What 40 plus years of SCUBA diving means to me
In 1977 I took the plunge, literally, and it changed my life. The one constant in life over the last 40 years has been diving. Over the years and thousands of dives I have had many opportunities to explore the oceans around the world and meet hundreds of divers. Diving taught me confidence, empowered me to be leader, started a life time of learning. Diving brought me an extended family, helped me find a soul mate, and has provided hours upon hours of the most relaxing time in my life.
There is nothing in the world that can compare to slipping into the water and exploring the underwater world. The peace and quiet, the constantly changing environment, the bonding with a buddy, the healing that time underwater brings to ones soul, the meditation that just comes with being at peace cannot be replaced by any other worldly event. Diving is tranquility, it brings peace to a clouded mind and the bizarre world we call normal today.
In my teen years, diving drew me to leave the mid-west and head to Texas. In Texas I found Texas A&M University at Galveston where with the patience of Job, the amazing professors of A&M helped me to reach a milestone and became a Marine Biologist. Marine Biology classes awakened an insatiable thirst to understand the undersea world, the life cycles of coral, the feeding habits of the Harlequin Wrasse, the life cycle of a Frogfish, and the symbiotic relationships that makes it all happen. There is always something new to learn about the ocean and there is always somewhere new to explore, even when you have dove a site multiple times there is always another surprise right in front of you, just clear your mind and open your eyes.  SCUBA diving and a career in marine biology create a perfect coexistence.
The shared time of diving with a buddy who is your life partner, provides a healing strength that couples can draw from as they wind their way through the minefield of life. Shared ocean adventures, time in the tranquil peace of the undersea world bond people forever and help us to find that go to peaceful space that is missing from our hectic lives today.
The anticipation of the future while watching a son start his PADI lessons and then head to the pool where he takes his first breath underwater cannot be captured in the few lines available here. When he transitions to experiencing the open water for the first time and you see that passion for the water world come alive is indescribable.  I have been blessed with an amazing son who has generously shared his vacation time with me to travel to Costa Rica, Hawaii, the Bahamas, Antigua, and so many more places where we share that common bond that comes from diving as a buddy team and continue to grow as a family.
