The Diving Bug

[ccrprospect]

I started diving only two months ago. I managed to finish my OW, AOW, two specs, and log more than 25 dives in this time period. The diving bug has caught hard. I still don't know what I want to do with it or the end goal here - for the time being, it has simply become an all consuming obsession.

I am interested in hearing from some of the more experienced members here about how it was like to start diving - did you experience such all consuming addiction from the very start? If so, did it wither away by time? Do you think that diving (like more adventurous sports) is simply an outlet from a mundane life or an unsatisfying career, and that such an obsession only reflects a deep seated dissatisfaction with our daily lives? Or is it more about fantasizing to live the lifestyle of a scuba instructor/professional - diving in the day, seeing pretty girls in bikinis (and meeting new ones on a daily basis), and chilling and drinking by night?

 

[RyanT]

I have an incredibly satisfying job, so diving isn't an outlet from that. I just love it and it's a part of who I am.

 

[Diver0001]

Well.... to start with I was hooked from the start. I've been diving for 32 years now and I'm as active as I ever was.

As for all the questions about fantasies and outlets from the mundane, that's not really how I roll. I have a good life and a job that I really enjoy. My job, however, does give me stress (all management positions are characterized by chronic stress with periods of acute stress). I engage in a number of strategies for stress management, and the "down time" I get from diving, both figuratively and literally, gives my mind periods of "rest".

R..

 

[Dan]

The diving bug is still there after 11 years, rounding up about 50 dives/year. I just need to earn enough money to keep the bug alive & traveling around the world.

 

[tkaelin]

Getting closer to the 40 year mark. Interest might have been sparked by watching Flipper and Jacque Costeau shows. To this day I get so excited and feel the need to get under water and explore as soon as I see the shades of blue green warm clear shallow waters.

 

[RandomGuy1]

I started diving about 2.5 years ago and the bug hit me hard. I now have 100 dives in those 2.5 years and that includes about 6 months that I didn't dive around the birth of my son. I now continue to dive every week. Most of these dives are inland lake / quarry diving so I must be addicted just to the simple act of breathing underwater as I have seen everything there is to see at my local quarry / weekly dives. I do see my diving as a stress release from work as when I am underwater the only thoughts are about what I'm looking at / computer / gauge / and other diving related thoughts. Anyway the point being that after 2.5 years I am more addicted to diving that I was in the start and I didn't think that was possible when I started.

 

[turnburglar]

I dive because rocket fuel is too expensive.

 

[ScubaDoo83]

2 years ago I first got OW certified. I spent $3K immediately on all my own gear. The next year I got AOW and this year I got Rescue certified. I plan on making DM next year. I am currently putting together a new, minimalist and lower profile rig.

Point is, the obsession is every bit as strong today as it was on day 1. As my knowledge grows I realize the rabbit hole just gets deeper and deeper. The work to get better will only get harder and I will only spent more and more money. I don't care. Diving has brought much joy to my life since I donned the gear for the very first time and I eagerly look forward to seeing where my adventures will take me.

 

[icechip]

Diving is my zen moment. My life is really good. Diving just adds to it.

 

[Storker]

I've loved being underwater ever since I as a small kid learned to duck dive and swim underwater. Strapping on a tank increases the time I can spend continuously underwater by a factor of about 60. How can that be less than totally awesome?