Diving Every Month

Diving every month…..why would anyone living in the Midwest dive every month? In the words of Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof, “I’ll tell you – I don’t know. But it’s a tradition…”

I was certified to dive in July 2003, then dove in Beaver Lake in August and Hawaii in September. Beaver Lake again the rest of the year. New Years Day 2004, again in Beaver. Then a trip to Cozumel and more Beaver Lake dives.

Next thing I know it is New Year’s Day 2005 and I have not gone a month without diving. Now I am thinking if I can make it to Memorial Day, then I will have dove every month (23) since getting certified, and warm weather dives are easy to do. 

Oddly enough, it is actually comfortable in December around here to dive. Then rolls around the New Year’s Day dive and next thing I know I have dove for 31 straight months since Deb and Grady Weston certified me.

Now I am 189 months into this streak of diving every month since I got started. I have dove with the air at 25° to 110°. I have dove in water as cool as 35° and in the wonderful tropical waters in the ’80s. I have dove with students, with instructors, with dive masters, and with friends during this time. I even dove around back to back ankle surgeries. It is nice having the support of my friends and dive buddies to keep this going.

Some days I want to kick the guy in the head that decided that this would be a fun thing to do. However, I can’t kick myself and trying to kick my head at that is out of the question. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed every dive I have done, from the fun summertime dives with students teaching them to dive to recovery dives in cold water. Diving has got into my blood and I enjoy all the aspects from teaching, rescue dives, and the fun dives just to see what is down there. 

I could not have done this without the support of my wife, Carlene, and her reminding me I still have to dive this month. Also I need to thank those divers that have supported this crazy adventure: Deb and Grady Weston, Chris Parrish, Ric Ogle, Brent Reeves, Lee Lake, and the dozens of other divers that have joined me on my underwater adventures.

Learn to dive and come join me under water. You will have fun. Trust me!