By Capt. Lawren McCaghren
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is not an exaggeration to say that scuba lessons were the best gift I ever received. My parents gave me scuba lessons for Christmas in 1985 when I was fifteen years old. I was that kid that never missed a Jacques Cousteau television special, and I watched Flipper every week dreaming of being able to live a life on and under the water.
Before I even finished my lessons, I was working at the dive shop a er school. Sweeping floors, hanging up dripping wetsuits, and filling tanks doesn’t sound like fun to most, but I was having a blast just being around diving. Fastforward 28 years, and I am still working in a dive shop enjoying my dream job.
Giving someone an experience of a lifetime for a wedding, birthday, anniversary or Christmas present, insures that your gift won’t be tossed in a storage shed and forgotten. It is a great way to nudge a friend or family member into trying scuba to introduce them to a world that you have already discovered-the underwater world. The best way to get more opportunities to dive is to have lots of dive buddies. The most common complaint we hear from divers is, “It is hard to find someone to go diving with.” e best way to meet other divers is to dive and hang out where divers go. Your local favorite dive shop is the first place. The easiest way to have a dive buddy you know and trust is to get a buddy you know and trust, and certi fied to dive. The more divers you know, the more Friday a fternoon invitations you get to go diving on the weekend.
Scuba diving is a great way to introduce your family to the many wonders of the underwater world, and from exploring your local dive sites, grows an interest in international travel with your group. For many, diving becomes a lifetime recreation where you can pursue interests in travel photography, spear fishing, marine biology, and conservation. It can provide thrilling adventures or the relaxation of floating weightless. Many anglers are interested in the behavior of sh to learn how to better target speci fic species when fishing. The direction that you take your scuba experience depends on where your personal interests lead you.
Whether it’s a thrilling adventure or peaceful relaxing escape, diving has something for everyone. So give the gift of diving to someone you love and let’s go get wet!