It's never over until it's OVER

[curtschu]

The Thread B-Bob started got me thinking. If you think back on your cave diving and that of your friends, 3 years is about the time most folks hit it hard then fade away, some to return. Like Me! So I thought I'd start a new one with a poll What is the time you took as a break. Forced or choice? I have taken two breaks, since I don't consider the current state of my cave diving a break just diving like a Northerner. The first break was in about 1995 or so. I had about 500 dives at that time almost all with Curtis Holly we used to love going to his Family reunion each year in Lee and get a couple of dives in at Madison with Mike B you should have heard is family kvetching. Then financial situation caused me to sell almost everything. Fast forward to 2005, The company I worked for has a trip to Play Del Carmen AI for every employee Whoo Hoo!, I plan a dive in Mexico and get to dive No Hoch, man was I out of shape but the skills came back fast and I did not embarrass myself. And this starts my next three years or so, This is also when I discovered CDF, of diving just about every other weekend. This time I logged the dives, switched to Hogarthian, yes I was a stuffer.. Earned Abe Davis, and Wakulla Bronze awards. So diving lately has been a little harder financially thanks to the recession but I still get out once in a while so THIS IS NOT A BREAK. I've got all my gear and everything is in Hydro. I get in the water somewhere just about once a month now that my daughter is certified OW so all's good.

What about you?

[victorzamora]

Not cave diving, but I took a big break from diving. I got certified early 2004, and dove every chance I could. We moved away from Central America in 2008. I picked up diving again in late 2011 with a vengeance. I got my now-wife certified, got AOW, Nitrox, rescue and started working towards dm and Tech. I'm diving whenever I get the chance, but it's kind of in spurts.

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[deepdiverbob]

I didnt really take a beak, but I went from diving every weekend to maybe one or two days a month, weather permitting. Biggest reason was I went from being single and dating a nursing that worked 7PM-7AM every weekend, allowing me no problems going diving, to being married with 2 boys at home. Smaller reason is have gained some experience, and know when to not push it. I use to drive through snow storms, thunderstorms, whatever to get in a dive 5 hours away. Now, I see a storm, I call it. I dont dive yo often when its extremely cold anymore. Too many things break in extreme cold, and its not worth it to see the same stuff I saw last July when it was too hot.

[diveconjeff]

I got certified in the early 70's while in High School because there was someone in the class wearing a bikini I found interesting. She washed out of the class, but I was hooked. Dove for a few years then life and family were the primary focus for about 20 years. Came back with a vengeance in the early 90's. No breaks since then.

Life is still important, just less direct family time required now.

[Captain Bil]

I came to diving after my kids were grown and gone. My dad got stationed to Gitmo in 78, taking my mom and brother along. They all learned to dive on the Navy's dime while we started our family. Many years later, I decided to take scuba class (Oct 2000). That evolved into cave diving in 2006. Been going strong ever since. I do caves, salt, and recently, the Great Lakes with no breaks and no end in sight. I need something to keep me off of the streets and my body decided that long distance running was no longer an option, so diving of every kind has my full and undivided attention.

Sent from behind a pint of Guinness.

[curtschu]

Not cave diving, but I took a big break from diving. I got certified early 2004, and dove every chance I could. We moved away from Central America in 2008. I picked up diving again in late 2011 with a vengeance. I got my now-wife certified, got AOW, Nitrox, rescue and started working towards dm and Tech. I'm diving whenever I get the chance, but it's kind of in spurts.

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Oh did not consider the pre-cave certification dive break. First Certified in 1985 Cave diving in the lucky to be alive days at Peacock and Telford for about 3 years then nothing until I had the fortunate event of walking into Curtis' Army Surplus Store... Cave cert 1991

[Line Squirrel]

Still on my "break". Once I moved to Luraville, I managed to cave dive ALOT, after a few years, I got burned out. Now living in S FL, minutes from the ocean and only three - three and a half hours from caves I've got ZERO interest. I've come full circle in my interests I guess. I'm back into fishing and hunting, two sports I was religious about but dropped like a hot potato when I started diving around 1990. But I haven't sold all my cave gear yet...never know

[WJH]

Haven't had a break! Got cave certified in 2003, and have been at it since. Some years more than others, depending on how rain affects our local caves, and how much teaching classes takes up the remaining weekends. I do all types of diving, but I find the caves the most rewarding.

WJH

[FW]

I "stopped" in 1984 to build an airplane. Didn't start back until 1998. I say "stopped", because I did do a few cave dives in between. Just enough to realize how "rusty" I had gotten. The good part is, it didn't take too long to get back to being a good cave diver.

[Sludge]

Another "never taken a break" here. Do you want a moderator to add that as an option?