How to keep the non-diver wife happy while I’m diving ???

[Charlie99]

I've used 3 methods. The simplest works in places where the trips are short and the boat leaves early (or there is good diving from shore). Mornings for diving. The rest of the day for family. Prodiver Maui leaves the Kihei boat ramp at 6AM and is back at 10:30AM. There have been days where my wife is just finishing the Four Seasons breakfast buffet when I return. Other places, she will just sleep in, take a bath, have a lazy morning and then we will have lunch and the afternoon together.

2nd method is to dive a couple days, then tour with her for a day. This worked ok, at least until she noticed that we were always doing topside activities on the days with the worst weather.

The 3rd method is to just leave her behind. After having lousy weather the last 4 times we went to Florida, she vows never to return -- so a Florida trip is dive, dive dive for me. Likewise, she has zero desire to return to either Grand Cayman or Cozumel. OTOH, I have no desire to go on cruises, so she goes the Caribbean with her girlfriends, and went to Bermuda with her sisters.

 

[Winton]

Hook her up with one of the pool boys. Worked for me and mine a couple of years ago. I dived all day and when I got home she was happy as could be, never bothered me once the entire trip.

Good answer, I think I would have picked up a nice "Hawiian Print" shirt for El Cabana Muchacho; as a gesture of appreciation.

My wife was a non-swimmer and did her OW course the first few months of our marriage, she knew I liked to dive and she didn't want to be left reading on deck or in a beach chair, her effort was amazing. Are there Cabana girls?

 

[caymaniac]

When I took up Scuba my wife didn't dive either. My wife would snorkel above me if she could. Then I started with underwater photos... she couldn't believe all the things I took pics of she didnt see. This finally led to a trip to Bonaire where she did her open water.
Now we travel to exotic places to dive together
Caymaniac

 

[cougar]

My sweet non-diving hubby doesn't do water...OK..he showers, but that's about it. The pool boy, the spa and the shopping trip are all out too. Any suggestions? We are currently looking to see where we can go when we leave Tokyo in early September where I can dive and he might have some fun too. He likes to check out local culture and wander around towns....also likes good food. I was lobbying for Thailand but his business partner says Thailand is a bit chancey for U.S. citizens these days. I'm afraid he'll be bored out of his mind in the Philipines. What do you suggest for this non-diving spouse? :jump013:

 

[fishnchips]

Find her a boyfriend!

 

[beir]

Thanks for all of the good tips/ideas.

Sorry I haven't responded sooner...I've been out doing my Nitrox certification dives.

The pampering ideas are good, but they can be the most costly.

The shopping spree equivalent also seems pretty fair. But, it’s always more fun to hang out with people you like. My wife is very independent, but to be fair, I would get bored if I was just out wondering around alone too.

I still think going with another couple that is in a similar situation is the best solution, but the most difficult to work out.

--Matt

 

[CathyI8205]

I love to dive, my wife well, doesn’t. She will snorkel and such, but that just won’t cut it for me. I like to plan vacations to destinations were I can get some diving in, but then she’s alone and bored.

I have the opposite problem. Scuba was my husbands idea. He got me hooked. I love it. He has not had a good experience yet. (We've been certified for a year.) Looks like our next trip is a do or sell the equipment dive.

 

[RIDIVER501]

Maybe they should starts a forum for "divers with spouses who don't dive" and then all the diving spouses can hook up on vacations for diving and the non-diving spouses can do....whatever it is that non-diving spouses do while we are out taming the deep for humanity

 

[HammerNoMore]

Well my wife does dive, but she can't right now because she is pregnant. So I've just been going on dive trips without her. It's working fine for now, but I'm sure I'll pay for it later...

 

[TwoTanks]

I just leave her to take care of the kids.... :babycrawl

Alright.... Since the two oldest got certified, I can go whenever I want as long as I take them. :11:

The local stuff is easy, I just take the oldest two and she does her thing, shopping or whatever.

On trips my wife will just sit in the sun all day and work on skin cancer, so she wouldn't notice if I left for 6 hours anyway.

The trick is to get a low maintenance model.

TT