What inspired you to start diving?

[Lee Taylor]

Mike Nelson

 

[mdb]

It was the ocean calling-and, of course San Diego was/is a great place to dive with lots of great shore diving, and good dive retailers and instructors.

I was active duty in the USMC @ the time. We had a dive club, a boat, and ready access to good diving. Quite fortunate indeed. Still diving 40+ yrs. later.

 

[Probie591]

My wife and I would travel every year with anotherr couple to the Keys for approx 30 to 45 days of vacation. We like to fish and would set out every morning in a 24 foot center console, come in for lunch and then back out for more fishing in the late afternoon. Marathon Key did not have much for us in terms of night life. One year, We could not get out on the water, high seas and rain, so I thought I would make good use of my time and see what was under the water after being topside for many years. I had a wonderful time with my cert dives. So, I think you can safely say it was nothing more than curiosity and circumstance that led me to diving. My wife can not handle anything covering her face, so diving is a solo thing for me. My two children want to try when they become of age.

 

[TMHeimer]

After most of 25 years in Northern Manitoba we moved to the coast of Nova Scotia. Now it made sense to learn to dive to enhance my shell collection. Collecting is still my main passion, though diving for diving's sake is cool too.

 

[rstofer]

Sea Hunt but I waited until I was well into middle-age before I got around to it.

Richard

 

[Peter_C]

A few years later Jacques Cousteau had his show on TV and I remember thinking how cool it would be to be able to do that. I never saw Sea Hunt, that was a few years before my time, unfortunately.

As a family we used to watch his shows, and Wild Kingdom. Still need to make it to Africa though. Cousteau was definitely a major reason I wanted to dive. I also grew up with a swimming pool in my backyard and we tried everything a kid could do to stay underwater. From there I got into surface water sports like surfing and then wakeboarding. Then the time came where I could actually do a ugg...resort dive in Florida. I was hooked! After many more dives on Maui, I finally decided to get certified and purchase my own gear. Quickly gave up my Scubapro BCD and got one of ZKY's Freedom Plates which is basically going retro, except I like my drysuit and 7 foot hose. Plus you can pry my can light from my cold dead hand

So fast forward to today, where I have way too much diving equipment :shocked2:

Actually I have been taking my boat out just cruising around enjoying being on the water.

 

[pjones]

When I was around 5 or 6 years old my family would drive past some water markers in this one section of ocean every so often and I asked my dad what they were there for, He explained to me that they were there to mark a ship that sunk so divers could go explore there. With every drive past that spot my curiosity grew and my desire to see this ship for myself became stronger. Around 20 years have passed and I am now finally financially capable to afford the lessons and found a partner to explore the ship together. I haven't made it to the dive site yet as I have just recently completed my certification (but yet to receive my card) still need to work on some of the basic skills but I know with a little of work and a couple more courses I will be able to go see that ship. I am SO close I can taste it

 

[Bluesman]

Great thread!
For me I guess Sea Hunt had a lot of influence. Though I have always lived inland the whole idea of diving and exploring has interested me. So lakes and and the ocean hold equal interests. Cold water vs. warm has not scared me off because interesting things are in both places. And diving gives you a great excuse to find wonderful vacation places!
The knowledge about diving science and the gear also hold interest to me. Interesting people from all walks of life end up on dive boats or at a dive site also.

 

[TSandM]

I did it because my husband told me to.

Seriously.

I got tipsy at an auction and bought a trip to Australia, and on the way home, my exasperated husband said, "Well, if we are going to Australia, you HAVE to learn how to dive." And I said, "Yes, sir."

It was something I'd idly thought about before -- when I was a kid, the brother of the lady next door was in the Navy and dove, and would come home with great photographs, and I always thought it looked like fun. But it wasn't high on the agenda until after the auction.

 

[jswantek]

I like this topic. For me, I first became interested in diving when the fire department started the water rescue/recovery unit. I wanted to be involved at first because it was a new challenge and something different. Once I got my head under water, I fell in love with the ability to see and explore everything that's available under the water. I'm no longer involved with the department, but I'm still diving.