My name is Graeme Barber, and I used to be cool. Well, I used to be in better shape and I used to be an active scuba diver. But let’s start from the beginning!
The Golden Age of Diving
I got into scuba diving in Wainwright Alberta, where I was working as an army reservist. The base had a dive club, and I got my PADI Open Water Diver in 2004 in nearby Clear Lake (the name is a trick, it is not clear!). Then, like a lot of new divers, I kind of sat on the certification. Then, in 2008, on the advice of a friend and platoonmate, I went to Bali on leave from Afghanistan, where I got my PADI Advanced Open Water. From then on, I was on a diving journey. Master Scuba Diver and Divemaster in 2010. Then I went pro with a CAUS Scientific Diver qualification in 2010, followed by commercial diving certifications in 2011. I worked as a commercial diver in the Okanagan until 2016, and my final new certifications were SDI/TDI Intro to Tech Diving in 2015, and DSD Leader in 2017. Then… It all kind of stopped.
The Quiet Years
Life got busy. My career in the reserves became more leadership oriented and I slowly started climbing the ranks. I got a GIS Technician job with the BC Government, working with forestry. I became more sedentary, started putting on weight. Then in 2018, my daughter arrived on the scene, and became the centre of the world to me. And that’s how it was. I got too big for my wetsuit. I prioritized easier to do activities. The next thing I knew, it was 2024 and I was packing to move from the Okanagan to the Tri-Cities in the Greater Vancouver area. Diving was back on the radar, but I wasn’t ready.
What’d Happening Now
We’re mostly settled and it’s time to get back in the water. Except I’m not ready yet. My cardio is junk, and I need to ditch some serious weight to be a safe diver again. So Cold Water Diver is live again, and it’s going to be a bit different.
So… Yeah! Time to get back in the water!
Cold Water Diver 