What inspired you to start diving?

[WetLens]

Sea Hunt - Mike Nelson - has to get the credit for getting the fire started although my facination with my Grandfather's National Geographics must have had some play in it. I was already hooked by the time Jacques Cousteau's Undersea World came on the air, but it continued to fuel the fire.

My YMCA swimteam coach was the lifesaving instructor and a scuba fanatic/instructor (I believe he is still diving somewhere in Florida - Ed Striesel). After taking lifesaving, I hung around for the scuba lectures. When I turned 16, two fellow swimteam members and I joined the full class - that was in 10th grade. I took the class again (just for fun) in the 11th and 12th grade (actually taught a couple of lectures in the class) and finally earned enough money to afford equipment the summer after graduating from high school.

A Healthways Scubair J, a USD 71.2 steel tank, a Nimrod 3-window mask, a speargun - all ordered from New England Divers - and I was ready to dive.

Made my first dive on the wreck of the "North Carolina" on October 5, 1969. What kept me in diving was participation in a local scuba club - the Aqua Amigos - in Euclid, Ohio. Can't say enough about the great years I had diving, teaching, and most importantly - learning - from a great group of divers. Even though I moved from NE Ohio 28 years ago, I still travel and dive with the friends made while an active "Amigo."

 

[selo]

On our 25th anniversary, my wife and I went to Catalina Island for the first time although we live in West Los Angeles. I was getting ready for flight training, with a private pilot license as a goal.

She suggested I do scuba instead, so I took a discover scuba at the Casino Park. I had trouble descending, hyperventilated on the surface, but my instructor was patient, calmed me down, and eventually we went to no more than 30 feet. And we saw a Giant Sea Bass.

The next day I walked two blocks to the LDS near my house and signed up. More education and some diving followed. My LDS closed down but continued their boat trips and I try to go out with them as much as I can.

 

[SCUBASailor]

My wife had always wanted a swimming pool. I resisted for years. Finally, 4 years ago, I caved. We built the pool, and it turns out that I liked it a lot. I started spending a lot of time snorkeling around the pool, but was always drawn to the bottom, rather than the surface. It developed into an irresistible urge to learn to SCUBA dive in the sea. So, I am taking that journey now.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

On our 25th anniversary, my wife and I went to Catalina Island for the first time although we live in West Los Angeles. I was getting ready for flight training, with a private pilot license as a goal.

She suggested I do scuba instead, so I took a discover scuba at the Casino Park. I had trouble descending, hyperventilated on the surface, but my instructor was patient, calmed me down, and eventually we went to no more than 30 feet. And we saw a Giant Sea Bass.

The next day I walked two blocks to the LDS near my house and signed up. More education and some diving followed. My LDS closed down but continued their boat trips and I try to go out with them as much as I can.

Was that Reef Seekers by chance?

 

[scubadada]

I grew up as a water baby in So California, competetive swimming, water polo, snorkeling, surfing and watching Sea Hunt, Flipper, and Jacques Cousteau. It was a no-brainer when the LA County Underwater Unit offered an OW class at my high school in 1970 when I was 16.

Man, this bears *NO* resemblance to my school. Sticking a bunsen burner underneath a classmate's behind was about as muich fun as we got

Privileged, I'm quite aware of that.

Good diving, Craig

 

[mblake]

I grew up in the Monterey area also, but never took up scuba until last year when we booked a French Polynesia cruise on the Paul Gauguin with Jean-Michel Cousteau. I have have always enjoyed snorkling (well not the Monterey Bay). I wanted to be able to dive with Jean-Michel so I became certified before the cruise.

 

[dsdiving]

Well, here it goes...
I was born with a hole in my left ear drum and couldn't get water in my ear.
As a kid I use to sit with my Teacher and watch all the other kids take swimming lessons.. At age 13 I had an operation to fix my inner ear and ripped down all the obstacles between the water and myself.
I went from not knowing how to swim ( not even floating) to becomming a Lifeguard at 17 yrs. old.
FFWD five years- I was newly married and my brother- in-law took his O/W. He told us all about the course and how much fun it was, so my wife & I took the next available class.
I logged 143 dives in my first year - needless to say I was smittened.
I carried on to Advanced- Rescue Diver, Master SCUBA Diver(with half a dozen specialties) then to Dive Master.
While working at my LDS my boss recieved a call from a Local Commercial outfit saying that all of their Divers were sick and they wanted him to help out. Being sick himself my boss sent me in his place.It was a simple job but they were impressed with how I handled myself and how quickly I learned the gear. I had found my calling, I was going to become a Commercial Diver.

Now heres the Dark side.
Sixteen years ago my wife and I got a call at 3 am reporting that her brother didn't surface on a night dive. We endured three days of searching before he was found on a ledge at 265 ft.He was diving with Twins ( in sort of a HOG setup) with one full and one empty Cylinder. To this day we don't have all the answers but ,again, needless to say it was turning point in my Diving.
I had continued to dive commercially for about six years as well as being an overly active member of a Local Dive Club with an average of 100 dives/ year.
Now most of my Dive Buddies have retired and found less thrilling hobbies & my wife doesn't dive any more. I just broke the 2000 mark in my Log Book last Winter.
One of the ways that my Brother-in law's death changed me was it prompted me into Search & Rescue which I have been President of our Valley team for four terms. Swift water being my favourite skill. The RCMP do all the SAR diving up here but have used me on occassion for evidence searches.
Most of my Dive Buddies now are much younger and less experienced divers, But I enjoy it just the same.
Well that's it in a nut shell...
Whew! I feel much better now - you guys are better than going to a Shrink- Thanks.


I

 

[it_mike]

I'm afraid my story is much more tame than the last. My mother grew up on the ocean, in a New England fishing town. She took it upon herself to enroll in the 'Baby & Me' program at the local YMCA, and I learned to be comfortable in the water before I could crawl. While I later learned to swim, I was always more comfortable under the water than on the surface. Dad was in the Navy, and a former diver, so I stole his mask, J, and fins. Learned to dive from other Navy divers, and went on from there. I was 25 when I 'went legit', and bubbles are my therapy.

 

[Noboundaries]

Like others, Sea Hunter, Flipper, JC, and snorkeling in Florida and the Bahamas on Spring Break stirred my curiosity. I just figured it was one of those things I'd never do once kids, long hours at work, and increasing responsibility came along. Vacations were spent educating the kids (museums, national parks, road trips, camping, etc) instead of relaxing in the sun at a tropical destination.

Once the kids left for university my wife and I took our first true "total veg" vacation to the Yucatan, going back three years in a row. At the reef just off the resort we watched dive boats unload and recover divers day and night. My wife said "let's try scuba." We took a resort intro course in the 4' pool for $25 each. They wanted us to sign up to get certified but we decided we'd do so back home.

We came home, got certified at the LDS, and set it aside because neither one of us enjoyed the certification dives in 51 degree, 4' viz, 6' surge Monterey Bay. Hate is not too strong a word to characterize the experience. After a couple of years we tried warm water diving off the Yucatan and found a new word to characterize diving.....LOVE. We've returned several times to Yucatan and Cozumel just to dive. We're still not thrilled with CA diving, but we've done it several times.

We've not been in the water since May 2008 due to many obstacles I won't list here, but the love has not waned and we're both craving bubbles. Circumstances may allow us to get back in the water in the Spring.

 

[Agent 47]

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.

Every kid growing up in Kansas wanted to do all the cool stuff Marlin and Jim got to do.