Ocean experience before reefing

[ScottR]

How many of you would say that your experience in the ocean helped you get into and acquainted with this hobby? For example: diving, surfing, snorkeling, swimming, hanging at the shore line wishing you were surfing, tide pools, ocean aquariums, etc. Some newbies in my reef club on their game having no experience at all keeping a tank.

 

[fishguy242]

knee deep in pacific in march of 87 closest i have come, but shoulder deep in reefs since 91:)

 

[WVNed]

On the Outer Banks in 1962

 

[lilgrounchuck]

I miss the ocean every day. I don’t know if all my time in the water helps with keeping a reef tank at all, but it’s definitely a nice reminder of what’s out there. I can’t dive where I live now, but at least I can still look at a reef and relax. Honestly, if I was living back where I could I could dive regularly I wouldn’t even have a tank. I’d spend all my time and hobby money on dive gear and boat stuff.

 

[ScottR]

I moved to Hawaii when I was young. Lived a close walk to the beach. Started finding all sorts of weird things. Learned what they were. Found out in high school I could keep them in a tank from my biology teacher. Haven’t looked back.

 

[lilgrounchuck]

I moved to Hawaii when I was young. Lived a close walk to the beach. Started finding all sorts of weird things. Learned what they were. Found out in high school I could keep them in a tank from my biology teacher. Haven’t looked back.

Fish tanks weren’t even a thought for me when I lived out there. Weekends I’d usually hit the water at 6 am to spearfish and spend the rest of the day surfing or hanging at the beach with my wife. By the time we’d get home I’d be spent and just want to get all the salt off of me, of course that’s after cleaning all of my dive gear in freshwater. Looking back, digging around for maintenance in a tank full of saltwater after all that seems very unappealing.

 

[OrangeCountyReefer]

Not sure if I gained experience that helped me in the Hobby but I can say spending a lot of time snorkeling and searching tide pools inspired me to start reefing. The ocean is a truly beautiful place. Very grateful to be so close to it

 

[ScottR]

Not sure if I gained experience that helped me in the Hobby but I can say spending a lot of time snorkeling and searching tide pools inspired me to start reefing. The ocean is a truly beautiful place. Very grateful to be so close to it

Nice kelp forest.

 

[fish farmer]

i grew up in Florida for my first 10 years. I'd bring back shells, stark teeth and once brought fiddler crabs back in a jar "habitat". The cat knocked that over and that was the end of that. When we moved up to Massachusetts it was north shore tide pools I was going to. My science teacher friend gave me an old tank for FW and then set up a 20 gallon SW for me when I was around 12. I started carting critters back from the beach, crabs, mummichogs, even a baby skate. I was known to bring a thermos on camp outings to the beach and bring things back. One of my good friends I met at camp and we would go right to the rocks, while everyone else went swimming. I did the same for freshwater throughout my high school years and into college. In grade school I was the kid who brought live fish into class for the teacher's tank. I even got a butterfly angel while we were netting along the beach in Rhode Island on a field trip.

 

[dbowman5]

How many of you would say that your experience in the ocean helped you get into and acquainted with this hobby? For example: diving, surfing, snorkeling, swimming, hanging at the shore line wishing you were surfing, tide pools, ocean aquariums, etc. Some newbies in my reef club on their game having no experience at all keeping a tank.

Hi Scott! i used a motel ice bucket to gather my first SW specimens from Pensicola Beach in '75. The jellyfish nailed several of the small fish before i knew what was happening. I released everything after a little time. fast forward past: swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, Tour boating, and beach combing, in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic, the Pacific, China sea, Indian Ocean, and I set up my first Saltwater tank last year. Probably my experience was a factor.

 

[jack_aubry]

My earliest memory is tidepooling with my dad when I was three or four. Add in surfing, diving, and a carrer in marine biology, reefing seemed like a good fit. Definitely ocean experiance that got me into reefing. Honestly now that I think about it ocean experiance is probably the reason for most of my life decisions.

 

[Reef-junky]

A bit of:

Surfing
Snorkeling
Glass bottom boats
Public aquariums
Finding Nemo

Last trip we went on took my son to coco beach. Picked up a cheap body board and put him on some small waves. He loved it. It was his first time ever. Took him further out after putting him in white water a few times. My fat butt helping him : )