How special are we?

[pimpinseacow]

of course we're special

after all

THIS IS SCUBA

 

[83aztec]

A significant number of cold water divers live here is SoCal. Although many of us still like a little warm water interlude from time to time.

Amen to the warm water every once in awhile!

 

[BlueDevil]

If you wanted to feel 'special' or 'uncommon' because you are a diver then you are about 30-40 years too late. Back in the fifties, sixties, and probably the seventies diving was an uncommon sport. However these days it is quite common and there are plenty of divers around. Just look at the huge dive tourism industry for an idea of how many divers are out there. Places like Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Red Sea etc are full of divers on holidays.

 

[ScubaSam]

Clearly, "special" WAS the wrong word.

LOL…maybe "fortunate" would be a better word.

I feel very fortunate to have found scuba because it opens a completely new world. I will probably not get a chance to travel to outer space or another planet but going underwater is the closest I will come to traveling to another world.

Regardless of whether it's warm water or cold water diving, the weightlessness and the environment are like nothing we have on land. To be able to experience the underwater world as divers we are fortunate indeed.

 

[dpbishop]

I think 'special' fits. I mean, anyone who would spend thousands of dollars to freeze their butt off just do they can photograph pretty colored slugs must surely have ridden to school on the little bus.

 

[Garrobo]

I didn't realize how many 'divers' there were until I took it up myself. Most of them got through their OW and did a few vacation dives and dropped out, selling their fairly new stuff on Ebay, for one reason or the other. Mostly I think because there is no ocean in the middle states and it's an expensive proposition if you don't live near water.

 

[Doc]

If you wanted to feel 'special' or 'uncommon' because you are a diver then you are about 30-40 years too late. Back in the fifties, sixties, and probably the seventies diving was an uncommon sport..

We're looking the wrong way, here.

In terms of a psychological profile, divers are a very unusual little group. Stimulus Seekers to start with. Not the kind that buy white cars or cheese pizza.

The only difference between an astronaut doing a space walk and you going diving is the pay scale.

These are not common people.

Standing in 4 feet of water, looking seaward, on a moonless starry night, seeing where the black horizon of the sea consumed the night. Strap on 60 pounds of gear and wade out to the deep end.

Oh, yeah- that's real normal.

 

[themagni]

Standing in 4 feet of water, looking seaward, on a moonless starry night, seeing where the black horizon of the sea consumed the night. Strap on 60 pounds of gear and wade out to the deep end.

Oh, yeah- that's real normal.

Only 60 pounds? Wow, you travel light.

I know for certain that all my gear weighs a little over 100. I was testing the fit on a newly-purchased wing, I had all my gear on, and there was a scale right there.

 

[Doc]

Only 60 pounds? Wow, you travel light.

That was a quote from my dive buddy, aka: Herself.
She uses one of those micro tanks and no weight. All normal people hate her.

This, from someone who took 10 full days in the Caribbean to get certified, about 100 dives before that night dive.

 

[D_B]

Heh .. I would say the transportation costs are a bit less than space flight
... although sometimes the gear, and air fare does seam astronomical!