What got you into diving?

[ippy01]

Very simple. Ever since I was a little kid I was obsessed with one question: "What's down there?" Still am.

Oh, and the Jacque Cousteau specials from the 1970's -- maybe the best use of television EVER.

 

[Tortuga James]

Spearfishing!!! I had been offshore fishing for years and while fishing one day I could see fish but they wouldn't bite. So I figured I would get SCUBA cert. so I could start spearfishing. Wished I wouldn't have waited so long.

I didn't start diving to go spearfishing, but I stopped fishing when I started diving and spearfishing. Now the only time I pick up a rod and reel is during my surface interval!

But I must give some credit to Bud and Sandy from the Flipper episodes of my youth.

 

[Celeste]

Diving always fascinated me and while on vacation in St Maarten decided to do a Discovery Dive, I tried to change my mind twice but our divemaster Jeferson calmed me down and before I knew it he had me down 35 ft and enjoying a whole new world that I thought I would never experience. When I surfaced he asked how I liked it and I said I wanted to know how I get certified. I spent the next 3 wks of my vacation getting Open Water certified and upon my return a few months later I did the advanced course. That was almost 5 years ago and only dive with Jeferson at Ocean Explorers when I return to the island. Celeste

 

[Digger54]

I love hearing the interesting stories of what got people into diving.

My story is not very interesting. It was scuba envy. I was tired of snorkeling/skin diving, being forced to spend most of my time on the surface while I watched the scuba divers getting the up close look at things down below.

 

[MartianBeerPig]

Had thought about a few times, but never really motivated to take it up. Melbourne water can be a bit on the cool side. Anyway, moved to Malaysia where the water is a much more civilised 28C. A mate asked me if I wanted to give it a go and I said ok.

As soon as I stuck my head under the water and got over the 'hold my breath' reflex, I was hooked.

 

[CIRE320]

The summer before my Jr. year in high school I did a 4 week summer program at UNC-W. One of the activities they offered was SCUBA certification. I had always been kind of interested in diving, so I figured why not. Seven years later and I'm working in a dive shop and getting ready for my IE.

 

[DiverLS]

I took Scuba 101 in my Senior year in College. The first time I put that regulator in my mouth and slipped underwater in the pool, I was hooked. The class was OW and Advanced. Now I dive 30-50 dives a year and am really looking forward to more diving. Hopefully divemaster in 07.

 

[JacobK]

I love hearing the interesting stories of what got people into diving. Everyone usually has a unique reason or interest that was the tipping point to try it out for them. What's yours?

Note: This isn't a poll. I'll leave those to fisherdvm....

My fiance two years ago.

At the time, I known her for about a year. She started her open water class before I met her, but she never finshined it. She wanted me to take the class with her. I was dead set against it. Told her i would drown or get eaten by a shark. No way. Sorry. She twisted my arm for at least a month to get me to do it.

So... I finally gave in thinking I would not like it and would quit after one class meeting.

Now.. today, at 32 years old (30 when i started diving), I wish I would have started diving when I was 12!

 

[stargazer61]

Diving had always been something I intended to do - just never got round to it till I was in my forties. I finally went on a Discover Scuba course with Princess Divers in Phi-Phi Thailand. I enjoyed the first two dives so much I went back for two more

Those dives are still the best I have had to date. Warm water, great visibility, great coral, wonderful variety of fish and the odd Leopard Shark and turtle.

I would go back tomorrow except my wife is worried the Tsunami might strike again. It was pretty scary to see the reports of how many people died right where we had been staying just a few weeks earlier!

 

[micks]

Loved water my whole life, am like a fish. All the men in my family took up diving together and went on a diving trip to the Caymans. I was told I could do the same thing when I turned 13, that rolled by and nobody took me for an OW class. By the time I was in college, I took OW and AOW classes on my own!