New guy from Texas

[ROUS]

Hello all. I first started diving in Texas lakes during college in the 70's. Being an uncertified diver in those days wasn't really that unusual and it was even possible to get refills. Some sporting good stores sold scuba gear with no certification requirements. As a poor college student, I had little equipment and couldn't even afford a weight belt. My practice was to kick down to the bottom, select a rock of sufficient size, and slip it onto my cut-offs. Presto! Weights.

Eventually, I could afford classes was certified by NASDS (anyone heard of it?) out in west Texas. My buddies and I dove frequently and enthusiastically until about 1990. As my career progressed, I was fortunate to take a few dive trips to the California coast, Sea of Cortez, Hawaii, and Tahiti. Then, kids came along and I lost my regular dive buddy/wife to child rearing responsibilities. Work travel and Dad responsibilities increased and I just gave the sport up.

Fast forward three decades and here we are. We're retired, traveling pretty much full time, and have a paddling/hiking YouTube channel. While I still have my old NASDS c-card and OW certification, I'm currently taking the PADI OW course now and should get that new certification later this summer. The wife is no longer interested in diving, so I'll be planning dive trips to warm beautiful destinations and getting bottom time as a single diver. It's nice coming back to the sport that I loved so much when I was young, skinny, and had a heavy rock in my shorts.

 

[drrich2]

The wife is no longer interested in diving, so I'll be planning dive trips to warm beautiful destinations and getting bottom time as a single diver.

Welcome to ScubaBoard, and back to diving. I, too, got certified (way later than you did) with my wife, who didn't get enamored of it the way I did, so I do some solo trips (alone with the occasional 'dive trip disguised as a family vacation,' as she calls them). At some point you may want to look into the SDI Solo Diver course, or PADI Self-reliant Diver course.

Richard.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

and had a heavy rock in my shorts.

mm hmm... "rock"

 

[txdamselfish]

Welcome to Scubaboard! Great information on this forum and highly recommend Scuba Ranch for practice & meeting other divers while landlocked, Athens Scuba Park has less people and is shallower, but lots more things to explore. Both quarries push you to stay calm under low vis if someone kicks up the bottom, but great for practicing your skills, buoyancy and navigation skills.

 

[Big Dan K]

I am in a similar situation, but I am probably heavier and a decade younger, so I am still working. My wife has no interest in diving either. Our compromise is that I can go diving in the mornings as long as we stay at a plush resort where she can sleep in and have a room service breakfast while I am diving. Seems to work well for us. Highly recommend AKUMAL for new old divers. It was my second trip after resuming diving, but I wish it had been my first. Reefs are pretty nice, shallow, with minimal currents, and a five minute boat ride from shore. There is a really nice Secrets resort fifty yards down the beach. If you dive with Blue Experience, they will take care of all of your gear and even dry your wetsuit every day.

 

[Altamira]

Welcome aboard. Once you get sorted out for diving, I recommend you consider coming down to the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at TX State U in San Marcos, TX, They have a dive certification course that allows you to do volunteer diving in Spring Lake, arguably the best freshwater diving in Texas. It is a bit of a drive to get here, but the volunteer/clean up diving is a lot of fun in an exceptional water visibility lake, with a lot of vegetation and wildlife. If you decide to get certified to dive at Spring Lake, I will be happy to dive with you whenever you want to come down. It sounds like our dive background is pretty similar, and being retired, my schedule is almost always open.

 

[ROUS]

diving in Spring Lake, arguably the best freshwater diving in Texas.

Is that the old Aquarena Springs? That would be just about three hours from my house. I'm in, brother!

 

[Altamira]

Is that the old Aquarena Springs?

Yes it is, and it is a very popular place for Texas divers. I dove with a young lady from Houston last week who drove all the way here to dive a single tank. Of course, that one dive was 75 minutes, and got out of the water because our block time was about up and a little thunderstorm popped up. Some people, especially those that have a lengthy drive, do a two tank dive in the two hour block for spring cleanup work.

 

[RicMares]

Welcome, this is an excellent source of info for ANYTHING scuba. I have always told all my non-scuba diving friends and family. The world is more beautiful underwater, have fun with your OW class.

 

[ROUS]

have fun with your OW class.

Thanks, sir. Fun was had. Just completed a follow-up Nitrox class and am heading down to Key Largo in a few weeks for AOW. Life is good.