Scuba diving--still #1

[awats]

Hi!
I was so surprise to find this subject in your posting! Diving and Biking consume my life! I've been a professional diver for years as an instructor, marine researcher and model/photographer/traveller. Looking over your comments, I too find it difficult in keeping up with both sports. I got burnt out on scuba diving from teaching too much and turned to biking lately and have been enjoying it for the past year. I was thinking the other day how it seems that biking has taken over scuba diving. But you're right, it's always going to be a love and a passion. I'm slowly turning into both a fairweather diver and biker and a balance is a good thing.
Nice pictures by the way. In response to some of your postings, a refresher course is always a good thing if you haven't been in the water for 12 months or more. They're normally very cheap and easy. Even if you do get in the water often, it's also good to do refreshers so that you can keep your safety skills up to date!
Also, I've had many students that have been scared of the water, etc. Some of them have even been poor swimmers that took scuba lessons just to get over their fears. I highly recommend it. Scuba classes help you ease into the sport and if you tell your instructor immediately, he/she can help you overcome your fears. I've found for both myself and my students that once you start diving underwater, your fears of the water disappear because you start to see what's underneath and how harmless it is.
Good luck and have fun to both bikers and scuba divers. If you have any questions about diving, I'm happy to answer any! As far as biking, thanks to this website for helping me with gear choices and training!

[withm]

Another biking scuba diver here - 32 yrs north Atlantic wreck diving. If I found myself in warm clear water I'm not sure I'd know what to do?

[KnottedYet]

I got caught in a riptide, hung onto a rock for dear life, ran out of air, and had a lovely panic attack.

2 weeks later a friend of mine got caught in a riptide with nothing to hold onto, got suit pinch and was unable to equalize her mask, was whipped down to 125 feet, and got some owies.

Can't dive anymore. Panic city.

But I can snorkel and swim just fine!

It's all good.

[withm]

Wow Knotted - riptides are not good places to be. Glad you got out of that one alive. I've had some close calls myself but looking back nothing too bad though for a little luck could have gone very wrong very fast. But when you dive a lot, and I was a mate on a dive boat for several years, I've seen a lot of bad stuff go down, and been through 4-5 chopper evacuations. You really don't wanna go there. Enjoy your snorkeling and live to tell your grandchildren about it.

[awats]

That sounds rough! Thank goodness you got out of that riptide! Definitely worth being safer than sorry, but there's also still lots of diving opportunities outside of riptide zones where you can enjoy diving and be fear-free.

[KnottedYet]

I did try a couple times after that. Very quiet little bays.
Much deeper than about snorkeling level, and I would become so anxious that I just wasn't having fun anymore.

I'm happy snorkeling, puttering around near shore and looking at the cool critters. Someday I might try diving again, but meanwhile I'm not feeling deprived.