Mr. Dooley
Contributor
I'm a pretty new diver, having done only around 35 dives after getting certified a year and a half ago. I wouldn't exactly call my initial OW certification dives "fun" or even enjoyable - it was cold (wet suit in Monterey), everything felt physically taxing, the kit felt foreign and cumbersome, I forgot to equalize, and I don't remember seeing anything that felt especially rewarding or exciting. But I nonetheless felt like I wanted to stick with it - that once I was a decent diver, things would click and I'd enjoy it. The idea of diving still held real appeal even if those initial dives were an uneven experience.
After getting some more dives in, getting my gear configured how I like (goodbye air source, hello octo + necklace), joining team dry suit, etc. I've found I enjoy diving a hell of a lot more than I did in those early days. It's interesting hearing people wax poetic about why exactly they dive and what it means to them. For me it's primarily about seeing incredible things and going places few can or do. Secondarily, I love the idea of actually acquiring skills and acumen in a particular field. I can satisfy my appetite for adventure by bungee jumping, too - but that's just going along for the ride and trusting someone else to keep you alive. With diving I feel like I can be good at something.
Diving brings out the perfectionist in me - I find myself OCD about trim, buoyancy, and the other fundamentals. I practice helicopter turns and backfinning for fun (and also because backfinning is HARD). I've watched hours of videos of tech divers demonstrating gas switching because I enjoy it.
So I finally bit the bullet and signed up for TDI advanced nitrox, decompression and wreck courses. I'll be traveling to Miami to work with James Blackman of Miami Technical. Between then and now I just plan on diving as much as possible, retaking all my SSI coursework, and studying the TDI textbooks. My new ScubaPro Jetfins just arrived, so I should at least look the part - well, almost. I got them in white because I like the high visibility. But I acknowledge that white fins mean that I may never be a "real" technical diver.
Anyway. I'm just so excited and well, I don't have any tech diver friends to share it with. Looking forward to the challenge!
After getting some more dives in, getting my gear configured how I like (goodbye air source, hello octo + necklace), joining team dry suit, etc. I've found I enjoy diving a hell of a lot more than I did in those early days. It's interesting hearing people wax poetic about why exactly they dive and what it means to them. For me it's primarily about seeing incredible things and going places few can or do. Secondarily, I love the idea of actually acquiring skills and acumen in a particular field. I can satisfy my appetite for adventure by bungee jumping, too - but that's just going along for the ride and trusting someone else to keep you alive. With diving I feel like I can be good at something.
Diving brings out the perfectionist in me - I find myself OCD about trim, buoyancy, and the other fundamentals. I practice helicopter turns and backfinning for fun (and also because backfinning is HARD). I've watched hours of videos of tech divers demonstrating gas switching because I enjoy it.
So I finally bit the bullet and signed up for TDI advanced nitrox, decompression and wreck courses. I'll be traveling to Miami to work with James Blackman of Miami Technical. Between then and now I just plan on diving as much as possible, retaking all my SSI coursework, and studying the TDI textbooks. My new ScubaPro Jetfins just arrived, so I should at least look the part - well, almost. I got them in white because I like the high visibility. But I acknowledge that white fins mean that I may never be a "real" technical diver.
Anyway. I'm just so excited and well, I don't have any tech diver friends to share it with. Looking forward to the challenge!
