Why did you start Scuba Diving, and what makes you continue it?

[DTm]

Why did I start... That is a good question.

I think If I am honest with myself, the start was for the adventure of doing it. I have always enjoyed "adventure" type activities. Repelling, Cave Exploring, back Packing, Skiing to some extent. I did have friend who got the Scuba bug and he egged me into a discover scuba which hooked me.

Still would like to skydive some time, afraid that I will get hooked on it and not be able to afford scuba..

Why do I continue- again being honest with myself, I do not think it is the adventure piece any more. I mean there is a little ... but now there is claiming, relaxing thing about it. It is weird in some sense, when I am doing scuba - everything else gets shut off, not weird about bills, or that client that was just an Aspen, or the car that needs repair I cannot afford; or all the dental work my child needs; or the boss that is just incompetent and a crook. All that other noise in life just shuts off - it is me and the bubbles, maybe a fish or two. I do also enjoy trying to identify different fish and coral (but rarely get to see coral)
I still remember the first time in the currents of Cozumel.. where I had relaxed enough that it just felt like I a guiding, like a genie over a foreign landscape. It was magical.

Maybe I just get really Narc'd

 

[drbill]

Lived on the Atlantic Ocean (north Florida) as a very young child, watched Sea Hunt and The Silent World and used SCUBA for the first time when I was on our swim team and one of the older guys brought a tank and reg in for us to try. Vis was phenomenal in the high school pool! I've continued on SCUBA for almost 50 years for two reasons: it's part of my job as a marine ecologist and part of my passion as a marine educator to share what little I know about marine life with others through my cable TV shows, weekly newspaper columns and DVDs.

 

[knotical]

Started for the adventure. But I continue for the serenity.

 

[Heath Sapp]

I started because my fire department needed members for a dive team. Then I moved to north Fl. had family friends who had a dive shop gave me gear or a payment plan. After getting back into the water I learned I could dive for the joy of doing it, and that I did not need to look for bodies.

 

[Airleron]

My husband got certed in '85 and started diving.....no way I was going to sit at home! A few months later, I asked friend at work to go with me. She did and we had a great time. I think I also did it to overcome my fear of water/ocean.

I continue because I love it, and love to challenge myself. I've ventured off into vintage gear, which I believe makes me a better diver technically. Diving with no BC dials in your bouyancy like nothing else. I also love the simplicity of vintage gear, collecting regs, working on them.....I really feel like I am diving with Jacques because I use the same equipment.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

was in an all inclusive resort in jamaica and saw people in scuba gears and found out it was included in the trip and I thought why not. After seeing the other world underwater, was hooked and got certified right there, but wife only did one dive bcuz of not following instruction on equalization. Almost stopped diving afterward cuz coming back to NY, the only type of dives were the ones where we spend a whole bunch of time getting into super thick inflexible wetsuit just so we can jump into water with zero visiblity. Wife discovered what real diving was in subsequent trip to Cozumel and got certified soon after.

 

[koozemani]

... my ex-wife made me do it ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

My future wife made me do it. OW Certs were a Christmas present.

 

[Centrals]

It must be the beauty that drawn me to diving in the beginning.
I have to give up my favourite sport, football(soccer), because of fittness/age. Skiing followed next and then trekking and badminton etc etc. Scuba diving is the ONLY recreational sport left.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

... my ex-wife made me do it ...

I have to give up my favourite sport, football(soccer), because of fittness/age.

Yup ... it was something like that. We used to go to the YMCA in the evenings ... Cheng would do jazzercise classes and I'd go play basketball. She got tired of me limping/hobbling home hurt after going out and trying to keep up with youngsters half my age, and one night as we were leaving the gym she told me I needed to find something "safer" to do. Just as she was saying it, I noticed a sign on the wall saying "Learn to Scuba Dive" ... and the starting date happened to be my 49th birthday. I told her if she bought me scuba lessons for my birthday, I'd give up basketball.

Who knew she'd take me seriously ...

I haven't touched a basketball since ... wouldn't have time anyway ... I'm always out diving now ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ScubaSam]

A colleague told me I am a big loser if I returned from my Australian/New Zealand vacation without diving the Great Barrier Reef. I'd never even snorkeled before that so I did a Discover Scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef and I was HOOKED.

I thought I'd be a warm water vacation diver and never go below 60ft but first post-OW vacation in Curacao I ended up at 85 ft so decided I must go for more training so I got AOW. I dove the cenotes and realized I want to dive caves eventually. All my training from that point on was to prepare me for cave diving.

I continue to dive because diving is fun!!! It shatters all my preconceived notions of what types of dives and environments I enjoy. I will continue to dive until it's no longer fun...which I don't see happening in the near term.