mikemill
Contributor
I got certified when I was stationed in Okinawa in December of 1999. While there I had maybe 30 dives but due to people rotating out and changes in job responsibility I stopped diving after a short while. After I got out in 2002 I started working and going to college and didn't really have the time to pursue diving. Combined with not knowing anyone who dives it got pushed to the back burner of life.
In the years to follow my brother got certified and we made an effort to dive together. However, due to family issues our plans got pushed to the side. Once those issues were resolved he still didn't have a lot of time to dive due to his family and work.
In late 2008 I decided that I really wanted to start diving again and made a big effort to find people to dive with. I soon found ScubaBoard and registered. On December 30th 2008 I meet up with ryssyr and Hepcat for a dive at breakwater. Due to not having my weighting right and not being used to carrying all that equipment (so I couldn't go out of the water, get more weight, and go back in) I ended up not diving that day. I then contacted Brewski and signed up for a refresher course. Initially we tried to do it at Folsom Lake but fate intervened and gave Brewski a hole in his wrist seal. So we pushed it back to the weekend and did it at Monterey.
As I was preparing for my returned I decided on a goal of 100 dives in a year. I figured if I could make that then I would have done a significant amount to ensure I would continue to dive. On Jan 10th 2009 I did my first dive and on Jan 9th 2010 I did my 100th dive. In that time I've had the pleasure of diving with some of you. You have mentored me, guided me, and encouraged me and for that I am so grateful. Scuba diving is more then a past time for me. It is an activity in which I have no problem being social, meeting up with perfect strangers, and building bonds of friendship.
Here is hoping that the next year and the years after are even better.
- Mike
In the years to follow my brother got certified and we made an effort to dive together. However, due to family issues our plans got pushed to the side. Once those issues were resolved he still didn't have a lot of time to dive due to his family and work.
In late 2008 I decided that I really wanted to start diving again and made a big effort to find people to dive with. I soon found ScubaBoard and registered. On December 30th 2008 I meet up with ryssyr and Hepcat for a dive at breakwater. Due to not having my weighting right and not being used to carrying all that equipment (so I couldn't go out of the water, get more weight, and go back in) I ended up not diving that day. I then contacted Brewski and signed up for a refresher course. Initially we tried to do it at Folsom Lake but fate intervened and gave Brewski a hole in his wrist seal. So we pushed it back to the weekend and did it at Monterey.
As I was preparing for my returned I decided on a goal of 100 dives in a year. I figured if I could make that then I would have done a significant amount to ensure I would continue to dive. On Jan 10th 2009 I did my first dive and on Jan 9th 2010 I did my 100th dive. In that time I've had the pleasure of diving with some of you. You have mentored me, guided me, and encouraged me and for that I am so grateful. Scuba diving is more then a past time for me. It is an activity in which I have no problem being social, meeting up with perfect strangers, and building bonds of friendship.
Here is hoping that the next year and the years after are even better.
- Mike
