Aquarium Diving

[RJP]

I think one of the best things about Aquarium Diving would be looking back at the people.

Especially when some of those people are your family!

At Epcot Center my 4yr old and 10yr old got to see me dive for the first time ever. Apparently they became quite the celebrities when my 4yr old saw me come into view and shouted "Hey mom - there's daddy!" All the other kids were amazed "that's your dad in there with sharks!!??!!"



The Disney videographer got great footage of me finning up to the glass where my wife and kids were. I removed my reg and planted a "smooch" right up to each of my kids cheeks. Pretty cool.

You also get to perform for the folks in the restaurant that faces into the aquarium. Everyone's waving to you and taking your picture. (During the dive briefing they remind you to behave in a "Disney-appropriate" fashion.)

 

[SDiggy]

At the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, you can volunteer to clean their aquariums, but you have to do other volunteer grunt work for at least a year before they let you set foot in the aquarium and you probably have to do that every weekend, which is not worth my time since I would rather be diving. If you miss a weekend, you have to start all over=(.

The New England Aquarium in Boston has a similar program. You have to spend at least 200 hours volunteering as an Assistant Dive Volunteer (non-diving) before being considered for a Dive Volunteer Team member.

 

[seaducer]

I think one of the best things about Aquarium Diving would be looking back at the people.

It is amazing how many people don't think you can see them. I have watched women pick their noses (very attractive:blinking and such, then jump when you wave to them.

I had a mom once look at me, then mouth "can they see us too?" about the sharks. When I nodded yes she shuttled her kids out of the tunnel. No idea what that was about

Playing with the kids is a blast, especially at Christmas when we dress up like Santa. Some kids treat you like a rock star, others are scared to death of you. But that isn't so bad cause you can't hear em scream hardly from the inside (though if they really shreak you can).

Putting on shows is fun, especially when the family is there. Volunteering certainly has it's high points. The days can be long but the people are fun, the perks are decent, and the diving is still diving even if you are in a big pool. Oh, and all the teeth we can find. All the ladies in my wedding get shark tooth earings

 

[gwklein]

The Ga. Aquarium has a swim and a dive program. Diving is $290. The Ocean Voyager Gallery, where you dive, is about the size of a football, with a maximum depth of about 30 feet. There are 6 divers lead by a DM and followed by another DM. Have to use aquarium equipment, except mask. Aside from diving with 4 whale sharks, hammerhead, manta ray, etc, one of the more interesting things is the interaction of the divers with their non-diving family members. This is more often then not the first time some kids or grandparents get to see what their diving family members get so exited about.

 

[smellzlikefish]

I've dived aquariums as part of my job for the past 6 years and for me the charm is lost. Now its just work and, even while I'm underwater waving at customers and scrubbing the walls, my mind is on what might be swimming by my favorite open ocean haunts. Like many have said before, you are guaranteed to see some cool stuff, and I certainly remember my first experience diving a tank, but after spending as many as 6 hours at a stretch scrubbing a wall or siphoning the gravel in the bottom of the tank, the romance is gone.

 

[SCUBA92]

The Florida Aquarium, in Tampa, has 2 different dive programs. A SCUBA Dive with the Sharks (15 and up) and Swim with the Fishes; on surface with a small cylinder in the Coral Reef exhibit (6 and up).

 

[craracer]

Saving $200 as compared to what??

I was just stating that I could put that money towards flight tickets/diving/lodging/food...or whatever. More than likely, that location would have; warm temps, sand, bikinis, **-** drinks with umbrellas...

If it works the same way as my aqaurium, if you hear at all it will be to tell you to come in and fill out an application. When they conduct interviews they will call you. Just sending an email is likely to be ignored since the people who deal with the volunteer programs never see them...

I haven't heard back as of yet, so maybe I need to make a phone call to find out what their protocol is.

 

[NudeDiver]

BTW I can tell the cold has affected your brain some. Nemo 33? It is just a pool! How boring are all white walls? I would rather dive with critters anyday.

In Nemo33, I suspect that I could stay in there and practice skills all I wanted - and with my own gear. Based on the descriptions of the aqu dives people described, it's all too tightly controlled to be of much practical use - and not of much interest to someone (i.e. me) who doesn't want to pay a lot of money to look at animals in a cage - even if it is a wet cage.

I think one of the best things about Aquarium Diving would be looking back at the people.

If looking at people is the best thing about a dive, that doesn't say much for the dive. I can look at people on land, with a lot less effort - and for free

The Ga. Aquarium has a swim and a dive program. Diving is $290. The Ocean Voyager Gallery, where you dive, is about the size of a football

World's smallest aquarium??

 

[mgmonk]

I think one of the best things about Aquarium Diving would be looking back at the people.

Ahhhh... you remind me now of one of my favorite pastimes at the aquarium. Cleaning the windows while flirting with hot moms.

 

[Baracuda Smile]

I think the intial expresions on children seeing a fish twice as big as they are is awsome.