What got you started in diving?

[Gidds]

Before I could read I had a picture book with a dive mask cut out that you put over the various underwater scenes. I got certified when I was 16 since that's when I was finally big enough to haul my own gear around. Now I'm almost 25 and I have a brand new drysuit

 

[ghostdiver1957]

Damn Wife... wouldn't date me until I learned to dive

 

[AndrewK2]

I actually wanted to dive when I was 7 because I always had a fasination with everything underwater, probably because of all the documentaries I watched. Since I was obviously too young, I had to wait until I was 12, but it wasn't until I went snorkelling in the Red Sea when I was 11 and wathced all the divers getting out of the water and telling their cool stories that I got back into the idea and I got certified the following summer.

 

[baitedstorm]

I never wanted to dive actually. In fact I think I said something like "if I was supposed to breathe in the ocean then I would have had gills". Six months of this back and forth stuff went on between me and my (then to-be) husband. My honeymoon switched from a trip to London into a cruise to the Caribbean . I've always been a huge underwater fan, so long as I remained on top of the food chain. My husband would go on and on about how much I would love it if I would just try it. With many protest and several Instructor's later (had to find the right one) I signed up for my first class as a private student.

On my check out dives at Phil Fosters park in Palm Beach, I started my addiction. I absolutely couldn't believe the fish life. It was AMAZING. I'll never forget dives 3 and 4.
We were out on Captain Doug's boat "Spellbound" taking that ride down to the Breakers. My heart pounding with tons of excitement and anticipation in the air. I looked at my husband who wanted to know if I was ok, I told him, I just want to remember this feeling right now cause I knew I'd never get it again. I heard the Dry mate yell "Set us up Captain" as we all waddle to the platform for what would be, the best day ever.

Dive! Dive! Dive! we all fall into the ocean one by one. OMG, it almost took my breath away. I'm falling, the water is warm, nothing seems to matter except for me at this moment. I start to see the top of the reef, whoa time to put the breaks on. We're greeted by a huge Loggerhead turtle AMAZING.. ! I'm hooked. So much life and beauty. I can’t believe I waited so long to do this. I vowed at that moment to never again let fear dictate what I would or would not do in life.

We surface for a quick SI, I'm burning all over my face, neck and ears, but still smiling like a fool. I'm sure some of the old salts on the boat thought I was insane with all the excitement, I'm sure I sounded like a mad woman ranting about all the little critters I saw. Dive two promises to be just as wonderful, and was. Neck and face lit up with big red welts, me being a brand new OW diver is clueless as to what is causing so much pain. An Ol' salt dog comes up to me says “look up I’m gonna fix that for you “as he sprays my down with vinegar.

The moment I left the boat, I remember telling my husband "I was born to do this" I knew somehow that day would change my life forever. Almost three years later, I'm an active Scuba Instructor with over 500 dives under my weight belt. For the girl who never wanted to dive, I think I'm holding my own. I love sharing the ocean and all her beauty with others. I love to see the faces of divers when they hit that ocean for the first time, and their stories about the giant starfish just warm my heart.

For the record, I had a horrible case of sea lice. Something I will always remember, heck I've got the wedding pictures to remind me (did my check out dives the day before my wedding) . Talk about funny, trying not to itch them at the alter. Turns out, being allergic to bees also makes me allergic to sea lice, same venom family. Sure didn't stop me from getting in the water, just had to buy bigger shoes to fit the swollen sea lice infected feet (really pretty sight)...

 

[countryboy]

Had many vacations where my wife and I did quite a bit of snorkeling.. One day in Cozumel, we were out enjoying the swim when a group of scuba divers went by below us.. I exclaimed to my wife "that is what I really want to do.." She enrolled me in an open water class the following summer for my birthday.

A couple of years later, she wanted to buy me a trip to Coz. for scuba diving. I said sure, as long as you come along.. which she didn't mind. Then I added the disclaimer that she would need to get certified as well so I would have a buddy.. After her OW course, we both took the advanced class..

Since then I went on to Rescue / DM.. and we are both continuing with other classes.

I believe she now regrets that second purchase

 

[colsonn]

My Dad has been diving since 1980, and I remember playing with his gear when I was little, and when I turned 16, I got certified. Then I took off for college and found out that I can take classes through OSU for diving, it started as just one little class, now I am signed up for divemaster this winter...thanks mom and dad for tuition

 

[Puffer Fish]

I never wanted to dive actually. In fact I think I said something like "if I was supposed to breathe in the ocean then I would have had gills". Six months of this back and forth stuff went on between me and my (then to-be) husband. My honeymoon switched from a trip to London into a cruise to the Caribbean . I've always been a huge underwater fan, so long as I remained on top of the food chain. My husband would go on and on about how much I would love it if I would just try it. With many protest and several Instructor's later (had to find the right one) I signed up for my first class as a private student.

