How long have you been diving?

[knotical]

Another echo similar to captain and Thalassamania, but a few years later.

In 1960 when I was 16 my buddy's father bought an Aqualung and read the pamphlet. We had never heard of buddy systems, or certifications. We had a mask, fins, a cylinder, a double hose regulator, some weights and straps. We drove to Ocean City, NJ, launched our aluminum rowboat, rowed out a ways and anchored. The three of us took turns. My dive was around 15 minutes in about 15 feet of water. We were only in bathing suits, so I came up shivering. I didn’t see much, but was hooked. 23 years and an unknown number of dives later I got certified; but then only because air was becoming hard to get, even overseas.

 

[bigken462]

First dive was in a pool back in 1980, eventually got around to getting certified in 2000 and never looked back. I have since learned that inventorying your dive gear for the sake of seeing your investment brings on bouts of chest pain. Lol.

Kenny

 

[cudachaser]

Hell I almost got arrested there!

 

[cudachaser]

I thought I was old time...but the 50's diving...Wow I was just drooling over Sea Hunt then!

 

[gypsyjim]

Another echo similar to captain and Thalassamania, but a few years later.

In 1960 when I was 16 my buddy's father bought an Aqualung and read the pamphlet. We had never heard of buddy systems, or certifications. We had a mask, fins, a cylinder, a double hose regulator, some weights and straps. We drove to Ocean City, NJ, launched our aluminum rowboat, rowed out a ways and anchored. The three of us took turns. My dive was around 15 minutes in about 15 feet of water. We were only in bathing suits, so I came up shivering. I didnÃÕ see much, but was hooked. 23 years and an unknown number of dives later I got certified; but then only because air was becoming hard to get, even overseas.

I remember as a teenager looking threw magazines and catalogs at dive gear. Anyone could order dive gear, no questions asked. No LDS; everything I started with was mail order, cause there was no other choice where I was.

I thought I was old time...but the 50's diving...Wow I was just drooling over Sea Hunt then!

Ya, I think Sea Hunt is responsible for quite a few of us getting hooked back then!

 

[Damselfish]

I would fit somewhere between quite a while and long time. When I started my training the horse collar BCDs were still in use and the big advancement was the jacket style. I remember diving without a computer or an octopus and my bc was bright orange and had a CO2 cartridge.

a lot like that. I dove with friends still using horse collars and my instructor had a new Scubapro stab jacket with a CO2 cartridge. We had octos but still learned buddy breathing in OW.

 

[msg]

Got my cert in 1988/89. Did some dives off and on. When my children posed an interest into diving four years ago, I got back into diving with more frequency so that when they became old enough to dive, we could do it as a family outing. I have been assisting with classes at one of our local dive shops and love it.

 

[drbill]

Since 1961. No SPGs (until 1982), BCDs (until 1989) or computer (until 1999). Loved the big "Jim Bowie" knife on my leg... but I never had to use it for what I bought it for... either to stab that approaching great white, or my dive buddy so I could outswim him (few hers back then).

 

[Gary D.]

Started in 60. NAUI certified in 62 and still going. Who remembers what John Camern Swayze used to say?

Gary D.

 

[DivingPrincessE]

If there were a choice between newbie and reasonable length of time I would have chosen that...but with the choices given I went with newbie. Got certified in July 2007 and have almost 50 ocean dives now.

I still have a loooooooong way to go until I consider myself a solid diver...but I've also come quite a ways from when I was a true "newbie"