How did you convince YOUR spouse to start diving

[terrylowe]

I have three children that are dive certified. My 4th is 10-years-old and eager to get started. My wife does NOT dive. Wouldn't it be cool if the whole family were to dive? Just think of the family Christmas card we could send!

My wife is good shape, snorkels on top well (often watches us below), is a good swimmer but has NO interest in diving I've approached it as meekly as I know how and have been told to quit pestering her....although she tells me that all the time.

I certainly can't leave her alone to suffer on the surface when there is so much more for her to see. What tricks, manipulations, gifts or other temptations can I try? Has anyone else had success with this?

 

[FireInMyBones]

No success. If she doesn't want to dive, don't force her. I found listening to my wife is a great thing to do. My wife doesn't even want to go deeper than she can stand. I could be persuasive, but I value her desire more than my own.

 

[Marek K]

have been told to quit pestering her....

Danger, Will Robinson...

 

[fdog]

I didn't. It was her idea, and I will deny any allegation that I manipulated events so it became her idea.


All the best, James

 

[scubamum3]

I guess I live the "dream" you are speaking of. My husband and I got certified together in 1993. When our kids were 10, 11 and 12, we got them all OW certified. This summer we did AOW as a family. An observation that I have noticed about some dive couples is that many times the man will not exactly be the most supportive dive buddy, sometimes not taking the woman's feelings into account and even one time I seen one laugh when his wife bent her fingernail backwards (her and I were the only girls on a testosterone filled "manly" boat). I am certainly not implying that any of this is at work in your case!!!! From a female point of view I can see how diving with someone with much more experience than I had in a sport that can be viewed as "macho" can be pretty intimidating. Maybe suggest that she take the dive course with and buddy up with your
4th child? If she has someone to dive with that is also a newbie, it might be less threatening. If that doesn't work, I would have to agree that it's best left alone. At least she will snorkel with the family, which is better than her just sitting on the beach. Good luck!

 

[SCUBASailor]

If your wife is a 21st century woman with a brain of her own, it's up to her. You can't convince her to SCUBA dive any more than you can convince her to sky dive. I can't tell you how many "experts" have said to us "just give me some time in the pool with her." That's a real insult. She either wants to, or she doesn't.

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

It would be great if she wanted to dive, but she doesn't. I believe she shouldn't.

 

[BTravlin]

I was lucky in that I just asked if she wanted to try it with me and she said, yeah, that's something I've always thought I'd like to try. She now loves it as much, if not more, than I do.

 

[krawlings]

I was realy lucky . All I did was tell her how long I have wanted to learn to dive . We got a realy good tax return and she sain we have the money go and get it done . two years later she still don't mind me going diving 2 or 3 times a month. the last year I have gone on a lot of 2 to 3 day dive trips . can't ask much more than that.

 

[fab50diver]

It was an ongoing battle for 8 years....then he started 'noodling' catfish! All I had to do was convince him that the dive training and gear would be very useful for his new hobby and now we're certified. Still working on getting him to dive in blue water though!