What types of divers last the longest?

[chillyinCanada]

Do you folks truly believe you wouldn't be diving now if it weren't for early mentors, buddies, diving family, etc.? I'm wondering because I had none of that, only my initial determination to try it . . .then the addiction. My addiction eventually brought me buddies and diving friends, but the friends and family that were in place when my addiction began are still baffled.

 

[kablooey]

only my initial determination to try it . . .

A half-off coupon for a trip on a local dive boat stuffed in amongst my instructional paperwork pretty much saved my diving.
As a newly certed OW diver I was clueless about where to go and what to do to dive. I had no mentors, and I knew nobody who dived.

I booked my 1/2-price trip, loved it, kept returning to the boat, tried new things, and never looked back.

All the fantastic places I've been, amazing things I've seen, and the great life-long friends I've made over the last nineteen years of diving would never have happened if I had not found that coupon. From that moment diving has defined my life.

It makes me wonder how many new divers fall through the cracks as I almost did. As a member of an instructional staff I meet a lot of divers in training who I never see again when their class is completed.

Over the years I've mentored several divers. It's not the most exciting way to spend my time, but I just hate to see all that effort and enthusiasm go to waste. It's my way of saying thank you to Saint Brendan for looking after me.

A dream not fulfilled is a life not lived.

 

[boulderjohn]

As an instructor, I always asked students about their plans for diving after certification. My wild guess is that at least half of them were doing it in anticipation of a specific upcoming trip, with no mention of any plans after that.

Whenever I taught a scuba review class for people who had not been diving for a while, they usually said that they had gotten certified under certain circumstances, enjoyed it, and then life got in the way. Family concerns, jobs--whatever--took precedence over scuba. In most of those cases, they were doing the review in anticipation of a specific upcoming trip, with no mention of any plans after that.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I started diving because of my love for fresh seafood. After I started diving I realized there was a lot more to see and do besides spear fish and gather, so even if I stopped hunting tomorrow I would not stop diving.
But I still love fresh seafood.

 

[captain]

Started self taught in 1957 at age 13, still dive but less frequently 72. Love of the sea, boats, spearfishimg and general exploring keeps me going. No more peaceful place than anchored over a dive site out of sight of land on a calm day.

 

[Chris H]

I've been diving since 1993. I have a pile of gear including a rebreather, scooter, and a compressor/fill station. The big dives are nice, but I think taking a step back and making sure you are having fun is really what it is all about. I have come to really enjoy a simple, open circuit, wetsuit dive. I often bring the scooter too, but I'm perfectly content to hang out with the fish in 15ft of water too. I've talked to some newer divers excited to get to the "bottom" of one of the local dive spots. The bottom is 350ft and I remind them that the wet rocks at this lake look the same in 20ft of water as they do in 200ft. Slow down, and have fun.

 

[TMHeimer]

I've learned a lot from quite a few people and on scubaboard. I only had one regular steady buddy--the first couple of years or so. Can't say I had any particular mentor. Once certified I knew I would continue.

 

[spoolin01]

Regular tropical diving makes it easy for me to stay involved - I just never get tired of warm water and cruising the reefs, and have always been drawn to the water in one form or another. Hunting and photography have been rewarding additional dimensions which helped tremendously in attaining a high comfort level with scuba early on.

Having enthusiastic buddies has also been a big factor in getting me over the mobilization hurdle for the cold and remote diving where I live.

Interesting to hear about some who may have been scared away. A couple of frights and close calls over the years made me a more aware diver, but didn't affect my enthusiasm. In that respect scuba hasn't seemed much different than many other outdoor activities. Just all around more fun. Reading testimonials here on SB I often wonder to what extent a person's extant comfort level with water at the point they come to diving, affects the likelihood of ultimately taking to scuba, or the challenge they face if they don't find it easy to be comfortable without working at it.

 

[TMHeimer]

spoolin01, I also wonder about your last point. I have seen quite a few and varied students in assisting with OW courses, but due to my location away from the shop and popular shore sites, I rarely found out what happened with them after certification. My guess would be the ones that are comfortable in water to begin with and find the OW course easy, will continue. Those comfortable in water to begin with but struggle some in OW may continue. Then there are the other few.....Enough has been said about them on SB over the years.

 

[Nemrod]

Do you folks truly believe you wouldn't be diving now if it weren't for early mentors, buddies, diving family, etc.? I'm wondering because I had none of that, only my initial determination to try it . . .then the addiction. My addiction eventually brought me buddies and diving friends, but the friends and family that were in place when my addiction began are still baffled.

Where ever I am in life, good or bad, it is because I did not quit. While I had good parents, I am what I am because of me, aside from my parents, I owe nothing to anybody.

N