Why Diving & Not Tennis?

[Doc Harry]

I tried tennis first, but the fashions were intolerable.

Besides, BLACK is definitely my color.

 

[ScubaTwo]

And you drank the Koolaid? How did you ever make up your mind.

I'm an eNTp, sort of 50/50 on the e/i and I can see both points of view. I think if I drank the Koolaid, I would have to start arguing with myself.

INTPs are the most non-committal of the NTs. And easy-going, and funny.

For those of you undecided this might help:

MBTI Prayers

ISTJ: Lord help me to relax about insignificant details beginning tomorrow at 11:41.23 am e.s.t.

ISTP: God help me to consider people's feelings, even if most of them ARE hypersensitive.

ESTP: God help me to take responsibility for my own actions, even though they're usually NOT my fault.

ESTJ: God, help me to not try to RUN everything. But, if You need some help, just ask.

ISFJ: Lord, help me to be more laid back and help me to do it EXACTLY right.

ISFP: Lord, help me to stand up for my rights (if you don't mind my asking).

ESFP: God help me to take things more seriously, especially parties and dancing.

ESFJ: God give me patience, and I mean right NOW.

INFJ: Lord help me not be a perfectionist. (did I spell that correctly?)

INFP: God, help me to finish everything I sta

ENFP: God,help me to keep my mind on one th-Look a bird-ing at a time.

ENFJ: God help me to do only what I can and trust you for the rest. Do you mind putting that in writing?

INTJ: Lord keep me open to others' ideas, WRONG though they may be.

INTP: Lord help me be less independent, but let me do it my way.

ENTP: Lord help me follow established procedures today. On second thought, I'll settle for a few minutes.

ENTJ: Lord, help me slow downandnotrushthroughwatIdo

omg now that is funny! I know he got my ENFP spot on.

 

[Ishie]

Why do you SCUBA dive and not spend your weekends playing tennis, or growing orchids, or painting etc.etc.?

I'm not great at tennis, which may or may not be related to not really caring about the game. To me, tennis seems entirely artificial. Fake turf, net separating you from your partner, active competition, high speed, high impact, no nature really in the area

For the others, a little too passive. I like activity and exercise, but I like to feel like I'm experiencing life when Im' doing it. I like passive activities as well, but not all the time.

I think I know why most of you physically dive, but why did you choose diving from an emotional and pyschological perspective? It isn't the safest past time and it certainly isn't the cheapest.

As far as safety goes, I love horseback riding which strikes me as far more dangerous since I am largely dependent on the activities of a skittish animal, and unlike sharks or eels or whatnot, quietly leaving the area is not much of an option when you're riding the problem-creature. Running has caused me more injuries than diving, as has bicycling.

Emotionally, I love life and watching life. Other aspects of diving interest me, but I adore life, in large quantities and with extensive diversity.

"Are you an 'A' type personality who is all action and adventure, or more of an introverted person who likes the skill's of photography?"

I love photography, but I love excitement as well. The excitement I feel seems like action/adventure to me, but not to others. Stalking the elusively small hermessenda nudibranch. Getting a close buzz by a seal or sea lion. So neither, really. I also like just hanging without a camera.

Does the aspect of danger and controlling it excite you?

No. I've figured out that I can only control myself and take precautions sufficient to protect my life, but I cannot control the DANGER of diving except in the way of controlling myself. I can abort a dive, I can change my dive plan, but I cannot fight currents, end surge, clean vis, stop equipment failure, or punch out angry sharks. It's nice to let go of the need to control everything.

Plus, haven't found actual "danger" all that much fun. Screws up an otherwise nice dive.

Be honest and let us know why you part-take in this sport. Some of you will have had scary and dangerous experiences, some of you will be happy sticking to 15Mt. reef dives and others will have been to the edge diving in caves and pushing their skills to the limit - in some cases just surviving, and then returning for more - why? aren't you just tempting fate?

I have to get back on the horse or I'd be afraid of everything. I've had scary dangerous experiences diving that served as ways to not do it again. Surf looking sketchy? Well, I can clearly recall exactly what it feels like to be thrown onto rocks, pinned down and have my face hammered with intense waves, thus instead of "not diving", I think "You know... maybe I go to the aquarium for now". I've been thrown off horses; I've fallen off horses ONTO jumps, I've broken my leg ice skating, broken my foot horseback riding, strained my knee running, concussed myself getting into a car, went OOA at 20' on a dive I had no business trying to do in the first place, and nearly killed myself with water intoxication on a camping trip.

I learn from all these experiences, and am a stronger, safer person for them. I feel safer when I dive, ride, or skate because unlike normal life, I am actively in a mindset and prepared to prevent, manage, or deal with a problem, thus can actually take care of myself far better than I do slamming the edges of car doors into my temple, tripping over the dog, etc.

This same question has been asked of mountain climbers and is often posed after a fatal accident. Many of their spouses say 'I wish they didn't climb, but it is who they are, their make-up and without it they woud be a different person'.

