The Benefits you get from DIVING??

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Roger D Miller
how many dives do you have to make .Before it becomes fun and relaxing?

Roger, this varies greatly from diver to diver....

Some may never feel comfortable u/w....

Some are immeadiately at home u/w....

And in between these two is a continuum of varying comfort levels...

And hopefully you will in time progress in a positive direction...

Perhaps you could take a *confidence course* to help move yourself along in becoming more comfortable u/w

 

[Fishkiller]

Originally posted by Roger D Miller
This may not be the place for this, but how many dives do you have to make .Before it becomes fun and relaxing?

But I do enjoy it.

It was on my 17th dive

The dive was at my local lake I was with my friend and was there just to see how long we could swim along and burn a tank of air. The vis was 5 feet the water temp 72F and expected nothing more than to breathe, we found the invisible fish that others had said weren't there found several homes to catfish that was the most relaxing dive to date

 

[Sea Squirt]

What do I get out of diving?

I'm forever expanding my wish list of must see marine life through reading and watching NG. On my next dive, I've got something to look out for, and get such a buzz when I can find it. Every dive has something new to learn from.

The solitude of diving is like meditation - half of my brain is totally relaxed hearing my breathing and bubbles, and at the same time, the other half is subconciously ticking over all the "mechanics".

It's been only 9 months since I started diving, and it's completely changed my whole outlook on life! gone are the wild nights of partying til dawn, being totally frustrated with city life, and general aggressive psyche, and in with a healthy lifestyle and more chilled out attitude. I don't miss it at all - I love the new Me!!! Thanks SCUBA!

 

[dc4bs]

Originally posted by Rooster1
Awesome feeling! (gees I think I just had a moment, I havent had a dive since last dive season and right now the water is freezin)!

Hehehe...

Exactly why I'm broke right now from buying a drysuit. Just couldn't stay away and going wet in <40 deg.(F) water and coming out to <40 deg.(F) air is just too much even for someone as crazy as me.

 

[keralucu]

... since Sea Squirt and I are so similar, I have to concur that the changes we've made to our previously mental and hedonistic lifestyle have done us both the world of good. A couple of years ago I would never have imagined myself doing yoga (an equal obssession), which came about because of scuba... The combination of scuba and yoga completely nourish my mind, body and soul.

Thanks to Jacques Cousteau for inventing the aqualung!!

 

[kellie]

Roger,

As most have already posted, diving is a different animal for each person. However, comfort will come....it just takes time to move from actively having to manage each skill such as of I don't know ..... breathing slow and deep.....watching your gauges/computer....but believe me it will come. And it is nothing short of heaven when it all pulls together.

Get involved with a local club, see if you can log some pool time with your instructor while he is teaching another class, and dive dive dive!!!

I think fishkiller asked what would you from diving? That is a simple one for me. My dang ears stop me more than I care to remember. I have a problem left ear (which thank goodness did not show itself until after I had logged my 100 dive) that develops somewhat of a reverse block. And at times it will completely overpressure itself at the surface moments after hitting the surface. I just sit it out or snorkle when everyone else is diving...which is not much fun in the pacific northwest.

 

[scubabunny]

What do I get out of diving? Well, besides all the things everyone else mentioned, I got more confidence in myself for doing something that I thought I couldn't do. I've never been the "adventurous" type, and scuba diving was always something "other people" do. Now, I'm one of the "other people"! It gave me confidence in almost every aspect of my life..not just diving.

Also, diving IS a great workout! The actual under water time may not be very strenuous...but lugging that tank around on beach dives tones muscles that I didn't even know I had!

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by Roger D Miller
This may not be the place for this, but how many dives do you have to make .Before it becomes fun and relaxing?

But I do enjoy it.

I'd say you can have a fun and relaxing dive right now. Ask yourself what it is that detracts from fun and relaxation on the dive, and eliminate as many of those factors as you can. For example, if you're concerned about getting lost and not being able to find the anchor line, try a dive where you do a series of short out & ins close to the line, or even use a reel. Bring your area of interest in, look at smaller things. Take your time. You can have a *great* dive and never move more than ten feet, if you know what to look for - there are whole marine ecosystems in a single square yard of bottom. Once you've found your true comfort zone, then you can start expanding it a little each dive until one day everyone will suddenly recognize you as Henry the Navigator. You can use similar "narrowing" techniques for any area of diving.
Above all, remember it's recreation, not a contest. (sometimes you may have to remind a buddy of that)
Have fun...
Rick

 

[Greg G.]

Adventure and the social contacts are the two that come to mind. Most positive thing is that non-divers are very curious and I always like answering their questions, even sometimes bull****ting Q: (after a lake dive) What do you guys look for down there? Me: Sharks! Biggest obstacle is without a doubt the cost.

Originally posted by Fishkiller
The opening question seems simple enough, but I now more than ever am likely suffering from underwater withdrawl, have to be reminded of the benefits that this sport / hobby has to offer? What positive things have you found from being a scuba diver?? What obstacles have you had to overcome and the rewards for doing so?

 

[jmsdiver]

1. The world goes on hold; there's no rushing here and no rushing there. This calmness is what I seek and embrace.
2. No phones, PDAs, beepers, email, or the boss yipping in the ear.
3. Weightlessness ?? While this is the ultimate Zen, it is also something that is hard to obtain on every dive, though we all strive to do so.
4. Stuff. I seek out the neat sights and sounds of the u/w realm. In the cold dark lakes of the :cold: North, it is silent (spooky) in some and noisy in others (boats, personal watercratft). In the warmer lats, the fish feeding is really a neat sound. The wrecks, the fish, the corals, the eddies in the sand, and so forth.
5. Social interaction with other divers and friends. In some cases, family.
6. The interaction with nature.

I'm sure there are more, but my mind took a break.