How did you get into scuba?

[mogwai]

Took first try dive when about 19 in Corfu. Tried another couple of times over the years on holiday as well. Went to Turkey last year and found i didn't enjoy the try dive. Didn't get to use any equipment and was led around by the nose. Thought to myself, 'bugger this i always enjoyed this before so am going to learn hope to do it by myself" That was a year ago am now doing my divemaster. Oh and i also used to Fly Fish as well Mo2vation. Don't wet a line too much now

 

[Ishie]

How did everyone get into scuba?

By accident?
Always wanted to?
Got dragged into it?
Dragged someone into it?

Let's hear your story!

Always was a part of my life. My mother and father were both heavily into scuba before I was born (my arrival ended my mother's diving, though she's starting to try again). My mother was an AI with Naui and logged well over 200 dives. She and my dad also worked at the Marine Mammal Center so all the pictures in our house, rather than being of family pets, were of mom and dad with the family water pets, injured seals and sea lions (mom has a big scar where the latter ripped her leg open).

I did the class when I was 15, but I was in North Carolina. It was a long class with the Explorers and I enjoyed it a lot. Unfortunately, when I was due to do my check out dives (in July), I decided I needed my tonsils out instead :11: Next opportunity was in November, and way too cold in the lake.

So didn't get a chance to do anything for a long time, but always loved it. In February, Jim and I went on one of the three day cruises that go to Catalina and Ensenada. In Catalina, we snorkeled (no weight belt, that was exciting), and fell in LOVE with it. We were PADI certified in April and just logged our 28th dive Sunday.

Ishie

 

[htn123]

Well,
My brothers dragged my butt to go freedive spearfishing in Baja. Got me self 2 big @ss yellowtails 40# each.
Figured, hey, if I can get 'em fish holding my breath, imagine what I could get with big old tank on my back.... well, shiat.... haven't got any bigger fish than the one I got free diving... must be beginner lucks ... still love scuba thought.

 

[CaptSaaz]

I started out snorkeling in the caribbean on Windjammer cruises. Enjoyed doing that, so easy to do. Then, last March, there was a couple on the ship who were going on a dive so I asked them about it out of curiousity. They told me how much they loved it, that it wasn't hard to learn and that the dive shop also does Discover Scuba. So, what the hell, lets give it a try.... absolutely loved it. Had a busy spring/summer but made time to sign up for the OW course. Had a LDS and instructor recommended to me and got my OW in August and now in the middle of my AOW course. I count the minutes to my next dive.

 

[simbrooks]

I always hated waiting around our sailing club each spring for the diver to show up. We had to remove the piers in the fall so the shifting ice wouldn't damage them, and as soon as the ice melted in the spring we would all gather to reinstall the docks. To get the pier supports set properly we needed a diver in the water.

We always ended up wasting what seemed like two or three perfectly good weekends of sailing because the docks weren't put back together yet. I figured that if I learned to dive I could jump right in three days after the ice melted and get to work. What could possibly be so hard about that?

Although our estuary didnt freeze up (i dont know if that would affect this solution), but we tied the mooring lines of the pontoon/dock onto buoys and they sat their all winter until we floated the pontoons back out.

Even so, how did i get into it - years of being a water lover, doing everything else but diving around the coast, i used to see divers going out all the time, but never got around to it. Then last year my GF of the time and i chatted about things we wanted to do/experience in life and this was one we agreed on and thought we could get into and do together. Little did she know that i would get obsessed about it and not stop talking about diving ever since. We got certified together and still dive a lot and have taken a few more courses together since.

 

[cowprintrabbit]

Too nearsighted to snorkel, hubby would freedive to see cool stuff, took free resort course, loved it, got certified

It was his idea, and now I'm more into it than he is!

 

[kman458]

Always watched Jacques Cousteau documentaries as a kid and always wanted to try.

Eddy.

same here on the national geographic specials. the school i went to in california had a dive shop come in and you went to dive class and not to pe. i think that it cost like $20.00 or $25.00 to get certified back in 1973.

 

[asmith5]

When my wife and I got married, we took our honey moon in the Bahamas and snorkeled over a reef. We soon set up a reef aquarium and got into the marine life. A year later we snorkeled in Cozumel. I always wanted to get my OW cert, but could not afford it. A few weeks ago a friend of ours found a really good 2 for the price of one deal for PADI certification. About 15 of our friends decided to go for it. I was worried that the instructors might not be great before we started the class, but I was way off. They were very safety concious and taught us a lot. My wife and I completed our OW this weekend. We are planning a trip to the Keys in December and another trip to Belize this spring. I am hoping to get my AOW pretty soon.

Andrew

 

[jrdivagrl]

My OW cert is the BEST mistake ever! My cousin, aunt, uncle had signed up for a divng class, OW. one of my cousins dropped out and i was invited to join! Of course i accepted! I started reading the book and basically memorized the whole thing BEFORE the class even started! So we went up to RI for our checkout dives. My uncle was on a business trip, my aunt didnt want to get into the cold water, and my cousin got a sinus block. So i was the only one who graduated! Eventually my cousin and uncle went to bonaire and got their OWs.

I am ecstatic about diving and will hopefully be an avid diver for the rest of my life. I hope to be an instructor some day. Maybe even a techdiver!

 

[JustJoe]

After coming home from my enlistment in the military, as a gift to me my Mom bought a class for herself, my sister, my sister's husband and myself (she also bought all my equipment). We all dove together for many years.

Joe