How did you start SCUBA diving?

[Aqua-Andy]

This thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/429166-introduction-looking-recommendations-gear.html got me thinking. I know this has to have been done before but not in a while. What got you into SCUBA? Please remember this is a FLAME FREE ZONE. My story, growing up my parents had a lake house (and still do) I've been snorkeling as long as I remember and have always dreamed about what it would be like to SCUBA dive. Fast forward a few years my next door neighbors came up to camp to visit and he (GASP) brought his fathers gear up for me to try(remember, this is a FLAME FREE ZONE). He went over a few things and we headed out for a dive, I fell in love with the weightlessness instantly. My wife was very against diving and getting certified but the next spring she bought me an open water course. I took open water and then went to adv/open water then to tech training. I stopped at tri-mix mostly because of the cost of gas and charters to use the training are over my budget at this time. Now I'm just enjoying blowing bubbles with all the great friends I've met since I started diving. I did a dive last wednesday night at a new site none of us have dived before. We got to the new site and after the drive and parking issues we pretty much agreed this will be a one time thing. Well we went into the water and 68 minutes later we all came out in total awe of what the site had to offer. the geology and marine life was absolutely beautiful and that is all we could talk about until we parted ways that night. The dive last wednesday made me realize why I love this sport/hobby. Please share your stories.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

When I was a kid, I was always into the science books about the ocean and ocean life. I kind of had a dream of being an oceanographer. But though I could swim well, I was somewhat scared of drowning and being deep underwater without an obvious escape plan, like in an underwater base or in an underwater vehicle. The underwater dream was put on hold for a while.

When I graduated high school, I visited Cuba for vacation and did one of their resort dives. I couldn't say whether I liked it or not - why? Because the DM told us to spit into our masks to clear it, but he didn't tell us to rinse it with the ocean water afterwards. I saw very little, and it was all blurry.

Fast forward to last year. The was a coupon for a Discover Scuba class, which I thought had us go into the ocean. We did the class in the pool, but it was fun. Then they talked about prices for courses, and I was like "NOPE!" And then I moved to Victoria and had nothing to do all August 2011. I decided to just do a scuba course. And then came the slippery slope of scuba addiction and gear hoarding.

 

[3D diver]

When I was 7-ish the neighbors across the street had a birthday pool party. My Dad brought his SCUBA gear & let all of us tool around the pool. That, plus growing up watching Sea Hunt and Cousteau's shows planted the seed.

When I was a teen Dad decided we should all get certified & took some neighbors, my brother, and me off to the dive shop. That shop ended up being a bit shadey so no one ended up getting certified. I took another course in college but there was a miscomunication & I missed the final check out dives. Finally, I found out the tech working on my project at work was a dive instructer & signed up, figuring he couldn't get away. That did the trick. I got my Openwater in '81 and, except for a recent 7 year hiatus, have been diving ever since.

 

[Hawkwood]

I was the person that every scuba Instructor dreads. The person who comes only because their spouse/significant other, etc., insisted they take scuba lessons with them. I was dragged kicking and screaming all the way. Refused to do regulator remove and replace (skill number 1?)....that earned a long "listening too" from the Instructor. I struggled through and the rest is "history". We've also become good friends with that Instructor. He is one that I try to emulate.

 

[JamesK]

An ex girlfriends father was a cave diver. We were talking one day when he was getting ready for a trip. He thought I would like it and gave me a reg, bc, mask and fins and called an instructor friend. Two weeks later I was certified and very soon after I was in the caves.

 

[jmneill]

I took an the OW class when I was a real young kid on vacation in California but left the state without finishing the last required checkout dive. Fifteen or so years past and I found myself living near the water in Florida and owning a boat. Every sunday I was jumping off the boat with a snorkel while I watched all the scuba divers below me having all the fun. In my innocence, I spent $650 bucks on a 6 CF Zeagle redundant air system and AL80 to fill it from (lol) only to jump off the boat that Sunday and blow through it in what seamed to be about 30 seconds. Having realized the err of my ways, I was in the LDS signing up for OW the next weekend.

 

[socaljohn]

This is going to sound really lame but I used to love watching Seahunt. Ever since the first time I saw it, I always wanted to scuba dive. I made a scuba tank out of a Quaker Oats canister and the plastic lid of a coffee can with a string was my mask. Like I said...really lame. Got certified in college and dove for a couple yrs before the Air Force took me far from diving opportunities. A buddy from church and I talked about starting diving again and then when a guy at work told me he was selling his rig as he could not get up and down the cliffs that are common for So Cal shore dives I had the chance to get fully set up for real bargain price. Now though I can only get a couple dive a month in, it is my favorite past time and I feel like a kid again about it.

 

[Bob DBF]

My dad was interested in SCUBA, or more likely wanting to see the water side of the ponds in the area, so he bought the gear and I managed to talk him into letting me dive as well. I was hooked on having "unlimited" air so I could spend more time underwater than one breath at a time.

We learned from the pamphlet inclosed with the gear (I believe it was ordered from Sears) and "The New Science of Skin and Scuba Diving". It was all solo except the buddy breathing practice on the Double Hose reg.

I finally got certified almost two decades of diving later as it was becoming harder to find shops that did not ask for a c-card. I have recieved other certs since then but that is another story. I just never get tired of diving.



Bob
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I may be old, but I’m not dead yet.

 

[Wolfie]

Short story, broke my neck in 8th grade, had trouble fulfilling PE credits in high school. College had PE credits as well, and they had a scuba class that qualified. Wish I could've played football as well but hey. I wouldn't be playing football in my 40s.

 

[RonFrank]

I had a dream where a voice said "Dive". So I got certified!