On my check out dives at Phil Fosters park in Palm Beach, I started my addiction. I absolutely couldn't believe the fish life. It was AMAZING. I'll never forget dives 3 and 4.
We were out on Captain Doug's boat "Spellbound" taking that ride down to the Breakers. My heart pounding with tons of excitement and anticipation in the air. I looked at my husband who wanted to know if I was ok, I told him, I just want to remember this feeling right now cause I knew I'd never get it again. I heard the Dry mate yell "Set us up Captain" as we all waddle to the platform for what would be, the best day ever.

Dive! Dive! Dive! we all fall into the ocean one by one. OMG, it almost took my breath away. I'm falling, the water is warm, nothing seems to matter except for me at this moment. I start to see the top of the reef, whoa time to put the breaks on. We're greeted by a huge Loggerhead turtle AMAZING.. ! I'm hooked. So much life and beauty. I can’t believe I waited so long to do this. I vowed at that moment to never again let fear dictate what I would or would not do in life.

We surface for a quick SI, I'm burning all over my face, neck and ears, but still smiling like a fool. I'm sure some of the old salts on the boat thought I was insane with all the excitement, I'm sure I sounded like a mad woman ranting about all the little critters I saw. Dive two promises to be just as wonderful, and was. Neck and face lit up with big red welts, me being a brand new OW diver is clueless as to what is causing so much pain. An Ol' salt dog comes up to me says “look up I’m gonna fix that for you “as he sprays my down with vinegar.

The moment I left the boat, I remember telling my husband "I was born to do this" I knew somehow that day would change my life forever. Almost three years later, I'm an active Scuba Instructor with over 500 dives under my weight belt. For the girl who never wanted to dive, I think I'm holding my own. I love sharing the ocean and all her beauty with others. I love to see the faces of divers when they hit that ocean for the first time, and their stories about the giant starfish just warm my heart.

For the record, I had a horrible case of sea lice. Something I will always remember, heck I've got the wedding pictures to remind me (did my check out dives the day before my wedding) . Talk about funny, trying not to itch them at the alter. Turns out, being allergic to bees also makes me allergic to sea lice, same venom family. Sure didn't stop me from getting in the water, just had to buy bigger shoes to fit the swollen sea lice infected feet (really pretty sight)...

Neat story. Easy to see you still love it.


Mine was in Vietnam, stationed at Nha Trang. The ocean was absolutely beautiful, every day there. Had a friend that suggested going down to Camron Bay, where they had scuba grear, take a class and bring equipment back to go diving. We did it and was shocked at how amazing the reef was. Three years later, I was an instructor in Panama

 

[Shallow Draft]

The first time I got interested was that when I grew up I watched Sea Hunt. I was certifried in 1975 while I was at tech school in Vancouver B.C. I quit diving from 1979 until a trip to Cuba in 2003. Now second time around I am hooked again. Have made 4 trips to Cuba since then and now its all new gear including dry suit and dive every chance I get and I am on a volinteer fire dept dive team. This improves my skill and gives me a reason to breath bottled air.

 

[dpthdiver]

Living here in the PNW, I needed a hobby that I could do year 'round and something that could give me some peace and quiet.

 

[redhawktwo]

My wife and I went on our first cruise last year, and while looking at the excursions, I noticed that there were a lot of dive trips. Being the type too make rash decisions without thinking, I told my wife that we were going too take scuba class so that we could take some of those dive trips. Originally, this was suppose to be just a "cruise thing" but after taking the classes, found that I really REALLY enjoyed diving.

Here I am, 45 years old, and getting a second child hood. I kicked my self several times for not doing this a long time ago. While on the cruise, I got too dive in Cococay and Key West. Cococay was a beach dive, both me and my wife had a great time there. Got some great pictures with a throw a way underwater camera, one of her, which she actually looked like she had been doing this for awhile.

In Key West, we had a boat dive, and unfortunately for my wife, it was kinda rough ride (at least for her) out too the dive area. Being ex-navy, I didn't think it was bad at all. Anyway, once we got too the dive site, she as green, and if I am not mistaken, decided to feed the fish. That was it for her, no diving. Me being the economical person I was didn't want too waste the money for no diving, told her I would be back shortly, and I splashed. Got too see some lovely reefs, a sea turtle, and lots of fish. I did two dives there, and when we returned too the dock, she finally started feeling a little better.

We were suppose too dive in Cozumel, but unfortunatley, Wilma wrecked our plans, so neither one of us got too dive there. We have another cruise for next year, hopefully we will have better luck.

Now, we both are going too dive as much as possible, and hopefully get our AOW next summer.