Why Do YOU Love Scuba?

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?

While writing a blog post on how divers can help save marine mammals recently, I was thinking about my own experience getting into diving. As a kid I always loved fantasy and sci-fi novels, the wonder of experiencing a brand new world. Life beneath the sea is more mysterious and magical than Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter could ever be, so it's no wonder I fell in love. Just wish I had done it sooner!

Here's the blog post with my experiences if anyone is interested:http://www.happivore.com/blog/ghost-fishing

Nice article and sentiment!

So I put my blackbelt in Google Fu to the test, and looked for organizations of divers devoted to cleaning up the oceans. What’d I find? Nada.

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Project AWARE |

I did a cleanup dive with them last month. They do cleanup dives on the reg. One of my buddies has done several now.

NOAA has a list of orgs. You guys might want to contact NOAA and see about getting listed on their site.
NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program: Volunteer Opportunities

While I appreciate the fact that divers get together for beach cleanups in September, Underwater cleanups at Catalina Island once a year and getting the word out on Earth Day, I silently play my small part every day. I pick up trash I see on sidewalks. I put every piece of garbage I find under water in my pocket. I truly believe that if most people made the same effort the World would be a much nicer place. Think globally, act locally.

There is also another side that I like regarding Scuba diving. While you are at a diving center or on a liveaboard. take a look around you, there is no difference between one person and another. They are all the same, DIVERS. The care for each other, look after each other and dive as one group and they. The only difference between them are the certificate and experience level. They all aim for the goal, enjoying the aquatic life and look after each other so all come up safe and happy.

MaxBottomtime:

I truly believe that if most people made the same effort the World would be a much nicer place. Think globally, act locally.

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Definitely. A lot of people think, "Screw it, I can't change the world," and never try to make a difference, but all it takes is acting locally, on a small scale. Every little thing makes a difference.

I took up scuba to collect shells, being a life long collector (as many know), and this still is basically my only real interest, though I enjoy diving for other reasons as well. I enjoy DMing (assisting OW classes), as I used to be a teacher way back when. Wish we didn't have so many, so I could do that more often. I too wish I had gotten certified way before age 51 (just turned 60), but location (northern Manitoba) made this undesirable.

Happy birthday TMHeimer

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My inspiration was Mike Nelson and Jaques Cousteau. Bought a tank backpack and regulator for $100 in 1966. We taught ourselves how to dive.


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gehadoski:

Happy birthday TMHeimer

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Thanks. Wonder if I can still load a truck with 20 tanks.....

Sure you can,

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