The pursuit of happiness...

[ScubaGirlJg]

Thanks everyone! I really love hearing all your reasons for this passion of Scuba Diving.

Jayde323: it was funny hearing what your husband loves about diving lololol

I definitely agree it is calming and soothing! Its such a peaceful world down there and we all come from such fast paced lives that it is so good to just freeze time for a little while and go down there. I can't wait to go on my next dive!! =D

 

[Crowley]

I have to agree with CaptainJim above...

I'm drawn to it - people joke about addiction but it's real. I love to teach, but I need to be underwater. I can't explain it any more than somebody could explain why they are irrestistably drawn to mountain climbing, or flying, or music, or chocolate or... another person.

I love the life I see down there, anybody who knows me knows how passionate I can be about teaching that stuff(!) and I also agree with the calming and soothing thing. I have deliberately tried to think sad things underwater and they just melt away...

Today, after almost 10 years in the water, and thousands of dives, I saw my first whale shark.

I'm not ashamed to say I shed a tear underwater - I have waited so very long.

Unlike Captain Jim, I will probably never experience the ocean as wild and scary as I know She can be (definitely a *She*, by the way!), but there is that small portion of it that visit for 3 hours or more every day. The job I do can be hard work and stressful, but I gave up a lot to follow a passion, and days like today make all the time and effort and $$$ worth every single drop of blood and every. single. cent.

She is a harsh mistress, for sure, but as - unfortunately - my ex-girlfriend realised, a mistress to whom I am very much committed.

I saw a Whale Shark today!

Blissfully yours,

Crowley

(P.S. - yes of course I've had a couple of deco beers! )

 

[ScubaGirlJg]

Crowley,
Congrats on seeing a whale shark! That definitely must have been quite a sight to see. Don't be ashamed about the tear because I probably would have done the same! I hope you had your camera with you to capture this moment, although I think that image will be burned into your memory forever. But for us who still have to see one it would be wonderful to see in photo!! Take care!

 

[BettyRubble]

My earliest childhood memory of peace is of being underwater . . always hating that I had to keep coming back to the surface for air . . drove my mom nuts because she never knew if I was on the bottom of the pool because I had drowned or I was just 'escaping'. . . . there is no where else on this planet that I've found that is as peaceful as underwater. . .

 

[osanties]

Well as a newly certified diver :bounce4:, and having the exact seme experiences as you do, I can say that the little water we have explored have been awesome. I can't wait for us to go to the sea!!! hopefully withing a couple of weeks we can do that!!! Diving has to bee one of the greatest and best things I have done and I surely can see ourselves diving a lot in the future (near and long).

Crowley,

About the whale shark that had to be awesome :cool3:, I wish I don't have to wait 10 years to see one!! Congratulations and as ScubagrilJG said i hope you got it on camera.

 

[Elonna]

I've always wanted to go down or up...when I was a kid, I wanted to be a marine biologist or a pilot. Well, I ended up in computers...sad really...but I'm now to a point where I can kind of do some things for myself.

Always been a water hound...would fall asleep in the bathtub with just my nose out of the water and gave my mom several near heart attacks when she'd come to check on me.

The first time in the water in Scuba was surreal and wonderful. I must admit that I was so concerned about breathing properly and not losing sight of my guide (Discover Scuba), that I don't remember everything I saw...but the feeling was more than I could've ever imagined it would be at 15 wanting to be a MB. Another year or two...think I might work on going "up" too ;oP

Congrats on your certification, I just earned mine on 8/11 )

 

[fnfalman]

The freedom of motion and the ability to live in a different world are what hooked me to scuba.

 

[k ellis]

Wow a lot of new divers in here. Congratulations to all the newly certified