my certification last month so while I'm planning our vacation for this summer I keep looking for places with good dive sites. The problem is that's not really fair for her because she wouldn't get to dive with me. So basically the way I've tried to work things out is to have one vacation with the two of us and then another one later with me and my dive buddy. This won't always work since I won't always have the luxury of being able to have two separate vacations. We live in Kentucky so if I want to do any sort of dives I have to travel to do so.
For those of you who have significant others who don't dive, how do you support your hobby and at the same time keep them happy? :huh:
Hi David and welcome to this wonderful sport!
My husband dives...we got certified together. But he only dives if the water is really warm, really clear, and lots to see (by his standards.) Thus I do alot of diving alone. It's tough...and it does create friction around vacation time. You can do one of two things, which you pretty much mentioned yourself. Find a vacation spot with stuff for both of you, or take a seperate diving vacation.
Just for options, Cozumel is a nice option. A week at Hotel Cozumel (all inclusive) is around $800 bucks apiece. You can do two morning dives while she sleeps in or lounges by the pool, then you'll be back by noon, and have all afternoon and evening together. Take one day off from diving mid-week to offgas and maybe do a land excursion, and it seems to work well for alot of couples. (That hotel is just ONE option that I've happened to have done myself, so I mentioned it. There are LOTS AND LOTS of hotels in Coz, and everyone has their favorite.)
And your other option is to take a couples vacation together, and then maybe book a trip with a local shop. You'll make local dive buddies, and get to experience the underwater wonders with others who appreciate it and are of the same mindset. Also, not sure how often this is mentioned, but you learn ALOT from these trips. I did my first dive shop travel trip with a lot of really experienced divers. They were good to me, let me listen to their conversation, bounce ideas off of them, etc. I came back from that trip both physically and mentally a better diver. So if you have the luxury to have seperate vacations, it's a good way to go.
IF she is really terrified of water...it might just be that she doesn't have the makings of a future diver. I have come to accept that no matter how awesome and amazing I think this sport is...there will be people that either can't or won't take up the sport. Try and avoid too much pressure...that will cause friction also. Esp. if she's scared of water...she just might not be capable of taking that giant stride step. Be supportive...there is lots of this world to see topside with the right person! Good luck on your diving career, and keep posting here. LOTS of great divers and great advice to be found on Scubaboard! Happy Bubbles!!!
