The Type of People Who Scuba Dive: Old Dock and Testing Equipment

Diving is a sport I’ve occasionally practiced, but I’m finding myself more and more drawn to it, especially in places like Delta County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as well as around San Diego. Both regions offer very different but equally interesting underwater environments—shipwrecks, accessible shore dives, and great beaches that make the experience rewarding in their own ways.

I’m not a deep diver yet; I just haven’t progressed that far in my diving journey. Have done some shipwrecks and even sort of discovered one (...not really but I was the first to report it. A cheap find because others were there long before me. ) For now, I’m focused on building comfort and consistency in different water conditions, and I can already tell that familiarity makes a big difference. I also stay attentive to my equipment. Recently, I noticed a strap starting to fail and my tank would slowly slide down. I replaced the straps, installed a new rubber fitting to secure everything, and tested it this morning. It worked perfectly—no slipping, everything held tight.

I went out to an old dock area in Gladstone near the beach, figuring it would be a simple and controlled place to test the gear. I swam along the pilings that are still submerged, mostly looking for fishing lures. The visibility was poor—about one to two feet at best—and as the waves picked up, it became clear conditions weren’t ideal for exploration. Since the main goal was just to test equipment, I decided to wrap it up and plan for a clearer day when I can properly explore the area.

Diving also makes me think about the kinds of personalities drawn to the sport. Research often points to traits like sensation seeking, emotional stability, resilience, and a lower tendency toward panic. That resonates with what I’ve seen and experienced. I’m not interested in pushing into deep dives like 80 or 90 feet right now—it still feels like too much depth for my comfort zone—but that may evolve over time as experience builds.

I am an open water certified diver, and my focus now is simply getting more time in the water. The more time you spend diving, the more natural it becomes, and confidence tends to grow with repetition. Life is short, and part of the appeal of diving is just being present in those environments—the quiet, the water, the shoreline, and the sense of exploration right in your own region.

Starting a Saturday morning like that—out on the water, checking gear, and getting a feel for the environment again—is about as good as it gets.

P.S. I'm also a certified fitness trainer and yoga instructor so if you need a little help send me a message to the right. 

Some History:

I'm not sure exactly what is there or if these are the same but one sort of needs to do a little research to find out. I just searched up a few things. 

Gladstone Dock and Warehouse

Dock: Gladstone, MI - Lehigh Coal and Iron Co. Docks - 1887

Personality and Behavioral Outcomes in Diving: Current Research and Future Directions

• The article reviews how research on scuba divers has shifted from describing personality traits to examining how personality influences diving performance, safety, and behavioral outcomes.
• Studies suggest that personality characteristics such as sensation seeking, resilience, and emotional stability may affect diver training success, panic proneness, susceptibility to inert gas narcosis, and overall diving behavior.
• Researchers have found evidence that certain personality profiles are associated with safer decision-making and better adaptation to the unique physical and psychological demands of diving, although findings are not always consistent.
• The author notes that much of the existing research is based on small samples and varied methodologies, making it difficult to draw broad conclusions about the relationship between personality and diving outcomes.
• Future research should use standardized psychological measures, larger and more diverse participant groups, and longitudinal study designs to better understand how personality contributes to diving performance, safety, and training effectiveness.

Van Wijk, C. H. (2017). Personality and behavioural outcomes in diving: Current status and recommendations for future research. Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, 47(4), 248–252. https://doi.org/10.28920/dhm47.4.248-252