See that whale shark in the picture? That’s the largest species of fish in the ocean. What would you say if I told you that you can see it in person, too?
This summer will be 9 years I’ve been a certified diver, though I didn’t really fall in love with it until about 5 years ago when my dad took me on my first “dive trip” to Key Largo for passing nursing school. Little did he know, that was the start of this addiction and would result in me dragging him all over the world just to dive. You’re welcome, dad, it’s all your fault! (Fun fact: Almost 24 years ago, when my mom was pregnant with me, she let my dad go diving before I was born. That very same day my mom went in to labor and didn’t tell my dad she was having contractions until he got back! I like to think that was just me throwing a fit he went without me!)
While it’s not an easy activity (and definitely not cheap sometimes) and carries a lot of risks (Trust me. I’ve got several scars from rough shore entries, plus I busted my eardrum once from diving!), it’s definitely worth it. When people find out I’m a diver or see pictures from a recent trip, they often say things like “I want to learn to scuba dive!”
And that’s awesome! I want you to learn how, too! That’s why I’m writing this. Scuba diving is an incredible sport that allows us to explore parts of this earth that many people don’t have the chance to, whether it be the ocean, quarries, springs, lakes, you name it! About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, and about 96.5% of that is ocean.
But here’s the REAL kicker…humans have only explored about 5% of the ocean!! Isn’t that crazy?!
While I am definitely NOT a professional scuba diver and would never claim to be, I CAN point you in the direction of a place to help you learn! That place is none other than Mermet Springs!
Mermet Springs is a full service dive site and scuba training facility located near Vienna, Illinois. You can learn to dive in an 8.5 acre spring-fed quarry with visibility ranging from 15 feet to over 60 feet, depending on depth and time of year. Owned by Glen and PJ Faith, who have turned this place into a diving paradise for the Midwest. Explore sunken airplanes, a school bus, helicopter, and so much more while being surrounded by friendly bass and bluegill, and spot ginormous catfish and pre-historic spoonbills! This is where I learned how to dive almost 9 years ago, and still return multiple times a year to dive. Thanks to this place, I have been given the ability to explore the under water world in places such as the Bahamas, Philippines, Belize, and more!
You can get your Open Water Certification for $340. From there you can also reach other levels of training by completing other certifications such as Nitrox, Navigation, Stress & Rescue, and so much more! I’m even planning on taking a dry suit class soon so that someday I can dive in Iceland! They also have “try scuba” events they host in local pools for those who wants to try it out before committing to the course.
They offer more than just training and classes, however. They also sell or rent any equipment you could possibly need, as well as service it. You can also book trips with them, which I can say from experience are an absolute blast! We went to Bonaire in 2017 with 30+ other divers and it’s my favorite trip I’ve done so far, I can’t wait to go back someday (I still think about how delicious the strawberry daiquiris were there). As of right now they have trips planned that still have open spots to places such as Tobago, Little Cayman, St. Croix, Indonesia, and more! Not to mention, you’ll also make life-long dive buddies along the way!
If you have a question or want more info, feel free to comment below and I’ll do my best to answer you, or go to mermetsprings.com and check it out!
So, you want to learn how to scuba dive…what are you waiting for?!
Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think! Stay tuned as I’m adventuring into Costa Rica in less than two weeks! Adiós!