The
first underwater experience I remember clearly was snorkeling in the
Mediterranean in the mid-70’s — it was wonderful, and I
enjoyed it thoroughly. Several years later, I took up snorkeling again,
this time in Florida, and enjoyed it even more. On a trip to the
Caribbean islands in 1994, I had my first experience with scuba, a
short “Introduction to SCUBA” — it was super!
In 1995, I had
the opportunity to spend a few days in Cancun and Cozumel, and got my
Open Water certification so I could dive there — it was
spectacular! In 1996, I had the opportunity to go to Maui, where the
diving was even more awesome!
I got my own gear for that trip, and have been diving enthusiastically
ever since, progressing through the various specialties (Enriched
Air-Nitrox, Boat Diving, Wreck Diving, Underwater Navigation, Deep
Diving, Night and Limited Visibility Diving, Diver Stress and Rescue)
to the professional ratings of Dive Control Specialist, Associate Open
Water Instructor, Open Water Instructor, Specialty Instructor, and
Advanced Open Water Instructor. I’ve been working with
certification candidates in classes and in one-on-one coaching and
instructional sessions since summer 1997. My experience in
university teaching and in providing training in the Fortune 500
corporation from which I recently retired enhances my background and increases
my skills.