I went scuba diving Sunday. In Wichita.

As it turns out, there’s a thriving scuba community in ICT, and after my “Discover Scuba” class Sunday, I can certainly see why. Even though I was only in the pool at the Heskett Center in just 4 feet of water… after about 15 minutes, I was hooked.

How did I get myself into this situation? I started out investigating this elusive scuba scene by interviewing a scuba instructor who is probably familiar to many: Dave Freeman, chief meteorologist for KSNW. He literally lit up as he talked about diving. He has been a certified instructor since 2004, and is a member of the professional diving association known as PADI, or Professional Association of Diving Instructors. Dave gives lessons in conjunction with Adventure Sports owner Rob Blake. To become certified to go on a dive, you need to do classroom work (which can be done at home, using videos or the Internet) and then demonstrate what you learned in an open-water environment – which means a trip to the Heskett Center pool.

After getting certified, groups of divers from Wichita frequently go on trips to lakes nearby in Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Unfortunately for us, Kansas doesn’t have any bodies of water with visibility to make a dive worthwhile. Dave specifically mentioned Tenkiller Lake in Oklahoma, which excited me, since it has some interesting Cherokee history behind it and the towns nearby. It’s beautiful country there, too; there are other great places to dive nearby, including the Bonne Terre Mine in Missouri. This former rock quarry is now used as a tourist attraction and for diving, featuring 100 feet of clear water and very interesting mining equipment to see, rock formations, and other things that remain a mystery until you go! The idea of diving into an abandoned mine is scary… and thrilling. Dave had a few tales to tell of diving off the coast and seeing shipwrecks that certainly got my interest.

Of course, people learn to dive so they can be ready when heading out for more exotic locations. Coral reefs are usually what we all think of when we hear the word “scuba.” Dave mentioned that he’d been lucky enough to see moray eels, a manta ray, and while diving in Cozemul, he spotted the Splendid Toadfish – they only can be found in Cozemul, making it very special.

Like any sport, scuba has formed a club, and Dave Freeman is the president. Going by the name Do-Dah Divers, they meet fairly often and share the enthusiasm for being underwater. While I was taking my lesson, I met several people who were part of the group, and everyone I met was extremely helpful, friendly, and excited to introduce me to scuba. At the end, they weren’t in the least surprised to find out that I was addicted to the sensation and eager to learn more about getting into certification and going on a trip in the future.

Of course, everything has a cost. Open Water Diver Class has two parts, and each costs $150. This covers both your “classroom time” and your time in the pool. You spend one weekend working on Part One, and the following month, you do Part Two, at which point you earn your certification to be an Open Water Diver under the PADI system. $300 might seem a bit high, but this is a lifetime certification. There are no yearly dues, although diving insurance is recommended. And, personally? I’m thinking I was planning on selling my old car anyway, so maybe I can trade out one hobby for another.

Anyone else interested in putting on flippers? Have you been scuba diving? Tell us all about it!

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