I've only been top roping before, but like there are extreme divers, there are extreme climbers. I see both climbers and divers as being a group with a horrible reputation among the GP for being thrill seekers, while the majority of both groups are the most obsessive about safety.

Would you give up diving if your spouse and kids begged you too? [a hypothetical only, my non diving wife is happy if I am happy - but I am sure some of you would have experienced some questions that would have required some deep soul searching].[

Nope. Diving is a part of who I am; it is part of what makes me happy, and it is a sense of tranquility and peace. I would give it up if doing so put me or a loved one at significant health risk (like if I developed a strong contraindication that was likely to kill me if I dived), but just because of general safety concerns? No. Love isn't about playing mother/father to a spouse.

 

[utnapistim]

Why do you SCUBA dive and not spend your weekends playing tennis, or growing orchids, or painting etc.etc.?

i don't like competitive sports - i feel bad when i'm the looser and almost as bad when one of my friends is. that goes the same for football, basket etc.

I think I know why most of you physically dive, but why did you choose diving from an emotional and pyschological perspective? It isn't the safest past time and it certainly isn't the cheapest.

i know: all my salary goes on scuba gear, dives and trips (not in this order).

What you do when you dive is breath deep, and calm; that is equally true for some meditation thechniques (see t'ai chi for example) - and the result is the same;

I found that some time after a dive (30 minutes or so), sometime i get filled with an unearthly calm and contentment ... it's hard to describe; but that's not all of it: it's the actual experience; and the breathing underwater; and the sights, and the water and i have actually no idea why i dive; i just do

Are you an 'A' type personality who is all action and adventure, or more of an introverted person who likes the skill's of photography?

first, yes, i'm an introverted person, liking adventure (i'm not sure i'm all action and adventure, but if there is none of them, i get bored and feel dead after some time);

as for photography, i't nice to see afterwards, and nicer to show your friends what they're missing.

Does the aspect of danger and controlling it excite you? Do you love the technical aspect of the equipment [read some of the Hogarthian threads]? Does the sheer beauty of being underwater impact on you so much that you just can't stay away? Or are you just a lousey tennis player?

let's see:
no, knowledge and danger don't excite me, but knowing the danger is there tends to make me a bit sharper: i like the fact that i need to be attentive or i put myself in danger (i like having that choice, and i like taking the steps that keep me safe).

regarding being underwater ... floating IS freedom; my best dreams are of flying and diving is as close as i get to that while awake.

Be honest and let us know why you part-take in this sport. Some of you will have had scary and dangerous experiences, some of you will be happy sticking to 15Mt. reef dives and others will have been to the edge diving in caves and pushing their skills to the limit - in some cases just surviving, and then returning for more - why? aren't you just tempting fate?.

Diving is just an awesome experience, not tempting fate.

If you go diving without doing the buddy-check while you know you should, going past your limits while you know you shouldn't, without saying stop when you feel you are in it over your head, THAT is tempting fate;
Tempting fate is also relying on you DM to keep you safe;

Actually tempting fate has nothing to do with diving at all.

Tempting fate is when you drink and drive .

Would you give up diving if your spouse and kids begged you too? [a hypothetical only, my non diving wife is happy if I am happy - but I am sure some of you would have experienced some questions that would have required some deep soul searching].

No. I would if I had a child needing care at home and I'd have to be there;


But to do it because someone caring about me asked me ... that would mean they'd respect my freedom or happiness less then their ideas of what I should do.

If possible I'd try not to stay in that relationship at all; it would be ... unhealthy ( to me and my diving )

 

[frogoutofwater]

I dive because I'm really lousy at most other sports and this is one of the few activities I a) seem to have some aptitude for (despite a few disabilities); and b) enjoy enough to make the hassle factor, discomfort factor and fear factor worth it.

When it comes to sports and outdoor activities, I grew up feeling sorry for myself because I was just completely pathetic at anything that required eye-hand coordination (volleyball made me cry ...) - and my sister was the Most Valuable Player at every sport she ever picked up. I've got a fairly significant problem with depth perception and I'm also a bit unstable on my feet on land because I'm hyperflexible (so I'm just as likely to put a foot down pointing 180 degrees behind me as facing forward; several broken bones to show for that problem). So lots of sports - horseback riding, anything involving flying objects, ice skating (I did skate for several years - and broke 5 bones jumping into the boards because I couldn't see properly), downhill skiiing, etc. were terrifying (in a bad way).

But - I love water, I'm a strong swimmer, I'm fairly tall and strong, I don't get claustrophic - and I don't get seasick. Also, I love animals - and underwater critters are fascinating. I listen carefully to the teacher, study hard and am careful. So I decided to try diving - and I love it. It's the first time I've been involved in a sport where I thought the hassle, discomfort and nerves are far outweighed by the pleasure I get from the activity. Happily, just before I started diving, I met a guy who also dives and who is a great dive partner (and life partner) - with 20/20 vision. So, we're looking forward to lots of great dive vacations in our future.