How were your first experiences in diving?

[Kane(adian)]

during my OW course, the lake got zapped by lightning. i was the last one to reach the surface before it hit - we were doing emergency swimming ascents - my buddy, the DM and the instructor were underwater at the time, the rest of us floating on the surface. we swam like hell for shore, but it wasn't a deterrent.

 

[Mr Kawamura]

My first time in scuba gear was in a local 3 meter deep swimming pool on a try dive as a teenager in the early '90s. I was scared about pressure on my ears under water, due to a series of ear infections I'd had as a kid, when one drum had perforated and leaked puss for a week; I was sensitive about my ears. Once in the water I couldn't go deeper than about a foot due to a vicious mask squeeze. Now I think about it, I must have been trying to breathe through my nose.

A couple of years ago I met my current girlfriend, a keen diver, and I decided to try again. I did another try dive, this time off a beach on Pulau Redang, Malaysia, and all the former anxiety was gone. Will be doing my AOW in May, and hopefully my first diving in UK waters this summer. Can't wait.

 

[Phreak]

OW checkout dives was Sept 2000. My wife and I both got certified at Alki and 64th in Seattle. AKA the Alki Junkyard for all the bizzare man made stuff still down there. It was strange, fantastic and a little scary all at once. OW class had about 8 people in it, our instructor was really cool.

Looking back now it seems so long ago. My wife didnt persue diving but I went thru OW, Advanced, Rescue, then Divemaster. Lots of Boat Diving at Z's Reef, North Wall, KVI Tower and Maury Island. Plenty of shore dives at Cove 2 and Edmonds Underwater Park...Three tree. Langly Reef. The list goes on.

Why didnt I do this when I was 18 ? Because its expensive and I was broke back then...still going to school, etc.

And Im now starting to think about Assistant Instructor ? Hmmm.

 

[prittykitty]

My first dive after certification was Alexander Springs on Christmas Eve, okay so it wasn't that long ago. It was really clear and beautiful, especially after training in DeLeon Springs. Funniest thing there are these little blue gills that where following us everywhere! I think someone must have been feeding them and they recognized as those big wierd black things that give out food.