One thing you’ll learn if you hang out with our dive group is we have a lot of fun together. Last weekend, when we were supposed to meet up for an extra special, Try it Tuesday (Sunday edition) bad weather came in and canceled our plans. We received text messages in group form from Dan LaDue with the latest information. I got a reply back from a number I didn’t recognize but didn’t know whose number it was. The next day I verified with Dan whose number it was and it was Lord Doug so poor Doug got picked on by Dan and me for a couple of hours. That’s the kind of fun we have. Once Doug found out it was me, Dan sent him a whole bunch of questions for his interview and then kept asking if he had answered them, so I figured it was time to conduct the official interview for Doug Lord, Dive Master.
How did you get started diving? You know, what made you want to jump in?
Well, actually Rachele got signed up for classes before I did. So I signed up also but I’ve always wanted to dive. I grew up watching Jacques Cousteau, reading National Geographic magazines, anything that included diving.
How long have you been diving?
What… since… 1990, 1989… I know it was before I married Rachele
How many dives do you make in a typical year?
Not enough. (Amen from Mark). In the last several years I’ve only been getting in 25 to 50 dives a year.
What led you to pursue Dive Master?
Because I wanted to be the master of divers… no… I like helping students, I like getting in the water, the chance to show other people how to enjoy diving and water sports. Spark their imagination and their sense of adventure.
What other hobbies do you have besides diving?
I’m pretty good at sticking my foot in my mouth… no… I like swimming, hunting, fishing, photography, and I like to play chess but I don’t get the chance to play very often.
What is the best advice you can give to someone considering Scuba Diving?
Come out and try one of our Try it Tuesdays, talk to some divers, get in the pool. Try it, you might like it!
What advice can you give to a beginning diver?
Dive your training and get out and do some diving. Just have fun with it.
Where is your favorite place to dive?
Currently Cozumel, Bonaire is also good!
What is your most comical dive experience?
It was back when I was a beginning diver, I had about 2 years under my belt. So we made our first trip to Cozumel and it was on the second day of diving. We hired a videographer to video the group. We were diving around 40 feet. I had a tickle in my nose and then sneezed. So the videographer got the video of all of this plus me taking my mask off, clearing the snot out of the mask, putting the mask back on and clearing it. So to top that, that night back at the hotel the whole hotel was shown the video as the most comical dive of the day.
And the last question: What would you recommend for a beginning divers first dive trip?
I would really recommend Cozumel as a first time big trip for a beginning diver. Mermet is a good intermediate trip.