As I mentioned last week that we had a few new certifications that we needed to address. They just so happened all around the time that I was talking about the Memorial Day Weekend Dive Trip down to Beaver Lake. So I made a quick mention of it on Thursday but now it is time to go into more depth on Rachele Lord’s Dive Master Certification completion. Without further ado let’s get on to interviewing Rachele.
How did you get started diving?
I was starting to date Doug. He was starting to get into diving and I thought it would be interesting to do as a couple for weekend dates.
How long have you been diving?
Since 1992
How many dives do you make in a typical year?
Not enough (I giggled, seems to be everyone’s answer)
What led you to pursue divemaster?
We had done this before with previous shops. So decided when we got back into diving with Deb & Grady that it would be worth it. I like teaching and instructing people.
What other hobbies do you do besides diving?
Hunting, fishing, motorcycles, training hunting, and search & rescue dogs.
What is the best advice you can give to someone considering scuba diving?
Go to a store, talk to them about it. Read and watch videos online or the tv. Talk to other divers. Look into the different types of diving you can get into and see what you’d like to do.
What advice can you give to a beginning diver?
Go, dive. Follow your instructors. Ask instructors and just get experience.
Where is your favorite place to dive?
Somewhere with nice visibility. Freshwater: Lake Norfork (in the White River Chain). Saltwater would be Bonaire.
What is your most comical dive experience?
Um… I don’t really have comical dives but these are the most memorable: with the other dive shop we went to do a night dive at Beaver Lake (same dive site we use). I was diving with a guy who was 6’4. I shined my flashlight on a big body of a fish. It was a Spoonbill. The other guy wound up getting level with the Spoonbill and from head to toe, the Spoonbill was longer than the 6’4 guy I was diving with plus his fins.
The other one was when Doug and I went diving in the ocean. It was a flower garden dive with a 100’ dive limit. We were dumped off the boat and going to float to the reef. Well, you could see down 200-300’. I saw a huge Giant Grouper (Jew Fish) and told Doug to look down. Doug was trying to get my attention to look at my dive computer. We wound up leveling off at 97’ down.
What would you recommend for a beginning divers first dive trip?
- Cozumel – Very diver friendly, especially for 1st-time divers.
- Fresh Water – Mermet Springs.