Why did you start Diving?

[chrispete]

but never got around to doing it. Used to subscribe to diving magazines in high school and read every one cover to cover hoping that one day I would be able to get underwater. Well, 10+ years later (and only my first pool session behind me - an absolutely amazing experience) I'm finally doing it and loving every minute!

Reasons:

I had a friend in middle school who's father would take us 50+ miles offshore (Gulf of Mexico) and I knew that I belonged either in, on, or under the water and have always tried to be near the water as much as possible (I was looking into moving out of my apartment into a houseboat a while back, but got the big "thumbs down" from my girlfriend on that one - I would love it though.)

Marine aquariums - I used to keep marine aquariums (as well as fresh) and was a stickler for making them exactly like the fishs' natural habitat, made me want to see that habitat firsthand.

 

[KC_Scubabunny]

I may have one of the silliest stories in this tread but it is 100% true and the sport of Diving got two avid addicts because of it.

In April 2000, my husband and I went on vacation to Cancun with our good friends. This was a couple that we frequently had dinner with and we were both in their wedding in Oct 99. Well we were sharing a condo with this other couple and let me just tell you that buy the 3rd day of the trip, we were ready to kill them. She whined and complained from the moment we got up in the morning until we went to bed at night. She actually got a bartender at the hotel fired because he gave her "a look" after she didn't tip him very well. He just wanted to drink all day and night and lay on the beach.

Anyway my husband and I decided that we wanted to put some space between us and the other couple. She hated the water and didn't even wade in past her knees so we figured when we told them that we were going to take scuba lessons through the resort that they wouldn't be interested. We were right! It was the best day and a half of the trip. We didn't get our OW certification but we did a half a day pool training and then a couple of shallow discover scuba dives. We were instantly hooked. We signed up for OW lessons through our LDS and got certified in July 2000. I progressed to AOW and then stopped. My husband finished his DM certification in Jan 2002.

We are currently expecting our first child and can't wait to make diving a family affair.

KC_Scubabunny

 

[kodiak]

I started scuba because it was something that I had always wanted to do, being raised as a commercial fisherman my father dove,grandfather, uncle, great uncle all dove , retreiving lost anchors, getting line or web out of the wheel, or just for the hell of it. Then in 1973 one of my best friends went into the Navy (Seal Team 6) and so I started diving with him. But only was able to a couple of times he wasnt aroud much and than he was lost in Grenada in 1983. Any way thats the short of it, Ive just always loved the water.

 

[scubaskcubrat]

As long as I can remember it was just something i wanted to do and watching all the shows that showed me just what I was missing. The hunt for a buddy to go with me took forever but i managed to get four of them so I guess it was worth the wait. I don't think Their is a better way to spend my time.:butterfly

 

[MightyDiver]

I was so tired of being a computer game widow so I figured the only way to get Brad (MightyScuba) away from the computer was to offer him something completely different and interesting to do. I figured he'd prefer water to air (sky diving, hang gliding...) so I spent a day doing research on the surrounding LDSs and their classes and arranged for us to go and sign up for classes that evening.=] The first Brad knew about it was via email, "Honey, come home on time because we're taking scuba lessons and we have to get there before they close." haha! Needless to say he loved the idea and since then diving has pretty much taken over our lives. No complaints and I have my husband/best friend back. =]

 

[divegirl]

Saw my husband dive on our Honeymoon and decided I wanted to try it. Couldn't do the resort course (I had watched mike take his class over 7 weeks and the 1 hour in the pool I didn't feel was adequate, so I didn't finish). The next winter I took and OWI class and got certified by May and in the Caribean by July. That was 12 years ago and I've never looked back.

Leslie

 

[vlada]

Dad was a diver and we used to spend a month every summer at diving camps on the shores of Sea of Japan (Far East of Russia). I snorkeled since i was 5, tried diving at some point, but never got certified (too young).

Quite a few years later, having changed countries, languages, jobs, etc. i finally got certified. I am now a PADI Rescue and will do DM this summer, will dive practically anywhere/anytime and started seriously getting into underwater photography.

Anyone looking for a good dive buddy in or around Toronto?



Vlada

 

[jrtonkin]

Zdravstvoitye (or something like that... that's about the extent of my Russian though)

Anyways, I'm in Waterloo, about an hour west of TO., and, if you don't mind partnering with a beginning diver, could always use another person to go with.

As for the topic of the thread, it was just a natural extension of my aquatic life; I already spend lots of time underwater, this just means I don't have to pop to the surface every 30 sec. to breath.

I've been swimming since before I can remember, but being one of those people who simply cannot float (much to the amusement of several swimming instructors) I figure I'd racked up a couple-hundred hours of bottom time before I even started OW.

I'm still waiting for a chance to see the awe-inspiring wreck, or to take a trip to the tropics and see the incrediable marine life. Until then, it'll just have to be because I belong in the water, and in some ways feel more comfortable there than on land.

Jamie

 

[DameDykker]

I just broke up with my SO and figured I needed a new interest. Then the SCUBA club in my former job posted an invitation to a trial dive in a pool. I figured - what the heck - and was hooked! But it does seems naturaly as I always loved the sea and spend most of my early childhood on my parrents sailingboat.

These days some eight years later I can't see open water without wanting to be down there - also when it is barely liquid.

 

[cougar]

Let's see...I kept swallowing sea water while snorkling. I'd get so facinated watching the bottom..I'd get deeper and closer until my snorkle was totally under water and the next breath of salt water suddenly reminded me I wasn't REALLY a fish.

I watched Sea Hunt as a kid. Water has always been my element. My dad was a pilot...I flew a lot. When the plane got really bumpy and I thought it would fall out of the sky...as long as I was over the ocean I was relaxed. Yeah, yeah...I know that hitting water from 30,000 feet is just like hitting concrete....but reality had nothing to do with it...in water I feel safe.

The big question is why it took me until age 51 to get a "roundtoit":bonk: