Lee dives into an underwater world
Junior Aidan Lee is a highly involved student with extracurricular activities that include not only scuba diving, but also playing the drums in the school band.
January 13, 2014
Diving into the brisk water, junior Aidan Lee embarks on yet another scuba diving adventure. Laden with gear and suited up with courage, Lee has been scuba diving recreationally for about a year. His interest and passion in scuba diving propel him to enjoy scuba diving adventures and make future plans regarding the activity.
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver is able to breathe underwater using a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. These divers have a high freedom of movement since they carry their own source of breathing gas—usually compressed air. It is an exciting activity that not many people have experienced. However, Lee’s experiences with this unique activity are an important part of his life.
Although being relatively new to the activity, Lee finds himself captivated by the activity.
“I got certified last summer,” Lee said. “Since then I received training in stress and rescue diving in case something goes wrong in the water”.
Lee’s introduction to scuba diving began as a gift.
“My dad bought my family introductory lessons, which eventually led to my certification,” Lee explained. “My dad is famous for getting us unexpected gifts but it was something that I’ve always thought seemed really cool”.
Although he has had many fun experiences with the sport, Lee cherishes one adventure in particular.
“In November my dad and I got to do a few dives off the coast of Mexico,” Lee said. “The reef was incredible and the amount of life you see is unreal. The coolest dive I have been a part of would be the cave dive that I got to do. Along the Yucatan coast there are a bunch of what are called “cenotes” which are underground cave/cavern systems filled with freshwater. The water is crystal clear, the rock walls are enormous, and bats hang from the ceiling in the chambers where air gets in.”
Lee is anticipating many exciting experiences to come.
“The possibilities are endless,” he said. “There are so many interesting courses you can take after your basic certification, so you can go as far as you want to go.”
Scuba diving draws in Lee for a few particular reasons.
“It allows you to explore a world that you would never know existed, and the fact that we can adapt our bodies to go where they were never meant to go is pretty amazing,” Lee explained.
Lee looks forward to future scuba diving ventures with family and friends throughout his lifetime.
Cora Sutherland • Feb 19, 2014 at 5:37 am
This article has a great lead/intro. Word choice throughout the article helped me focus on, understand and stay interested in the story. Aidan is involved in many things, but it’s cool how the angle was on something a little less common. Also, the interview questions must have been strong, for the quotes really add to the story.
Katie Wilmes • Feb 19, 2014 at 2:04 am
This article was really interesting in the fact that it’s such an uncommon recreational activity for high school students. The quotes (particularly the story about his dive in Mexico) from Aidan were really great and made the article very fluid. I would probably have added some other quotes from other people, but all of the main points were covered. Great job!
Sofie Wicklund • Feb 18, 2014 at 2:22 pm
Interesting and captivating article. It is written in a way that keeps the reader’s attention until the end of the unique story. Aidan’s quotes are very compelling as well. The only thing I would suggest would be to include a couple quotes from other people, maybe Aidan’s friends or family to get some different perspectives.