How you met scuba diving

[JBFG]

I was in Afghanistan with a buddy of my, GDI, also on this board. He was talking all the time about Scuba. So when we left Afghanistan he set up some scuba classes for us in Cyprus. I was hooked instantly.

Thanx Rick!

 

[MichigandiverJon]

I got started when I was about 12? With an Evinrude Aquanaut. Then went Scuba with some NOS Voit Swim master Regs and Voit tanks. Luckily, an instructor who happened to be a friend convinced me I needed to take a real class and get certified. He was right and I'm glad I did!

 

[Dr Dog]

I was on a business trip to Atlanta, and took off some extra time to go visit the Everglades. A road trip with my wife, a chance to really see Georgia and Florida. After a few weeks of planning, I happened to notice that the Florida Keys were very close.

A google search of Key Largo, brought up Scuba as what it is known for. A discover Scuba course with two ocean dives and the Christ of the Abyss statue being part of it, was enough to get me hooked.

I was certified 2 months later

 

[NAM001]

In 1968 I gave into the trap set by MIKE NELSON

 

[Tabascocat]

When I graduated High School, my dad gave me three options as a gift:
1. A boat trip down the Amazon River
2. Get certified to SCUBA and go to the Caymans
3. A used car

I chose #2 due to always being a water bug and an admirer of Jacques Cousteau---watched every show about the ocean when I was a youngin. Not long after our initial dive trip, I got #3 anyways

 

[Knight_of_Avalon]

Don't laugh, but it was through the Chipmunks ("Alvin, Simon, Theodore"). Back when I was a kid, I saw The Chipmunk Adventure (trailer), which was basically an animated version of The Amazing Race. And this one scene with the Chipettes just stuck with me. Flying into Bermuda on a hot air balloon, and then diving down to a shipwreck, all the while dodging sharks and corrupt Interpol agents . . . what more could a kid want?

It took years and years, though, before I actually got to go. But that's a story for another night. . .

 

[ange2014]

A friend who dives told me how great it was, so I tried it out of curiosity. It was love at first sight, so to speak

 

[Prostardiver]

So here I was teaching a martial arts class with a friend of mine and I kept hearing people talking about some quarry. Turns out her Dad owned a SCUBA shop and a quarry for dive training. I finally went up there one weekend to see the place for myself. One of the instructors was finishing up a Rescue Diver class and all the class had to do after towing this BIG guy across the quarry was to hoist him up onto the dock. We died laughing watching these guys hoist this extra large man up who was doing a great job of doing nothing to help them.
Fast forward a couple of years and my friend was back at college getting an engineering degree. I helped her get a part time job at a civil engineering firm. Her dad was so happy that I was saving him a bucket of money that he offered to teach me to dive for free.
A couple of years later my job went away and I ended up helping around the shop. He ended up insisting that I get my instructor cert, so I did. It turns out that the person who can help sort out your side kick is the same as one who can teach you to clear a mask.

 

[Wetsuit Pirates]

I was just looking for an easy A in college back when I was working on my undergrad. I grew up in the pool and saw they had a diving class so why not get back in the water?

Turns out I loved it and after a couple of trips, went back the next year and goy my advanced certification as well. Too bad the advanced class wasn't for credit

But it was still well worth it...

 

[vman]

I was vacationing in Guatemala when I met a cute brunette who told me about the OW course (she was a master scuba diver trainer with thousands of dives). I did the OW course in Roatan that weekend hoping it would "impress" her and we could stay in touch etc..Oh well that plan didn't work, but I discovered a new hobby and there is no looking back now..