By The Sea, By The Beautiful Sea...

Do you crave adventure? Are you the type who cringes at the thought of spending the rest of your life in a teeny cubicle? Would you give your right arm to swim with a dolphin? A career in SCUBA Diving might just be the solution for you.

SCUBA stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus and has been popular since Guglielmo de Loreno invented the first diving bell as far back as 1535. Equipment has come a long way since then, and every year the sport becomes more popular. Places such as the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Belize are begging for both Diving Instructors and Underwater Tour Guides.

Teen Trend Magazine interviewed two seasoned divers to get their take on diving as a career path. One thing both Rick Murphy and Tim Simmons have in common is the advice that you should get started down this path as early as possible.

TTM: At what age did you become interested in diving?

Rick: Since about age 10, my family would take vacations to the southern Florida coast where I would stare out at the ocean and wonder what was down there.

Tim: I've been interested in diving all of my life and did some diving off the coast of Galveston as a kid but didn't get certified until I was in my 30's!

TTM:  What sparked your interest?

Rick: Sunken treasure, of course! Aye matey, 'twas dreams of lost Spanish gold which sparked my initial interest.

Tim: Living near the water, I surfed and fished up and down the Texas Gulf Coast all of my childhood, and I always wondered what it was like beneath the surface of the water, the various habitats that attracted fish, and I wanted to be able to see fish from their own perspective, and how they interacted with each other and the environment.

TTM: Where did you go for lessons?

Rick: I initially became an Open Water diver in Kentucky in 1990, at around age 28.  I later went for my Divemaster and Instructor Certification at Pro Dive in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Tim:  I went to a local dive shop in Dallas Texas for my initial certification training, then trained under a private instructor in Houston Texas for my Advanced, Rescue and Divemaster Training.  I completed my Instructor level training in Ft. Lauderdale at Pro Dive - it was the best training I could have hoped for!

TTM: Any last advice for our readers?

Rick: Don't wait until you are older like I did. I was afraid to take the risk and that was a mistake. I spent too many years in jobs I didn't like when I could have been diving and enjoying every minute of both my job and my life.

Tim: If you've ever thought about diving as a sport or a profession, GO FOR IT!  You won't be sorry you did.  Breathing underwater, floating weightless in a completely alien environment - it's a whole new perspective on life.

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As seen in the June/July 2006 issue of Teen Trend Magazine (written by me.) You can subscribe for only $10 per year at http:www.teentrendmagazine.com