Who or What Inspired You to Dive?

[justleesa]

As with the others watching TV in the 70's lead me to dream of the underwater world. A teacher of mine in Grade School was also a diver and I loved hearing of his adventures. But life never gave me the chance to get certified. Not until 1999, when I went on vacation, it was supposed to be a trip to Turkey, but I ended up in Hawaii. We went on a snorkeling tour of Molokini, it was so beautiful that all I kept saying was "I have to get closer!".
The following January I went on a trip to Egypt, first with did the Nile cruise ( Which is FANTASTIC!) and then went to Hurgahda, where I got certified....and have been in the water ever since.

 

[nauifins73]

if we could only find the perfect scuba/golf location to retire to in 10 years we will be very happy campers... We will just have to keep looking until then, darn!

Please, Please if you find that place share it with at least me . I have yet been brave enough to take both the scuba gear and the golf clubs on a trip.

Becky

 

[justleesa]

Hey, then Hawaii is the place Don't forget the great Kama'aina rates - You can play some courses for just $3 or 5.-...as a local that is

 

[Rondo]

1. Mike Nelson in "Sea Hunt" as a young kid

2. Sean Connery in "Thunderball",I got my first mask and fins

3. Pamela Anderson on "Baywatch" with a Spare Air,I just had to get down there.

 

[landmine]

It was an easy choice - my oldest brother stuck this thing in my mouth and pushed me in. Since subsequently getting certified we've only been able to dive in Iowa mud, until 07/03 at the east end of Grand Cayman - underwater there is no beer but man it sure is clear!

 

[PapaBob]

When I was 11 my father got certified. That summer he and dive buddies Tom and Marsh decided to try to retrieve the capstand off the Otter, a 19th century lumber ship that had gone down off whitefish point north of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Marsh's dive club had located the wreck. My dad was on Toms boat and I was a passenger on Marsh's boat. Tom had rigged some oil drums and block and tackle to hoist and float the artifact. I got to witness Toms overweighted boat swamping in rough seas and my dad almost getting run over in a clumsy rescue attempt. We got to tow Tom's capsized vessel back sans a lot of expensive scuba gear that was lost forever. I remember thinking, "Wow, what an adventure! I gotta do this when I grow up."

---Bob

 

[Hockeynut]

VAN HALEN!!!!!

 

[gypsyjim]

When I was 11 my father got certified. That summer he and dive buddies Tom and Marsh decided to try to retrieve the capstand off the Otter, a 19th century lumber ship that had gone down off whitefish point north of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Marsh's dive club had located the wreck. My dad was on Toms boat and I was a passenger on Marsh's boat. Tom had rigged some oil drums and block and tackle to hoist and float the artifact. I got to witness Toms overweighted boat swamping in rough seas and my dad almost getting run over in a clumsy rescue attempt. We got to tow Tom's capsized vessel back sans a lot of expensive scuba gear that was lost forever. I remember thinking, "Wow, what an adventure! I gotta do this when I grow up."

---Bob

Now I think I understand why so many of my scars are matches to those of my late father, and I shudder to think what I may have "taught" my children! I had hoped that what they learned from my mistakes was how to avoid the same, but you make me wonder.

 

[JustinW]

I remember it clearly, I have always been in love with water, playing in it, splashing, swimming, whatever I could do with it. i don't remember how old I was but we had a koi pond at the time. I found a large gunny sack of dive stuff gadgets in the garage, was myt father's and grandfather's stuff. I vagely remember the stuff, but looking back there was a pair of jet fins, cool red white and blue rocket fins oval masks, weight belts and wetsuits with the fish scale pattern on them. I dug the stuff out and snorkeled in our koi pond, swimming with the fish. A long time went by, I got into aquariums and tropical fish. One semester I needed a GPA booster and some extra units, so I took the SCUBA class, got certified, bought all the gear, became a shop groupie, started helping with classes, now i'm on my way to a DM, free of charge.

Now i had repurchased a pair of those same jet fins that got tossed in the garbage. If I only had known better than to throw that cool "vintage" gear away. That was some cool stuff!

The one thing that didn't get thrown away were the weight belts, I still use those weights in my BC pockets to this day. It gives me a good feeling, and the belts still sit in my closet.

 

[BetterLateThannever]

Who's kidding who? Sea Hunt! What else!