Early introduction pays dividends. The tall one is a college junior now, enrolled in a university scuba course this semester.
rx7diver
View attachment 719039
I love this photo so much, that I could frame it and put it on my mantle!
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
Early introduction pays dividends. The tall one is a college junior now, enrolled in a university scuba course this semester.
rx7diver
View attachment 719039
Sorry, my opinion is different, we don't need divers who can't swim. An incredible liability.Er ... my husband still can't swim! He managed to float for the pool test though. (Maybe I wasn't supposed to say that he can't swim, but I don't think they'll revoke his certs, will they?). Anyway, for almost a decade I've been telling absolutely every single client about scuba diving, in the hopes that I will talk SOMEONE into diving! I got an email from a former client the other day, saying she was going to do a discover scuba session with the LDS. I was SO thrilled! When I bring up scuba I occasionally get "I don't know how to swim", but I've also gotten 'general fear of water' (sometimes a traumatic event), don't like the water, fear of sharks, not interested or they'll think about starting with snorkeling. Annnnnnd ... I can tell you that my sister never learned to swim because she wasn't willing to get her head in the water because it would smudge her makeup and mess up her hair (wimmen and vanity!). For the same reasons, she still wouldn't be a scuba (or snorkeling) candidate.
@chillyinCanada,I love this photo so much, that I could frame it and put it on my mantle!
I hear ya. He passed the PADI requirement to either tread water or float for whatever the minimum amount of time was. He went to two or three different swim instructors to learn to swim. He's never in the water without at least a mask and snorkel (he swims fine with fins, mask and snorkel). The only time he'd be a liability is if the boat went down. In that unlikely event, there are life jackets as well as BCs.Sorry, my opinion is different, we don't need divers who can't swim. An incredible liability.
I also think non-swimmers have significantly less bandwidth when it comes to dealing with trying circumstances in the water. This is only my opinion and is not fact based. I'll take a buddy who can swim, if any buddy at all. I appreciate your honesty.I hear ya. He passed the PADI requirement to either tread water or float for whatever the minimum amount of time was. He went to two or three different swim instructors to learn to swim and he cannot be taught. He's never in the water without at least a mask and snorkel (he swims fine with fins, mask and snorkel). The only time he'd be a liability is if the boat went down. In that unlikely event, there are life jackets as well as BCs.
When I took my first scuba class at the YMCA, in the late 1970s, there were something like ten to twelve kids in each Summer session -- of every conceivable ethnic background, from African Americans and Latinos to Southern Asians and Samoans; and my younger brother and I were the minorities in our particular class . . .As I pointed out in my first post, as a person of color scuba diving has been pointed out to me as unattractive and unattainable.
I’m of the same opinion. I don’t really care if they have good swimming form, but there is a lot to be said for being comfortable in the water. I grew up in and around the water. I took swim lessons at an early age. My two daughters started even earlier, actually before they could walk. My wife only took swimming lessons as an adult. Three of us dive, one does not, and I have no desire to push it. She’s comfortable in the water when sh can stand, but that’s about it.I also think non-swimmers have significantly less bandwidth when it comes to dealing with trying circumstances in the water.
As I pointed out in my first post, as a person of color scuba diving has been pointed out to me as unattractive and unattainable. Introducing the sport to those who be interested in it would help or one of the dive organizations (PADI) can do a community outreach to attract minorities and others to the sport. As I'm writing this I'm still working on finding a dive shop in my area (South Carolina) to embark on this endeavor.
What’s colour got to do with scuba diving?As I pointed out in my first post, as a person of color scuba diving has been pointed out to me as unattractive and unattainable. Introducing the sport to those who be interested in it would help or one of the dive organizations (PADI) can do a community outreach to attract minorities and others to the sport. As I'm writing this I'm still working on finding a dive shop in my area (South Carolina) to embark on this endeavor.