Getting back underwater

[Coredumpster]

Howdy all!

Thinking of making a return to scuba. My original certifications are PADI OW, AOW, and a couple specialities in the early 90's timeframe. Vacation diver ( 1-2 trips / year ). Back then my parents were footing the bill, so we went diving on several family vacations ( they also left me behind on some really nice ones too.... )

College, job, career, marriage, and now feeling the bug. My wife and I are both strong swimmers ( have done Ironman triathlons ). We got married 5 years ago on St. John in the USVI and I convinced her to try snorkeling. She absolutely loved it, though she's still getting comfortable with the idea of holding her breath and diving down. We've gone back to VI and spent a full week snorkeling all over. Also snorkeled on trips to Hawaii and Mexico.

We are planning two trips this year. First is to Hawaii in October to watch some friends who are racing the Ironman race. After that, the plan is to have her do a DSD ( and me as well, as a refresher since it's been a 20 year gap in my diving ). If that goes well and she likes it, we're planning a trip in December to Ambergris Caye in Belize in December. She'll do her course and pool work here, and then OW cert dives in Belize. Or if she decides that scuba is ( not yet ) for her, then we'll make it a snorkelling and sight-seeing trip. Nice thing about AC is it'll be a fun vacation spot whether above water or below.

So that's my story. Will be spending some time here getting caught up on what has changed over the 20 years in terms of dive theory and equipment ( certainly computers have come a *long* way! ).

Cheers!
-Chris

 

[Resqdivemedic]

Welcome both back underwater and to the board. Definitely get to a local dive shop and get a refresher/update.
Dive safe!

 

[Zabnee]

Welcome to SB, Chris!

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Coredumpster

Another possibility would be to take OW with your wife.

I was first certified in Southern California in 1970 and did about 200 dives up until 1980. For many of the same reasons you listed, I had a 17 year hiatus. I got recertified with my son when he turned 12. It turned out to be a great experience for both of us to do the training together. For me, the knowledge and training was quite easy but still worthwhile. Not that much had dramatically changed in the interim, but it was a good way to catch up. My wife ended up doing her primary OW with my daughter, when she turned 12, the four of us have been diving together for 15 years now.

More than 1300 dives since 1997, look forward to many, many more.

Good diving,

Craig

 

[Coredumpster]

Hi @Coredumpster

Another possibility would be to take OW with your wife.

I was first certified in Southern California in 1970 and did about 200 dives up until 1980. For many of the same reasons you listed, I had a 17 year hiatus. I got recertified with my son when he turned 12. It turned out to be a great experience for both of us to do the training together. For me, the knowledge and training was quite easy but still worthwhile. Not that much had dramatically changed in the interim, but it was a good way to catch up. My wife ended up doing her primary OW with my daughter, when she turned 12, the four of us have been diving together for 15 years now.

More than 1300 dives since 1997, look forward to many, many more.

Good diving,

Craig

I had about 50 or so dives before my hiatus. ( Need to find my old log books! )

You make a great suggestion, and I do plan to either do an official refresher course or re-take OW with my wife when she does it, in addition to the DSD. Not counting on one DSD to knock off 20 years of rust and barnacles. I'm leaning towards not doing OW with her only as I want her to go through it on her own and be comfortable with learning skills and not be worried/pressured by me being there too. We will talk it over and figure out what's best.

 

[scubadada]

I had about 50 or so dives before my hiatus. ( Need to find my old log books! )

You make a great suggestion, and I do plan to either do an official refresher course or re-take OW with my wife when she does it, in addition to the DSD. Not counting on one DSD to knock off 20 years of rust and barnacles. I'm leaning towards not doing OW with her only as I want her to go through it on her own and be comfortable with learning skills and not be worried/pressured by me being there too. We will talk it over and figure out what's best.

I can easily imagine training with your spouse could have both pros and cons, doing it with children may be simpler.

Best of luck, however you do it

 

[Hou s4m]

Ive been told that diving is like riding a bicycle or playing the piano. Once you know how to do it, its locked up there and would just come out by the time you need to use it. Especially with all those dives i'm sure its gonna come back like second nature for you.
Apart from technologies and newer gadgets and gears, how much has scuba evolved over the years?

 

[scubadada]

Ive been told that diving is like riding a bicycle or playing the piano. Once you know how to do it, its locked up there and would just come out by the time you need to use it. Especially with all those dives i'm sure its gonna come back like second nature for you.
Apart from technologies and newer gadgets and gears, how much has scuba evolved over the years?

Probably harder to hurt yourself on a bike or piano

 

[GlennL]

I see several people make plans to finish ow cert while on vacation. December is quite awhile from now. Do you not think that it would be more enjoyable to get the cert out of the way so you could focus on diving rather than performing skills on vacation? Either way good luck!

 

[Coredumpster]

December is a ways from now, yes. However, we're both training for another Ironman race in September, so that ties up most of our free time this summer into the fall. And being from Chicago, I don't think mid-west quarry diving will excite her as much as HI or Belize. We're not in a rush, and we're planning a full week in Belize, so I think we'll be fine to get her cert dives done there ( and give me a chance to remember everything again too! ).