Scuba! -- The magic of being underwater

The boat slows to a crawl as we approach the mooring ball marking the dive site. The dive crew readies the boat. People begin to stir, defogging masks, sipping water, pulling up their wetsuits, giving their cameras a last check, examining their own gear as well as their buddies'.

The Dive Master gathers all divers and offers his well-rehearsed dive briefing. Our maximum depth. Our maximum time. What to look for and where to look. What, if anything, to avoid. Will we see sharks today? How about whales? Dolphins? Giant manta rays? Maybe a few giant moray eels? Seahorses? Turtles? Honestly, it doesn't matter to me what I see...

What matters most is how I feel when I'm in this foreign environment -- underwater. The sights, the sounds, the colors, the shapes, the feeling of weightlessness. After all, this is as close to being in outer space as most of us will ever experience. The true feeling of freedom. And, ah, the silence!

These are the reasons many of us find such a fascination with the underwater world. Every dive is unique to each of us. Everyone has his or her own story to tell and memories to share. Scuba divers form bonds that nobody else can understand. We share experiences that most people cannot even fathom.

Imagine... Swimming in the Sea of Cortez alongside a whale shark that's 40 feet long. Peering out into the abyss and seeing a thousand hammerheads swimming through the dark blue waters off the Galapagos islands. Feeling like you are flying along a sheer wall along Ni'ihau, Hawaii, then looking up to see a monk seal looking down at you. Shooting video of a very playful and photogenic wolf eel near Vancouver Island. Having an almost religious experience at San Benedicto, Mexico, one on one with a giant manta ray that stayed exclusively with you for over 30 minutes staring at you curiously (yes, that's me peeking from behind that magnificent creature). Following the line from a reel hundreds of feet back inside a cave. Feeling a true sense of History as you glide through a coral-encrusted shipwreck in Truk Lagoon.

These are just a few of the experiences I have had underwater throughout the past dozen years or so. All of them are logged in my logbook, and they will live forever in my mind. There are too many to mention here, and I anxiously look forward to the promise of many, many more wonderful dives to come.

A new chapter is beginning in my life and I welcome this opportunity with open arms. The opportunity to share my experiences and knowledge with anyone and everyone who is interested in our website, ScubaDiverInfo.com.

As a certified dive instructor with thousands of dives, I have a deep and ever growing passion for scuba. I am here for you. We are here for you, with information on everything you need to know to get started, and then progress. Here you find the real scoop on all parts of scuba equipment; the physics and physiology behind diving and how it all affects our bodies; wonderful places and creatures to see; our own experiences captured in our blogs -- everything you need to know. We'll work with the industry to bring you the very best, and we'll soon add a forum as well, so we can all talk and share.

Please feel free to contact either of us with any questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns. We want this website to be your main source of information about diving beyond your training. The information you will find here is in no way meant to replace a proper certification course through a credible dive shop and instructor. We designed this site to answer questions you may have and to assist in your education of the sport. Our site will be updated daily and it is written by divers for divers.

Below I have listed a few issues that have been common questions by students and fellow divers throughout the years I have been an Instructor. All of these topics and more will be discussed. Keep an eye out for the "Topic of the Week" and feel free to email questions to us, and we will address them in a timely manner. -- Carol

Is SCUBA for you?