Many times people ask “how did you get started SCUBA diving?” Well, let me tell you, SCUBA Diving was not something I thought I would ever want to do.
How it started, Grady won classes at a charity auction so he and his brother took classes. They became Open Water SCUBA Divers. Several months later, Grady and I took a trip to Florida to Vortex Springs.
Somehow an instructor talked me into trying SCUBA. Well, guess what, I could do it and loved it. I then signed up for Open Water classes. That was 1990. Later that year we took a trip to the Bahamas. I remember putting my face in the water and saying “I can see the bottom.” I’m gone. I figured the bottom was a lot closer than it actually was. Grady said I was down around 80 feet or so before I realized the bottom wasn’t just 15-20 feet down.
I then became an Assistant Instructor in 1999 and a full SCUBA instructor in 2006. I usually make at least 100 dives each year between certifying students and diving on group trips. There is nothing better than helping someone enjoy their 1st experiences underwater, whether at the lake or in the ocean.
I even had the experience of certifying my grandson Drake.
So even though you may think, “This is something I don’t want to do.” Try it anyway. You might be surprised.
