What got you started in diving?

[terrasmak]

Always wanted to, both my parents dove , my grandfather was an instructer, i was suppost to get certed when was ten . The i moved to the desert and my instructer died . well 17 years later i moved to Okinawa and got certed

 

[drbill]

When I waz a leetle boy, my fahzer toss me off ze derriere of ze Calypso wiz a tank on my back...

Oops, that was Jean-Michel Cousteau's story. Watching Sea Hunt and the early Cousteau specials got me interested, an older member of my high school swim team brought an early tank, reg and backpack to practice one day in the early 60's and the rest is history (or is it hysterical?).

 

[MichaelBaranows]

Spearfishing is the reason I wanted to start. As a fisherman there were many time that I could see fish but they wouldn't bite. As a hunter also I figured that spearfishing would allow me to do both at the same time.

 

[dive_lover88]

Long story short...my friend dragged me into it,now he jumped ship and became a lifesaver instead and i got hooked onto scuba.

 

[SharkLover]

For me it was when they said in Jaws "I think that you will need a bigger boat!"

No seriously, when my son approached me and want to go scuba diving. From that point I was hooked! It is for me the most relaxfull thing that I can do on earth.

Dave P

What was your motivation to get into diving? How did you get started and interested in diving? How old were you when you took your first open water course?

I was interested in diving since I was about 5 years old and got certified as soon as I turned 15, and I still can't get enough.

Dave
www.divingindepth.com

 

[dpbishop]

Always wanted to but didn't have time or money until I was out of college. A Co-worker wanted to get certified cause he was hot for a girl who was an agro diver and the LDS had a twofer sale on lessons ( common in CA during the winter) so I signed up with him. We got certified, he got married, they had kids and stopped diving. I've lost several buddies over the years because they married a non-diving wife, this is the only case I remember when it was the diving wife that stopped diving.

 

[scubajoh44]

Daddy and Cousteau on TV

 

[rmannix]

Sea Hunt, around 1961.
Watched it with mask, fins, cardboard weights and bleach bottles tied to my back.
Those pajamas with the feet made a great wet suit too.

My mother read "The Silent World" to me before I could read, I still have the paperback with the price on the spine of 50 cents.

The drain in the bathtub was truly fascinating, my sisters loved to put their thumb on my snorkel.

Finally bought my first gear in 1973, USD steel 72, Healthways Scuba Star reg (USD Aquarius was the same price, $39.95 but was out of stock.

 

[Puffer Fish]

Sea Hunt, around 1961.
Watched it with mask, fins, cardboard weights and bleach bottles tied to my back.
Those pajamas with the feet made a great wet suit too.

My mother read "The Silent World" to me before I could read, I still have the paperback with the price on the spine of 50 cents.

The drain in the bathtub was truly fascinating, my sisters loved to put their thumb on my snorkel.

Finally bought my first gear in 1973, USD steel 72, Healthways Scuba Star reg (USD Aquarius was the same price, $39.95 but was out of stock.

Great memory - what did you pay for gas back then??

 

[rmannix]

Was $2.50 or $3.00 in NY.
Wasn't driving yet and ran into trouble with one bus driver that wouldn't let us on with the tanks.
Put them in duffle bags afterwards.

If by gas you mean gasoline, I started driving during the 1st gas crunch, was around 50 cents a gallon and folks were really PO'ed