How did you get into scuba?

[nauifins73]

My husband of 30+ years was certified in 1969. I heard what his class was like and thought no way!! Well 25 yrs later in 1999 I decided it was now or never as I had always loved the water. I do regret that I didn't do it sooner but I'm certified and working on my Dive Con rating. The best thing I have done for myself. I have met the best people/new friends that I would never have had the chance to know without this comon interest.

Becky

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

I always loved the water and marine critters and would read tons of books about the ocean as a kid. Lived in Florida for a while when I was young, so I spent a lot of time in the ocean.

I finally got certified in college. Senior year I had all my requirements, but I needed 4 credits. 2 credits for independent study and two for scuba! What a lazy semester that was.

It was so exciting to get to dive after reading about it and watching documentaries and such all my life!

Gregg

 

[scubamax]

A couple of years ago in Curacao:

Wife wants to do a try scuba thing....I said no way....she said "oh please, come on, it will be fun" I finally relent. We both enjoy and sign up for resort dive next day. She does not pass medical, so I go without her.

Now I am addicted to this sport, and she is still a good sport about it!

scubamax

 

[DeepSeaDan]

For the Southern Ontarians here, you may know of the Beach @ Pt. Dalhousie ( made famous by the band "Rush", in the song "Lakeside Park"...)

My idea of fun was exploring the sandy bottom just off the park beach. One summers day in my seventh year I was tooling along the bottom in an amazing 5' of H2O when I spied ( quite blurrily! ) something black, half buried in the sand. I reached down to pull it up & discovered it was a "Skin Diving Mask". I put it to my face, looked down onto the sun's rays dancing along a sandy lakescape of fine, sparkling sand crystals...

...and have never stopped looking.

D.S.D.

 

[emtdan]

Ever since i was very young, i would watch my dad go out diving in FL, and see him come home, and ask him all kinds of questions. When i was a little older, he would take me with him to the shop, and on the boat. I loved playing with his gear, so i would set it up for him on the boat, and then help him get in. I would get my own mask and watch him from above as he decended.

For me, this was some of our best time together. I knew that it was something that i would want to do, so fro my 12th birthdat, he gave my the CD to study. I didnt finish it until i was 13 1/2, but when i went down for the first time, it was magical, i had the time of my life!!!
two years later i signed on to Action Quest as a shipmate. I did jAOW, deep diver, boat diver, and a whole bunch of other specialties. I had a great time, and came back the next year to do rescue. I did their most intensive course.

 

[retlaw]

started as a Friend of a friend .

became close friends with her around early last year , and was enjoying developing the friendship when she mentioned that she was going to have to go away for school .
When I asked what she was going away to school for she replied "to become a Scubadiving instructor"

to which I replied "what will that let you do?" :e18:
as you can see I didnt have a clue , she kindly shared her knoledge on diving with me ,I didnt really pay attention , deffinatly didnt think id be diving .
We kept intouch and eight months later after some convincing and hearing many stories about it I was enrolled in one of her first classes , made for interesting classroom/pool sessions , yes I got picked on lol.
but its all good in the end as we just got back from four days diving in Victoria BC and I have my AOW cert (now time to get the experiance to go with it) .

and to think , only six months ago I would have considered rolling backwards off of a perfectly good boat absolutely insane , now I cant wait for my next chance to do it

 

[Michael Schlink]

My older brother was one of the 1st PADI instructors, it's all his fault!!

 

[SeanQ]

I got into diving last July. I've always wanted to dive as a kid growing up in Ontario, but lived too far away from a lake or divestore. Then when I was 11, my family moved to British Columbia. My older sister had taken an OW course with her school; I remembered how much I wanted to get certified but I did not have the money at the time. A few years passed and I put my dream on hold. Last summer I had the money and the time to get certified and start buying some gear so I signed up for a course. Now I'm planning of doing my AOW this November or March.

Is Vancouver divable in winter? I'm going to be visiting my inlaws of the Christmas holidays. Should we pack drysuits? I hate to miss a dive opportunity with baby sitters around!

Winter is probably the best time for diving out here. The vis is usually good (unless there was a storm) and the colder air temperature makes wearing an insulated drysuit or two layer 7mm wetsuit bearable while topside.

 

[diver@35]

How did everyone get into scuba?

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

Let's hear your story!

I woke up one day and realized that my life was defined by my job. My friends were all co-workers, my reading and interests revolved around work, activities were for work...you get the picture. My wife and I talked about this at length and she said that she was feeling the same.

The next weekend we were at a BBQ. There was a couple there that were divers. The husband, Steve, is a Dive Master . He talked about the trips they make, the adventures they have, and the people they meet along the way.

He then generously offered to introduce us to his PADI Instructors, and we gladly accepted.

As of today my wife and I are halfway through our OW cert and will be doing our Ocean Dives in Monterey. We arrive in PDC/Cozumel late November and can't WAIT to get in that water :dazzler1:

The real reason that my wife and I started diving? Just like it says in the PADI guide (corny but true):

1. To meet people
2. To go places
3. To do things :yl2jump:


Cheers

 

[Saipanman]

Took it in college for my P.E. requirement so I could graduate (when college takes you 7.5 years, you'll do just about anything to get out). I was absolutely miserable. Did my OW checkout dives in a silty lake in Wisconsin. Freezing, with nothing to see but muck and the occasional grey fish. Didn't dive again for a few years.

Finished law school, and got a job on Saipan in CNMI. Been diving since my first week here, and am now an instructor.

Moral of the story: If you don't like the diving where you live, move somewhere tropical!