The Reward Of Diving With Purpose

[MargaritaMike]

I got started in the Red Sea while doing some work in Saudi Arabia and was bored. I met an instructor at a party, joined an OW class and found myself diving 5 to 7 dives a week for the next 4 years. I took a vacation to Cozumel with my then wife in 1987. Afterwards, she wanted to learn but gave it up in OW class when while underwater an instructor decided to get real familiar with her. Had we been in the same country at the time, he would have been in trouble. My current wife wanted to learn mostly to overcome fears, mostly claustrophobia. She became an excellent diver and my best buddy. Some time passed when we didn't dive, during which time she had to get glasses, had 4 shoulder surgeries, and other minor things which she considers major, so she isn't excited about diving much anymore. I am not going to push, goad, or any other enticement for her to dive unless she wants to. I still dive every chance I get, but I don't want to go anywhere and have fun while she stays home -- so we compromise some.
I just found SB back in August and have learned a whole lot of things - some I wish I hadn't and some I'm glad I did. One thing I learned is that for every opinion there is someone on here who has an opposite opinion. I also learned that I wish I had the concession on picked nits because there is a LOT of nit picking on here. I think SB has made me a somewhat better diver because of an additional awareness of some things I had begun to take for granted.
I'm grateful that I am still able to blow bubbles occasionally and a multitude of things which are not germane to diving.

Cheers - M²

 

[boulderjohn]

Some have wondered why we pushed so hard to become better divers instead of just drifting along and watching the pretty fishes. Why dive the local lake to depths that no light penetrated from above and taking the time to gas plan our dives and navigate each turn to plan? Why work so hard to become a cohesive buddy pair.

This entire thread is a refutation of the common ScubaBoard posts telling newer divers to just go out and dive rather than pursue advanced training. Such people do not understand how much more enjoyable diving can be when your skills progress beyond the same beginning level (with all its errors) that you will only slowly escape (or actually reinforce) by following the "just dive" mantra.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Similar story here. We went the GUE route, and although it wasn't easy for us, it has really made our (purely recreational) diving more enjoyable.

 

[Bubblesong]

My diving has come in four stages; 1) Pre-Marital Sux: my future husband suggested I try it and We only occasionally went for a dive which was never enough. 2) struggling Single Mum: Daughter gets into diving and pushes me to become a better, stronger, more educated diver, but hubby not participating. 3) Silent Affair: I am on Scubaboard texting all day long while dear, hardworking hubby is pursuing Models, ok HO railroad modeling, but still). 4) Scuba-Marital Counseling and the V-Drug. Yes, V for Vacations, that our counselors at the Boston Sea Rovers Dive Show in Danvers are helping us choose and plan for.
Golden Years, here we come!

 

[Akimbo]

How has your hard work paid off?

It was an interesting career -- and way of life.

How has Scubaboard helped you to excel as a diver at an accelerated pace.?

Scubaboard came along way too late for that, but life would have been much easier if it were around during my first 10 years of diving.

What are you grateful for?

Getting into Navy saturation diving at the perfect point in history. I probably would have been one of the early casualties in the North Sea without it.

 

[RayfromTX]

There are so many wonderful stories and Scubaboard offers such a wide variety of people in one place. I love how y'all are from so many different walks of life.

 

[Compressor]

There are so many wonderful stories and Scubaboard offers such a wide variety of people in one place. I love how y'all are from so many different walks of life.

Absolutely true and one of the strengths of Scuba Board.

 

[Trailboss123]

How has your hard work paid off?


It has paid off by allowing me to introduce many others to the 2/3 of our world that most people never get to see. I love it when I get to see people's minds blown as they learn to dive and then experience all that there is below the waterline. It has paid off, in that I am equipped to be a much more competent diver and thus able to explore locations safely that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to and also equipped to help and educate others.


How has Scubaboard helped you to excel as a diver at an accelerated pace.?


Scubaboard has been a tremendous source of reference/referral for me. Particularly when it comes to researching and making decisions around dive travel. My favorite thing is monitoring Dive or Trip reports from various places and people around the world. Hearing about other people's above and below water experiences never gets old for me. Scubaboard has also been a good resource for getting feedback on gear choices and gear configuration. I have also learned a lot about different types of diving.


What are you grateful for?


I am grateful to have my wife as a dive buddy. She was reluctant to dive and came to it late. I have one son who is a Divemaster and one son who is a special forces military diver- I love diving with them both!-- but it was very special to see my wife ultimately get certified-- (under very adverse and challenging conditions in the Pacific NW) and then go on to be my primary dive buddy. Since her certification, all of our vacations revolve around dive travel and the shared experiences that comes from that. This has been particularly valuable. When you have been with the same person for 30+ years, it is not uncommon for things to get a bit routine. Diving has brought something new and fresh to our relationship.