**UPDATE: Unfortunately, KCD has gone out of business after a long, successful run in Brooklyn. While there are many other places to learn how to dive in NYC, it’s very sad to see Mia and her business close. I wish her all the luck & much success in the next chapter of her scuba diving career and everyone who was involved with KCD. Mia was kind enough to give me some really good deals with extra gear, so now I own my own wetsuit! Thank you for everything & the great experiences, Mia!**
7 Reasons Dive Shops are Totally Awesome
Today we went over many safety protocols under the water. I equalized my ears quicker than before, but going back down again was difficult. Next week, I should show even more improvement!
I’m actually having a lot of fun on these dive class nights. Walking into a dive shop is like walking into the antechamber of the underwater world. They give the tangible feeling of a fantasy world you know quite a bit about, but have never accessed and you realize that this fantasy world is going to be a lot more fantastical than you first imagined. And all the tools it takes to get there is displayed on every rack and wall in sight. I’ve always thought that scuba diving was relatively simple. Well, on some levels it is. But, there are many precautions, procedures, and techniques to remember. The amount of equipment required is beyond what my uninformed mind thought originally, and that makes this underwater world so much more special. When you scuba dive, you become a visitor, who, frankly, doesn’t really belong there! You’re a fish out of water, so to speak.
So, what makes dive shops so cool?
- The instructors there have seen so much more than you have. The stories you’ll hear are very entertaining.
-They talk about underwater UFOS on a night dive that turned out to be a submarine
-And they talk about ice diving. Carving a hole into a frozen lake to take a ‘quick dip.’ - They have all the pictures to prove it.
-I have yet to be on an open water dive, but I guarantee you that the experience is a hundred times more amazing than the pictures. - The instructors at Kings County Divers, are extremely fun and friendly.
- They carry basically any of your scuba/underwater needs.
-Even cheap underwater cameras. - You can learn a lot in a dive shop:
-About what’s ‘current’ in the underwater realm. (Ha! Get that pun?)
-What resorts to go to.
-And that sharks really aren’t so dangerous. - They have every scuba-related class you could think of. And, lastly,
- They usually stand out on their block, decked out in cool stuff. Nobody would think that there is a scuba shop in Brooklyn!
However, there is a scuba shop in Brooklyn–it’s waiting just for you and it’s a lot of fun! I anxiously look forward to my final dive class and then, the open water!
Scuba lessons day 3. (previous)
Scuba lessons day 5. (next)
Be Fierce!!
Briauna Mariah (: