How you found scuba..

[BurBunny]

My mother was a flight attendant in the early 60s before she was married. Her route was SF>Honolulu>Wake Island>Guam>Philipines. She learned to dive during her layovers on Wake Island, so I grew up hearing about it.

When I was 10, we were wintering on Maui and there were 2 divers who lived in my complex. Since I was a fish in the pool, they thought it would be fun to put a regulator on me. Of course, Mom was all for it. That was more than 30 years ago. EEEK! But I blame it all on Mom.

 

[Carlos Danger]

As a child I was always fascinated with the whole Jacques Cousteau adventure thing. Later on in life I had entertained thoughts of getting certified, but never formally looked into it. Several years ago a girlfriend got me the OW course for my birthday, as she was certified and thought it would be a cool activity for us to do together - I've been diving ever since. My one-time fascination has now grown into obsession and love, and is definitely one of the most enriching and beautiful experiences that has ever come into my life. Thank you Rochelle, where ever you are!!!

 

[divingjd]

Pretty familiar story for me. I watched Sea Hunt, Jacques Cousteau, and everything else as a kid. I was always fascinated with sea life, but I guess I never really thought seriously that I could dive - it was like being an astronaut, a dream that could not become reality. Then I was on vacation at an all-inclusive in Jamaica and they offered the resort course for no extra charge. I pestered my wife (now my ex) about it all week. We finally did it at the end of the week and I was hooked. It took me about three years to talk my ex into getting certified, but we finally did, but would only dive two or three days a year on vacation. After the divorce, it gave me something to do and people to hang around with and travel with, so I got into it seriously - bought all the gear, took all the classes, went on the trips (you know, been there, dove that, got the T-shirt). I knew I was totally off the deep end when I bought a drysuit and started diving the Great Lakes.

 

[beach89]

My dad and uncles have been diving since the 70s. Most of them were instructors too.

 

[ccso434]

I got hooked when a co-worker waived a meg in front of me after I told him I would like to learn how to dive. Now I just finished amy OW class and have 6 dives already scheduled. Man I can't wait to get wet again!:lol:

 

[pir8]

Was heavy into sailing and was getting tired of cruising the Cesapeake. So a group of us got togeather to charter in BVI. Took a new guy into crew and at a cruise meeting he started talking about SCUBA. Me being me said to myself "OK I'll try that". Did the training up here in the quarry then a week later did a giant stride off the boat into this crystal blue H2O and was hooked.

 

[pir8]

Oh yeah I watched Sea Hunt and Voyage to the bottom of the sea and James Bond Movies and all the other stuff but hadn't thought about me actually doing it till the opportunity presented itself.

 

[BIGSAGE136]

Mike Nelson! Jacque Cousteau's novel "Silent World", really drove it home.

 

[Quero]

I loved snorkeling and would take my kids snorkeling whenever we were near a reef. Then my oldest kid did scuba for a university phys-ed credit and told me at every opportunity "Mom, if you like to snorkel, you will love scuba." A few years later, during my middle kid's spring break from college, she and I were bored at a beach resort that had a brand-new dive center and an enthusiastic instructor, so we did the OW course. Becoming a certified diver, even at a relatively "mature" age, has had a huge impact on the direction of my life.

 

[k4man]

Growing up, I never really knew that people actually did this scuba dive thing (except on tv and in movies), and I was never exposed to it.

Not until I was in my early 30's did a colleague talk me into taking a PADI course sponsored by the local YMCA. My friend, a certified diver of 20 years at the time, had lost his c-card...no computer recordes when he got his

He decided that MAYBE a few things had changed in 20 years, so he retook the class and I joined with him. Man, I wish I would have known about this years before when I was in my teens or 20's....

Anyway, Happily certified since 1995 and now a Master Diver getting ready to move over to the professional side, finally.

Kevin:14: