Eight years ago I lived in the desert, a couple of hours from the Pacific Ocean, and getting into the water was one of the last things on my mind.  But one spring day in 2010, on a whim, I dropped into my local sporting goods store and decided to learn a little bit about the PADI Discover Scuba Diving introductory classes they were offering.

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From the day I took my first breath underwater, I knew that I wanted to be a scuba diver for the rest of my life.  I got my Open Water certification that summer and was hungry (or more accurately, thirsty) for as much time and as many experiences underwater as possible.  I found a dive buddy who was just as crazy about diving as I was and my adventure started.  I got to explore the kelp forests off the coast of Southern California.  When lobster season rolled around I got my night diver certification and I got to hunt and catch dinner for my family.

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I came out to the East Coast a few years later and the first thing I did when my feet hit the ground out here was to find a local dive shop.  I also found out that my local volunteer fire department had a Dive Team and needed volunteers!  I started my training to become a Public Safety Diver only a few months after I arrived.  As a PSD I was able to use my Rescue Diver skills, my Search and Recovery Skills, Dry Suit, Full Face Mask, and Underwater Navigation.  Basically I got to volunteer to help my community and do what I love at the same time!

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In the middle of all that other training, I knocked out my PADI Enriched Air Nitrox certification and prepared to do some Megalodon Shark Tooth diving!  Between my EANx cert and my big steel tanks I get to spend more time on the ocean floor off Wilmington, NC, looking for fossilized Megalodon Shark teeth that have been waiting millions of years for me to come find them.

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The winters are a little tougher out here than in California, but as Ice Diver I don’t stop diving during winter time, I get to see crystal clear waters and a cathedral of ice in the dead of winter.

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With a few hundred dives in all kinds of environments under my belt, it was only a matter of time before I decided to Go Pro.  As a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, I get to share my love of diving with not just my family, but with everyone who is interested.  My favorite part of teaching is getting to introduce new divers to the sensation of breathing underwater during the Discover Scuba Diving program.  I remember my sense of wonder (and confusion) the first time I saw a scuba “kit” put together.  I get to share that excitement and wonder with my students.  I get to demystify the equipment and teach my students how to be safe and courteous divers who will not just enjoy the undersea world, but preserve it for the next generation of divers.

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The most wonderful words I’ve ever heard during an Open Water class were, “I just saw a fish!”