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WALLINGFORD – It’s the season for swimming and floating in the pool, but for diving instructor Gregg Kobrin exploring the water is a year-round job. 

The Record-Journal recently sat down with the scuba pro and manager of the newly expanded New England Dive shop to chat about his family’s diving history, the scuba certification process and changes in the industry.

Q: How did you get into this type of business?

Kobrin: I sort of grew up into it. My parents started back in the 80’s and my sister and myself kind of run it now while our parents are still greatly involved.

When I was real young we started the place in my parents’ garage. The compressor that fills the tanks is really loud, and we would wake up Saturday mornings listening to this compressor as kids. Eventually we got a place and my father started teaching classes through the YMCA and park and rec., and every weekend he would have classes of big numbers of people. 

Q: How old were you when you were scuba certified?

Kobrin: I got certified when I was 11-years old.

Q: What is the certification process like?

Kobrin: So it’s two weekends and we spend about four hours a day in the pool and we run through all the skills associated with diving. Some of them seem like they’re silly or pointless, but in reality we are preparing them for the ocean and real life environments when you get out there.

Q: What happens after the pool sessions?

Kobrin: We do the classes all winter long and in the summertime – about every other weekend –  we take people out to the ocean or quarries or lakes to finalize your certification. After you learn everything in the pool you still have to go out into the ocean and perform it for your instructor.

Q: How many divers have you been able to certify?

Kobrin: So we certify through the shop here about 100 a year. In my (time), we’ve probably certified almost 2,000 divers.  

We always joke that our goal is to make the whole world scuba certified.

Q: What are some safety tips for divers?

Kobrin: A main safety tip for diving is to always dive with a buddy…have someone else there just in case something goes wrong you’ve got someone there to back you up and make sure everything is ok.

Do problems happen often? No they don’t but just in case, you have someone with you.

Q: What basic equipment do you need to scuba dive?

Kobrin: In the beginning what everyone gets is what we call your personal gear. Your personal gear… like your mask, your fins, your snorkel and your boots.

Q: What is some of the major equipment associated with diving?

Kobrin: All the major gear, like the tank and the BC and the regulator and the wet suit, we do provide it as rentals.

Q: How has diving equipment changed?

Kobrin: The biggest change came about 15 years ago when dive computers just became a necessity. Years ago we used to use dive tables which we actually calculated by knowing how deep we were going to go on an actual table by hand. Now we just use computers.

 Another big change is more of the bells and whistles that have come out. There are full face masks where you actually have communications so if you want to talk to someone (underwater) you could.

Q: Where are some cool places you have been able to go and dive?

Kobrin: I have been to lots of cool places in the Caribbean. A real famous place that we go to is called Bonaire. A lot of people haven’t heard of it but it’s sort of like the un-commercialized Aruba.

The whole island is actually protected marine sanctuary. So the marine life is just awesome. Just plenty of different fish and species. We do a group trip there every November.

More information can be found at https://www.nedive.com/ 

akus@record-journal.com
203-317-2448
Twitter: @KusReporter

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