how did you get into scuba

[Parrothead_Diver]

Just this past summer the wife and I were laying by the pool at a resort in Grand Cayman. The resort had a small dive shop (shack) on site that brought a set of gear out to the pool and allowed people to blow some bubbles and try it out in the shallow end of the pool. Nobody seemed interested so after watching the guy walk around the pool for about 15 minutes with no takers, I decided to bail the guy out. Well long story short I signed up for a resort course that afternoon and ended up doing two seperate dives while in Cayman. As soon as I got back the the States, I immediately signed up for an OW class. That was all 3 months ago. I am now OW & AOW certified and am going to be starting EFR and Rescue in January.

You never know when a life altering event will hit you... I was merely laying in a beach chair!!!

 

[SueMermaid]

I went on a job interview and my potential boss had diving paraphernalia all over his office. I told him that I had always wanted to learn to dive. That was certainly the way to his heart. I got the job immediately, and the rest is history. I found myself in Belize at 50' underwater 3 months later.

 

[goodknight411]

I always wanted to but was a little scaredy, but when my dad and brother decided to do it, there was no way I was going to let them have all the fun.

 

[zilch]

Many things brought me to a decision to have a go...

whilst entering the mid-life crisis zone a few of my drinking companions had done it at some stage, some still active divers (holiday blue water), some not (BSAC diver with 100's of hours in UK waters), so some slight envy of having led a slightly duller life and missing some of the conversation at the bar; One friend died at a relatively early age of 40 :frown: , and i took a stock of what i wanted for the rest of my natural. Easily influenced by the TV, mightily impressed with some of the natural history programmes on the beeb (BBC), in particular the blue planet and thought god i want to have a closer look for myself. So booked a course whilst on holiday in OZ (whitsundays), had to bail out on the day before going open water due to ear infection, but went back to the same dive centre 8 months later and finished the course (on a business trip )..that was in April, and have done the red sea since. Not bad for a newbie, Barrier Reef and the Red Sea

The biggest thrill, the wife certifying, now a great hobby to grow old disgracefully with..

Cheers

Jim

 

[MikeFerrara]

My uncle baught a Marina on Lake Norfork in Arkansas. There was a dive shop on it...or what was left of one. Anyway my cousins inherited all the gear and they got certified.

I had always wanted to dive but, living in the midwest, I never gave it any serious thought. When I found out they were diving I made them take me. My first dive was spear fishing in a cove near "Big E ". I dives that way (without certification or even a depth gauge for that matter) for a long time before I ever had the time, money or inclination to take a class.

 

[RIDIVER501]

I was only 4 but Sea hunt was still on TV and so was Flipper. I really liked those shows. I started snorkling when I was 7 or 8 and finally got certified to dive when I was 13. Back in the 80's you had to be 12 and with a parent or 13 to go through the class by yourself. My dad has Asthma, so he couldn't do it until I was 13. Got certified in 80, AOW in 92, Rescue in 93, DM and OWSI in 95. Love it.

 

[del_mo]

About 20 years ago my wife and I tried a resort course in the Caymans. I passed while she got very cold in the pool and couldn't clear her mask. Without her as a buddy, I never persued certification. Then we were on vacation in the Islands last year and saw cattle boat after cattle boat go out. She was willing to give it another try. We checked out two dive shops, the first being SSI and not really offering that warm and fuzzy feeling my wife was looking for. The other was PADI and the owner told us about Discover Diving. $25, in a pool and we could work on our skills. And if we went on for our OW she would credit the tuition and PADI would refund the $25. So far, the best I can calculate, that $25 per person has cost me over $3,000 (and worth every penny of it).

 

[seabat]

The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau gave me the bug. The first opportunity to take a class (college) and I have been diving ever since.

Moving to the Pacific Northwest and taking my first dive brought back clear memories of Cousteau's show about the Giant Octopus. BIG TAKO for you Hawaii types

 

[justleesa]

WOW! that so little can cause soooo much!

Glad you were there for her and glad that you got interested in diving!

she had a nut allergy, and the guy next to her had been eating peanuts, they all were drinking out of the same type of beer mug, it never occoured to her to drink from a different shaped beer mug, it seems that the nut content of the saliva around the beer mug was enough to set off her reaction
that's one day i will never ever forget, i have never been so scared in my life

 

[rubbachicken]

WOW! that so little can cause soooo much!

i don't know how little is the smallest amount that can be nasty, but it's very very small

Glad you were there for her and glad that you got interested in diving!

that scared me enough to go and do a medic and then rescue diver couse, i hope i'll never have to be in a similar situation again, but i might be better prepared, i'm now thinking it is time for me to take the next jump, now i'm looking for some where to do a dive msater course