I gave my daughter the "Cozumel Addiction"

[waynel]

Outstanding! (learned that expression in the military, better than "excellent"). I just love your family story. And yes, it's true, there is just something so special about family members all being together in the underwater environment. And all the communication is non-verbal. It's the closest we will ever come to experiencing what it must be like to be tethered to a space shuttle and just floating. We were once diving along the edge of the channel and just kinda moved over the edge to where it felt like there was no bottom (so deep you can't see the bottom). That...really felt like being in outer space. Thanks again for sharing your family diving story. It's good food for the soul. Not that anyone would care, but...if you go to Youtube and enter "pilot whales in cozumel" you will see my little diving family. It's the first video clip (taken by a reporter we met on our dive boat).

 

[newgentry]

I did something similar. My family went to Cancun on a summer vacation 12 years ago. They were advertising one of those resort courses at the hotel, you know the ones where they throw you in a swimming pool for a couple hours and then take you out for a shallow dive the next day. Neither my wife nor my oldest daughter were interested, so my youngest daughter and I took the course and did the shallow dive. Man did we have fun!! So much fun that as soon as we got home, I signed both of us up for lessons, and we were certified by the end of the summer. For her fall break, our dive instructor talked us into our first dive trip to, of course, Cozumel. That was 12 years and 16 trips to Cozumel ago, and its been just her and I each trip. It has grown into the most beautiful, and cherished, quality time with my daughter that I can possibly imagine, and each time we go we make memories that we'll both have the rest of our lives. And one of these days when I'm gone she'll be telling her kids about her dive trips to Cozumel with her Dad, and then maybe continuing the tradition with her kids. So now, every time I think about Cozumel, its not the great diving that first comes into my mind. That's the second. The first is that it'll always be the place where I was blessed to take "family time" to a whole new level.

 

[Sallygirl]

Enjoyed the video, Waynel! What a great memory!
Newgentry, appreciate your story, also.

 

[waynel]

I did something similar. My family went to Cancun on a summer vacation 12 years ago. They were advertising one of those resort courses at the hotel, you know the ones where they throw you in a swimming pool for a couple hours and then take you out for a shallow dive the next day. Neither my wife nor my oldest daughter were interested, so my youngest daughter and I took the course and did the shallow dive. Man did we have fun!! So much fun that as soon as we got home, I signed both of us up for lessons, and we were certified by the end of the summer. For her fall break, our dive instructor talked us into our first dive trip to, of course, Cozumel. That was 12 years and 16 trips to Cozumel ago, and its been just her and I each trip. It has grown into the most beautiful, and cherished, quality time with my daughter that I can possibly imagine, and each time we go we make memories that we'll both have the rest of our lives. And one of these days when I'm gone she'll be telling her kids about her dive trips to Cozumel with her Dad, and then maybe continuing the tradition with her kids. So now, every time I think about Cozumel, its not the great diving that first comes into my mind. That's the second. The first is that it'll always be the place where I was blessed to take "family time" to a whole new level.

Just beautiful! Scuba diving is really the only sport I can think of where every member of the family can do it together because the requirements are not overly strenuous and are the same regardless of age or gender. Man, I can relate to how you feel, and again, why I started this thread. We get on the board and talk about our dives, where we ate, etc. All the standard things. I was really trying to get you, my scuba friends, to share what this sport has done "emotionally" for us. How it may have enriched our lives and families. You are so right. Sharing this with our children is just so remarkable!

 

[waynel]

Enjoyed the video, Waynel! What a great memory!
Newgentry, appreciate your story, also.

Thank you. Yes, I am so fortunate that we met that reporter on the boat. And, that was our last dives together as a family. I absolutely cherise those videos. As you could see, my wife's last dive trip was her most wonderful.

 

[Hou s4m]

Ayden is 5, Keira is 3, itll be a few years before i can get them into bubblemaker program and junior license. In the meantime I'll work on my wife's bathophobia and getting her certified.
I've dove with a father-child before and it got me really inspired. I enjoyed reading the stories here. Hope one day i'll have the chance to dive at Cozumel with my family.
Enjoy your vacation!

 

[ggunn]

My mom and dad took me to Cozumel for fishing in 1978. It was their second Cozumel trip and my first. It was the beginning of a yearly tradition that continues to this day. We lost my dad years ago but my mom (89 years young) hasn't missed a year since then. Three weeks from today we will be there again.

My wife and I got our OW certs in 1991 and our daughter started diving with us a few years after that. We had a run of 10 years or so, but eventually she grew up and got a life of her own, so since then her joining us has been spotty.

My dad discovered Blue Angel (then named La Perla) in 1981. Since then it has been the site of our little family reunion every year. My sister and her husband, my mom and my wife, my daughter when she can tear loose from her hectic life, and a few friends (aka the Thundering Herd) meet there for a couple of weeks every year in the May/June timeframe (my sis and her hubby are rabid fisherpersons - they choose our dates every year based on the phase of the moon and other Louisiana gris-gris).

Anyway, my 'rents got me addicted to Cozumel and we passed it on to my daughter. She is a "maybe" this year, but the rest of us will be at Blue Angel May 21 - June 3. Join us for a beer or our traditional Sunset Gin and Tonic.

 

[kixy1]

About 6 years ago I had a dive trip planned with a buddy to Coz and she had to cancel. My 16 year old son had been certified a year before so I took him with me. It was one of the best weeks of my life! To spend that kind of time with just my boy, diving, on Coz.... Great memories were made for sure. We took the family to Coz at least once a year and they grew to love the island as much as we do. He's graduating college next week and moving to another state, my daughter attends university in Hawaii and family vacations are a thing of the past, but those memories live forever. We've been planning to retire in Coz for years and it's getting close. One of the true bonuses is knowing that no matter where the kids end up, we know they'll come see us whenever they can!

 

[lionfish-eater]

When my son was about 12 we were at an AI in Playa. We were sitting by the pool when the resort instructor walked by and asked if we wanted a free lesson in the pool. We both said sure and 15 minutes later we were practicing neutral bouyancy and breathing underwater. We were both immediately hooked.

We took the discover scuba course and went on our first dives that afternoon. I was very nervous for my son and my safety and almost called the dive before getting off the boat. The instructor's confidence and my son's excitement helped me to proceed. The uncomfortable feelings soon passed and turned into the one of the best parts of our lives. We have been diving ever since. 100's of dives in coz together. Many more in bonaire, roatan, fla. and even a few here at home.

 

[Charles2]

In July, I am taking my oldest grandson (15) to Cozumel for his first dive trip. It's hard to know who is more excited. I am also looking forward to the day when I can share diving with all of the grandchildren.