Oh, and I was in northwestern Arkansas a few years back and discovered some cave diving in southwest Missouri. There are a couple shops there but I hadn't brought gear. I was in Rogers Arkansas and drove up into Missouri. Check the internet. The names now escape me.
I have had the pleasure of knowing some extraordinary people.
Not in just the diving realm but in other hobbies as well.
I have made quite a few friends and several have made a great diving mentors.
Time, real relationships, and a desire to learn.
Sometimes it was not pretty and some gracious others put me back on the straight and narrow.
To them I will forever be grateful.
JCG
I have had two main mentors in my cave diving.
One was my original dive buddy who introduced me to cave diving.
The second was one that brought me up a couple of levels.
But I have enjoyed numerious "pick up" dives at the popular dive sites or thru the CDF.
I have spent time giving back to less seasoned divers.
To me it as enjoyable as when I was the newbie learning
My first cavediving mentor called me on the phone, and invited himself along on my first sump dive.
Adam?Originally Posted by FW
Whoever said money can't buy love never bought a puppy.
Haha, that is funny
I found one wandering around in the Peacock 1 parking lot looking for somebody to buddy up with.
I have an interesting story about one of my mentors who has become a good friend. For a few years I've been doing business with a guy about four hours from where I live. From the day we met he had been telling me about his cousin who is an avid diver and suggested we meet. He even gave me the guys phone number because he lives in north Florida a couple hours from me. For two years I never did anything about it. A couple years back I was divemastering for a group doing a boat dive in Palm Beach. I stopped at McDonalds for coffee and got in line behind a guy with his wife and kid and he was wearing a diving T-shirt. I had my fiance and kid with me and was wearing my PADI Divemaster T-shirt. We struck up a conversation, figured out he was the cousin I was supposed to meet for the previous two years and have been friends ever since. He's been a great friend and mentor who has really helped my cave diving. I guess some things were meant to be.
i hung out with them obsessively and relentlessly until they took me diving and taught me things just to get rid of me. win/win!
proud cave tourist!
I've had some pretty friggin awesome mentors. Most took an interest in me because I was a punk kid who thought he knew everything but would probably get himself killed. Thank you Bill, Jim, Jim, Mark, and several others for putting up with me and showing me this awesome sport. It has changed my life.
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