Why do we Dive????

[alaity47]

Fish!

I'm all about the fish.

Actually, I'm an even bigger fan of invertebrates.... they're better at standing still for photos!

It was definitely a love for underwater critters that made me want to get into scuba in the first place. Once I finally got to the point where I really felt comfortable diving, I also started to enjoy the feeling of doing something that can be pretty hard at times, and doing it well - I'm not really much of an athlete in any other respects, so it's kind of satisfying to spend a day hauling heavy gear around and dealing with currents and getting in and out of boats. Maybe that sounds crazy, but it's the best I can describe it!

And of course, I love always having interesting stories to tell after a dive.

 

[coliseum]

We hope that while diving, we experience something that we can tell people about,,, add a little salt and pepper to the story and you have a tale to tell!

Sometimes I dive to relax and sometimes, I hope for an adventure which I survive hoping to share it with others (great party stories... did you ever see a shark? eerrrr.. yes, I once ran into a big whale shark, or did it run into me?)...

 

[VaScubaGirl]

Going out on the boat, the smell of the sea, sun hot on my shoulders...the gentle rock of the waves against the bow, wrecks and fish and sealife and of course, feeling weightless...like flying in a dream. All of these are part, but not the biggest reason I dive. the biggest reason I dive is because when I am under the water, there is nothing but that moment. I have no past, no future, no worries, no bills to pay, no job to attend to...it is the greatest mental release I have found, and the only thing that I have found that makes me feel that way.

 

[TTT]

For me diving is all those things that have been posted above. Nothing beets defying gavity..and floating in space. Diving can be a relaxing peacfull experiance, or it can be intense...I love marine life..it is so beautifull. and to think that a very small proportion of the world has a chance to dive..well those who don't sure are missing out!

Tommy

 

[jepuskar]

for these reasons..

1) I feel more relaxed underwater than any other place on earth.

2) We are not suppose to be down there so it is cool to be there.

3) The feeling of neutral bouyancy while gliding over a pristine reef, is (see #1)

4) It is expensive to do and I don't want to grow up, so I feed most of my money into to shy away from settling down and starting a family.

 

[bermudaskink]

Have to agree with VaScubaGirl - she describes the feelings I experience while diving so well!

That is definitely what drives me.

To add some thoughts though, a good dive is better than smoking a joint, better than taking ecstasy, better than any drug out there (not that I have tried them all though!) and the risks to your health are comparatively less. So, for me it's a natural high (even without being narced). I think that is why we can get so addicted to it.

Another thing I love about being under the waves is that you feel so free. There are no fences or gates or locked doors under the sea. You can go anywhere in any direction (unless you are doing overhead diving of course and there is always a limit on down though!...but you know what I mean!! ) because nobody really owns it like they own the land.

In addtion to everything else, diving (on reefs and in natural areas) for me is like seeing a world, that is for the most part, unchanged by man (something that makes me very sad on land). It still has so much of its original beauty......

Let's try and keep it that way! :help:

 

[bm9]

I enjoy every part of diving:

curiosity-exploring underwater
marine life
shipwrecks
caves
having fun

its all great!!

 

[ZenSquirrel]

VaScubaGirl once bubbled...
Going out on the boat, the smell of the sea, sun hot on my shoulders...the gentle rock of the waves against the bow, wrecks and fish and sealife and of course, feeling weightless...like flying in a dream. All of these are part, but not the biggest reason I dive. the biggest reason I dive is because when I am under the water, there is nothing but that moment. I have no past, no future, no worries, no bills to pay, no job to attend to...it is the greatest mental release I have found, and the only thing that I have found that makes me feel that way.

Amen.

 

[WVMike]

VaScubaGirl once bubbled...
the biggest reason I dive is because when I am under the water, there is nothing but that moment. I have no past, no future, no worries, no bills to pay, no job to attend to...it is the greatest mental release I have found, and the only thing that I have found that makes me feel that way.

Wow, I could not have said this any better, until reading your response I was trying to think of how to say this.

 

[DandyDon]

I think I love it all...

It's a lot of time, trouble and money for me to get to good diving, but that makes it even more special.

I'm not a morning person, but getting up at 5:30 am to catch a early boat does, too.

Buying, learning, organizing, preparing all that gear - to a point - increases my interest. Checking the O2 content, details.

A long, rough, "undesirable" boat ride is part of the adventure. Went out once in 8-12 foot waves, made the dive in 6 foot surge, what a hoot. Pushing the envelope, yes, a bit.

Striding into a strong current, grabbing the line before I'm washed to sea, pulling myself forward with all my might, hanging on the downline with my feet straight out to the side as I descend - wonderufl rush.

Backrolling into calm waters, dumping all of air so I'll sink, turning over when my fins push my feet up, flying down to the reef or wreck like Super-Dude. Free as the birds I've marveled at all of my life. (Not "weightless," I don't like that part of roller coastes; neutral to slightly negative boyancy without the freefall.)

All that before I even get to the reef, wreck, kelp bed. Then there's the fishes, the inverts, the coral or rocks & kelp leaves or the wreck itself!

Hitting the thermocline on a NC wreck, the chill, the mystic feel of looking at a 60+ year old victim in reduced viz.

The fright of losing my buddy in the murk, running low on air, reminding myself not to panic, follow the numbers - I slowly ascend, thinking: If I get caught in current and swept downstream, that's why I carry a sausage, and I know to forfeit the weights so I'll be taller and easier to fine. I come up a few feet, viz clears and the water warms, and there's all of my buddies!

Slow ascent, stop for a minute at halfway, slow ascent, stop at 10 to 20 and look at the other bright eyes, slow ascent, find the boat, approach carefully so the boat doesn't jump on you.

And I LOVE THE NARCOSIS! I know that it starts as soon as I go under a foot and just gets better as I get deeper. I've never gone crazy, and I hope I survive when I do, but it's a nice buzz, ain't it?

I take extra days off from work rationalizing that I'm on call after diving, returning cell phone calls from customers: "Don, are you at the office?" "No, I'm in Florida (California or North Carolina) but I still can help. What can I do for you?"

Well, that's some of it. And thanks to you all for sharing your good feelings!!

:rainbow: Don