Why Do YOU Love Scuba?

[billt4sf]

I love scuba because I love nature, and this is one (great!) way to experience what nature offers.

I also love the feeling of being weightless (although we physics teachers can't stop saying that divers are not weightless -- the buoyant force equals your weight so you feel weightless. Sorry.)

I also enjoy the challenge of developing scuba-related skills. But for me, this is secondary to the other two reasons.

- Bill

 

[LowDrag]

My dad was a diver when I was a kid up until he had an injury that tore up his left ear leaving him completely deaf and unable to dive any more. Later when I was 14 my folks moved us to Florida where I really started to free dive. The thought never even crossed my mind to get certified back then (damnit!!!) but I loved the water, being in it, under it and everything about it. Fast forward 35 years and I finally caught the bug to get certified. With 25 dives so far I love the feeling of being underwater, feeling weightless, seeing all the cool critters down there and just plain feeling relaxed and carefree. Everything is so fluid, there isn't any hustle and bustle that we deal with in the air. I dive with my wife and when we are diving we hold hands and point things out to each other. Don't get me wrong, we holds hands all the time, we are one of the "weird" couples that actually love each other and love being with each other so that just enhances our dives all that much more. Well except when we cross paths on the business end of a Lion's Mane jelly and get the chit stung out of us. That's never too fun let me tell ya. All in all it is freedom for me. I love to dive and wish I could do it more often. If I lived in Seattle I probably go broke diving every weekend...LOL!!!

 

[KeithG]

Let's face it: Divers are very special. How many people ever get to experience the beauty of cruising through a kelp forest, the sense of awe as a whale shark swims overhead, the serenity of an endless universe of blue, and the sense of adventure exploring shipwrecks and caves?

But despite being spectacular, scuba is a pretty uncommon sport. There aren't diving commercials on TV, the few times it's portrayed in movies it's a horror film with people stuck in caves, getting eaten by sharks, or something else scary as hell.

So how'd you become a diver? What made you into the crazy guy wading through surf with 100 lbs of gear strapped to your back, while others are content to just sunbathe and stand in the shallows?

umm, well, it beat's working.

If you can't skate on it, dive in it.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I love scuba because it is a unique, healthy activity that I and my wife can share. I love the beauty of the ocean, the challenge of some dives, and the serenity of others. I love scuba because I am able to do it enough to be good at it and teach others, as well as enjoy pure recreational dives. I love scuba because most people you meet on dive outings are pretty nice people, and enjoyable to hang around and share experiences. I love scuba because you can enjoy it with a group of friends or enjoy the solitude of feeling like you and your buddy are the only divers in the ocean ( my favorite dives are when Debbie and I are off by ourselves.) I enjoy the variety diving offers, from the navigating challenges of colder fresh water dives with limited viz to warm water excursions full of colorful sea life and crystal clear water. My wife got me into scuba as a surprise gift and I fell in love with it in about 5 minutes in the pool. She became active as a diver 5 years later.
DivemasterDennie

 

[Vegan Shark]

I fell in love with it in about 5 minutes in the pool.

My first experience was a try scuba session in a pool in Cancun, and man even that was so much fun. Sure you see dead insects, bandages, tons of floating hair, and other things you'd prefer not to see, but breathing underwater was just addicting.

 

[JMBL]

My experience : growing up in the 70's in France, meant sitting in front of the TV watching Cousteau, and Primus (Gosh, I'm dying to see that show again ! ! !) and stuff about Sealab. So, I was hooked. Had to wait until I was 19 to enroll in a Padi OW. Never stopped diving after that. Being underwater is being far away, on a remote planet, leaving everything behind, being free. I'm an addict, and becoming more addicted every day.

 

[Randy g]

I dive to get away from Humans. If I could grow gills, I would happily give up everything and trade places.

and blame Cousteau for my addiction.

 

[Vegan Shark]

Seems a lot of people grew up with Cousteau, but I wonder how the sport will develop now that there aren't really any Cousteau-like figures.

 

[seattlepaul1975]

It lets me unwind and relax. I enjoy being in the water seeing things and just being in a foreign environment. My friends all say I must love it when I say I have no issues diving when others say the viz is too bad. I think to myself, "I got wet, all is good". It also is a way to be away from my cell phone for the time I am underwater. Being in the tech field it's a great way to be forced off-line

 

[fjpatrum]

I Love the water. Surfing, kayaking, sailing (not much experience here) and just about anything else on the water is good to me. Beautiful colors rarely seen elsewhere in nature, bafflingly unusual creatures also not seen anywhere else in nature, and of course food options if/when I start hunting.

I like experiencing as much as life has to offer and scuba is one more way to do that.