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We frequently tell folks to find a good dive mentor. A diver with more experience and skills to help you fine tune your skills as you explore new dive sites.
I've been fortunate to have alot of help and support. I'd been a warm water diver since 1983, until I landed in SoCal in 2008. The first year I trudged long shore distances in heavy uncomfortable gear with layers of inflexible neoprene just to get beat up by the surf. After each dive I'd get in my car and on the drive home I'd swear I was going to quit 'cause I'm too old/cold/tired/out-of-shape, etc. But my wonderful dive pals kept me here, knowing that if they can do it, someday I could do it too. I had the priveledge of diving once again with one of my fav and most patient SoCal dive mentors, Greg Cooke. He has 1000+ all SoCal rec & tech dives and 14000+ hrs commercial diving (the boy just likes to be in the water ALL the time). Greg has been with me on all of my SoCal wreck dives, most of my 16 drysuit dives, and has helped drag my crawling carcass out thru surf plenty of times. He always smiles and says "it's all good". We did 4 dives on Sunday. Diving cold pea soup in a blender (dark, cold, silty, very surgy, very poor vis). But yet what would have creeped me out enough to thumb a dive in the past, I now took as a learning opportunity to work on drysuit bouyancy and "Helen Keller" diving skills, etc. I felt like I had really accomplished something when Greg said to me"I hope I helped a little. You are a good diver. I want to dive with you again but this time we will work on trim and beach . California is a hard place to learn to dive. I stopped working with OW students because it's a waste of my time. I teach divers. You are a diver."
So who is/has been your mentor(s) and why? What have they contributed to your skill level and ultimate enjoyment of the sport?
If you have reached a point where you are now "paying it forward", when did you realize you were ready to help the next "newbie"?
I've been fortunate to have alot of help and support. I'd been a warm water diver since 1983, until I landed in SoCal in 2008. The first year I trudged long shore distances in heavy uncomfortable gear with layers of inflexible neoprene just to get beat up by the surf. After each dive I'd get in my car and on the drive home I'd swear I was going to quit 'cause I'm too old/cold/tired/out-of-shape, etc. But my wonderful dive pals kept me here, knowing that if they can do it, someday I could do it too. I had the priveledge of diving once again with one of my fav and most patient SoCal dive mentors, Greg Cooke. He has 1000+ all SoCal rec & tech dives and 14000+ hrs commercial diving (the boy just likes to be in the water ALL the time). Greg has been with me on all of my SoCal wreck dives, most of my 16 drysuit dives, and has helped drag my crawling carcass out thru surf plenty of times. He always smiles and says "it's all good". We did 4 dives on Sunday. Diving cold pea soup in a blender (dark, cold, silty, very surgy, very poor vis). But yet what would have creeped me out enough to thumb a dive in the past, I now took as a learning opportunity to work on drysuit bouyancy and "Helen Keller" diving skills, etc. I felt like I had really accomplished something when Greg said to me"I hope I helped a little. You are a good diver. I want to dive with you again but this time we will work on trim and beach . California is a hard place to learn to dive. I stopped working with OW students because it's a waste of my time. I teach divers. You are a diver."
So who is/has been your mentor(s) and why? What have they contributed to your skill level and ultimate enjoyment of the sport?
If you have reached a point where you are now "paying it forward", when did you realize you were ready to help the next "newbie"?