Hi all!

rbligh · June 16th, 2006, 09:19 AM

Just a short note to say hello to the forum. My name's Rick Bligh.

My wife, Vickie, and I are new to diving. So new that we're not certified yet. Some background information: I'm 60 and she's 51. We've both been fascinated by the marine environment all of our lives. It seems that whenever we're involved in some activity on or in the water, we have a great time. We'll almost always choose TV shows that deal with some aspect of marine life. Shark week is the best! We've been snorkeling for several years now, mostly in the Caribbean and Hawaii. So when finances and opportunity allowed, we decided to take the plunge

and try SCUBA. Unfortunately, we let our hearts overrule our heads and we wrote a check our bodies were not prepared to cash. We did well in the classroom and adequate in the pool. But when we tried the first OW dive we were fairly exhausted by the time we got to the bottom (30fsw) and had to abort the dive. So now it's 6 months in the gym and a strict diet to build strength and lose weight so we can get back to it. I feel certain that our desire to get back underwater will provide adequate incentive to succeed. I have no intention of being unsafe in a dangerous discipline. If I can't rescue myself, how can I rescue someone else.

While our training so far has been PADI, we were introduced to DIR by our good friend Ryan Dancey, also a member of this forum. The concepts seemed so obviously practical that we were immediately sure that DIR was the right approach. Ryan did not have to do much in the way of selling us.

I joined this forum to keep my head in the game, so to speak, and to soak up as much anecdotal data as I can while I prepare myself to get certified. So I'll be lurking here listening and absorbing. Down the road, when I have something useful or interesting to add I'll be more participatory.

*Clare Gledhill* · June 16th, 2006, 11:12 AM

Welcome - and good luck with the gym work!

June 16th, 2006, 09:19 AM	#1 (permalink)
rbligh(Offline) New Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Marysville, WA USA Posts: 1	Hi all! Just a short note to say hello to the forum. My name's Rick Bligh. My wife, Vickie, and I are new to diving. So new that we're not certified yet. Some background information: I'm 60 and she's 51. We've both been fascinated by the marine environment all of our lives. It seems that whenever we're involved in some activity on or in the water, we have a great time. We'll almost always choose TV shows that deal with some aspect of marine life. Shark week is the best! We've been snorkeling for several years now, mostly in the Caribbean and Hawaii. So when finances and opportunity allowed, we decided to take the plunge and try SCUBA. Unfortunately, we let our hearts overrule our heads and we wrote a check our bodies were not prepared to cash. We did well in the classroom and adequate in the pool. But when we tried the first OW dive we were fairly exhausted by the time we got to the bottom (30fsw) and had to abort the dive. So now it's 6 months in the gym and a strict diet to build strength and lose weight so we can get back to it. I feel certain that our desire to get back underwater will provide adequate incentive to succeed. I have no intention of being unsafe in a dangerous discipline. If I can't rescue myself, how can I rescue someone else. While our training so far has been PADI, we were introduced to DIR by our good friend Ryan Dancey, also a member of this forum. The concepts seemed so obviously practical that we were immediately sure that DIR was the right approach. Ryan did not have to do much in the way of selling us. I joined this forum to keep my head in the game, so to speak, and to soak up as much anecdotal data as I can while I prepare myself to get certified. So I'll be lurking here listening and absorbing. Down the road, when I have something useful or interesting to add I'll be more participatory.

June 16th, 2006, 11:12 AM	#2 (permalink)
Clare Gledhill(Offline) GUE Instructor Site Admin Pacman Champion! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 1,547	Welcome - and good luck with the gym work! __________________ Clare . "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions....Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great." Interested in DIR dive training? Always happy to chat/answer questions so get in touch via PM or visit www.dirdiver.co.uk