VILLAGERS TELL TALES OF DIVES, LEARN SAFETY, CURRENT TRENDS

By SHANNA E. BELLINGHAM, DAILY SUN

THE VILLAGES ‹ The deep blue of the ocean, the cool water, the smell of salt and discovering a different world full of beauty, life and color is exhilarating to a scuba diver.

Whether an enthusiast or a master diver, The Villages Scuba Club is the place divers gather to tell their stories, experiences and plans for future dives.

Club president Bill Thornton, a Village of Hadley resident, said the club is meant for divers to socialize about diving, but the club itself does not organize dives.

"We do outdoor expos, we have special guest speakers and we keep each other up-to-date on things happening in diving," Thornton said, "but we don't have the insurance to organize dives."

Club members can independently plan trips together and do presentations for the group, he added.

Andy Nelson, club vice president and instructor for the Professional Association Diving Instructors (PADI) organization, said safety and current trends are an important factor.

"We promote dive safety. We inform the group of where they can go to take courses or get special training in diving," said the Village of Liberty Park resident.

At the monthly Wednesday meeting at Laurel Manor Recreation Center, the evenings special guest speaker was Michael Abston.

Abston is a PADI certified diver and instructor for the new scuba course at The Villages Lifelong Learning College.

The course is planned to open later this month or early May, according to Abston.

"We're going to start with a Discover Scuba course which is three days (long), for those who aren't sure if diving is for them," he said. "Then there's the scuba diving certification courses, which involves taking the tests and dive trips."

The Villages Scuba Club began about five years ago, according to the club bylaws. Annual membership fee is $5.

According to Thornton, the camaraderie is what makes their group so special.

"Everyone has a common interest. If we're talking, we're talking about diving, or going on dives, or dives we've been on," he said.

Shanna E. Bellingham is a reporter with the Daily Sun. She can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9303 or shanna.bellingham@thevillagesmedia.com.

Publication: Daily Sun
Category: Local Lifestyle
Publish Date: 4/9/10

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