#DiveMom

I created a couple of monsters when I suggested that my husband inquire about taking a scuba diving lesson or two a bunch of years ago while 'wintering' on Curacao. The child was 5 and pissed that she wasn't old enough to start diving with him. But she did get her first real mask and snorkel so that had to hold her for another 5 years.

So fast forward one year, back in Curacao and now he's got his full open-water certification from GoWest (formerly Curacao West). Next we decide it's time to try out our annual winter holiday on another island.

Child is now 7 and still pissed she can't take lessons.

Off to Aruba! I scoured TripAdvisor for a good dive shop and came up with JADS, who I have to say, at first I thought, OMG but then we realized they were that good.
Now he's really into it and we buy his first wetsuit. In Aruba. Cha-ching!

Next I start buying gear. Lil at Joe Diver and I are on a first name basis now.

The next year we moved to St. Lucia. Not a known dive island and the shop there was so-so but its not an up and coming place to dive. There is GREAT snorkeling between the pitons where we say lobsters, tons of fish and plants that look like worms or maybe they were worms that looked like plants?

Next winter we jetted off to St. Croix and connect with Sweet Bottom Dive Center. They are fabulous! FINALLY the child is 10 and old enough to do a DSD (that's Discover Scuba Diving) course. She is in a class of 6 and whizzes through everything and is done before the rest of them have gotten through the first 2 things on the list.

Next, open water dive! Off she goes with Mel, her father not so closely following behind, terrified and proud all at the same time.

One dive and now she's hooked so another dive later we promise to come back in the summer so she can get her open water certification. Eight months later, back we go and she gets her first scuba cert but only after two failed dive attempts her mask is too small now. New mask and she gets it done.

Next stop: Turks & Caicos when she finishes up her Open Water Certification on her first dives! Yay! Now husband has a dive buddy. I can relax after years of entertaining said child while he went off diving for hours. Big win for everyone.

Now I have two dive monsters who are all about diving wherever we go. Including Iceland. #DiveMom