If you can't blast off in a rocket to experience the frontier of space, Gary Gordon advises you to look below - under water - to experience another world.
Gordon, the owner of The Dive Shop on Federal Road, has more than his share of experience in the water. Gordon, who grew up in Brookfield, became interested in scuba diving 15 years ago when he was 34. "I was about to leave for vacation in Hawaii for the second time and I just wanted to try something different," said Gordon, who got certified before his vacation. He quickly took to the sport and is now a master instructor. Gordon eventually decided to open his own shop with then-partner Sherri Nelson. Nelson, who manages the business even though she sold her share of the business to Gordon in 2000, said 20 to 25 people a month sign up to get their diving certification. For the beginner who might be interested but a bit hesitant to try scuba diving, the shop offers a "Discover Scuba" class that is free for first-timers. "We basically take them in the pool and let them try breathing off of a regulator and show them a few skills to get them used to being under water," Gordon said. The shop has two on-site classrooms where Gordon teaches many of the classes himself. He also makes a monthly trip to Dutch Springs in Allentown, Pa., for his students' open-water dives, which are required for certification. Becoming a certified scuba diver is not quite as intimidating as it might seem. On average, a diver must attend a one- to two-hour orientation, then three sessions of class and pool time. They must then pass a written exam, after which they will go to Dutch Springs to complete four open-water dives. Divers can progress to receive everything from an Advanced Open Water and Night Diver certificate to equipment specialist and rescue diver certificates. In 2003 the shop established The Dive Club , made up of about 20 members who dive locally in places like Candlewood Lake. Many of the Dive Club members also participate in the Dive Shop's annual dive trips around the world and in local clean-up projects as well. "We had a clean-up day at Dikes Point on Candlewood Lake in May and they brought up 500 pounds of garbage," Nelson said. Danbury resident Paul Murphy obtained his certification through The Dive Shop when it first opened in 1996 and has since qualified for several more levels. "I was going to be vacationing in Aruba and just wanted to try something different," Murphy said. "It's great, it's like you are in your own world down there, even though there are always other people with you. You can only use gestures, you can't talk to each other." The shop offers about five or six trips a year and already has a new list of trips for 2006 to Mexico and the Caribbean. Visitors to the shop can buy or rent scuba equipment and have it serviced. The store also has a large selection of Speedo swimwear and provides swimsuits for the BHS swim team and the Brookfield Parks and Recreation Muscrat Swim Team. "We get people of all ages coming in to get certified and now the age requirement has been lowered from 15 to 10-years-old, although younger kids do have different limitations," Nelson said. The average new scuba enthusiast is usually 30 to 35. The Dive Shop's underwater training now takes place at the pool in the O'Neill Center at Western Connecticut State University . But Gordon said he hopes to build a pool on Federal Road soon that would be used for both training and community recreation. The Dive Shop is at 265 Federal Road in Brookfield. For information, call (203) 740-9166 or go to www.thediveshoponline.com . http://www.pinkwinds.com/swimwear.html
Gordon, the owner of The Dive Shop on Federal Road, has more than his share of experience in the water. Gordon, who grew up in Brookfield, became interested in scuba diving 15 years ago when he was 34. "I was about to leave for vacation in Hawaii for the second time and I just wanted to try something different," said Gordon, who got certified before his vacation. He quickly took to the sport and is now a master instructor. Gordon eventually decided to open his own shop with then-partner Sherri Nelson. Nelson, who manages the business even though she sold her share of the business to Gordon in 2000, said 20 to 25 people a month sign up to get their diving certification. For the beginner who might be interested but a bit hesitant to try scuba diving, the shop offers a "Discover Scuba" class that is free for first-timers. "We basically take them in the pool and let them try breathing off of a regulator and show them a few skills to get them used to being under water," Gordon said. The shop has two on-site classrooms where Gordon teaches many of the classes himself. He also makes a monthly trip to Dutch Springs in Allentown, Pa., for his students' open-water dives, which are required for certification. Becoming a certified scuba diver is not quite as intimidating as it might seem. On average, a diver must attend a one- to two-hour orientation, then three sessions of class and pool time. They must then pass a written exam, after which they will go to Dutch Springs to complete four open-water dives. Divers can progress to receive everything from an Advanced Open Water and Night Diver certificate to equipment specialist and rescue diver certificates. In 2003 the shop established The Dive Club , made up of about 20 members who dive locally in places like Candlewood Lake. Many of the Dive Club members also participate in the Dive Shop's annual dive trips around the world and in local clean-up projects as well. "We had a clean-up day at Dikes Point on Candlewood Lake in May and they brought up 500 pounds of garbage," Nelson said. Danbury resident Paul Murphy obtained his certification through The Dive Shop when it first opened in 1996 and has since qualified for several more levels. "I was going to be vacationing in Aruba and just wanted to try something different," Murphy said. "It's great, it's like you are in your own world down there, even though there are always other people with you. You can only use gestures, you can't talk to each other." The shop offers about five or six trips a year and already has a new list of trips for 2006 to Mexico and the Caribbean. Visitors to the shop can buy or rent scuba equipment and have it serviced. The store also has a large selection of Speedo swimwear and provides swimsuits for the BHS swim team and the Brookfield Parks and Recreation Muscrat Swim Team. "We get people of all ages coming in to get certified and now the age requirement has been lowered from 15 to 10-years-old, although younger kids do have different limitations," Nelson said. The average new scuba enthusiast is usually 30 to 35. The Dive Shop's underwater training now takes place at the pool in the O'Neill Center at Western Connecticut State University . But Gordon said he hopes to build a pool on Federal Road soon that would be used for both training and community recreation. The Dive Shop is at 265 Federal Road in Brookfield. For information, call (203) 740-9166 or go to www.thediveshoponline.com . http://www.pinkwinds.com/swimwear.html
