Photo by Kit Leffler

My ears pop and my head reels at the sensation of breathing underwater — an entirely unnatural feeling.

I awkwardly flap my legs — which are somewhat impeded by my fins — trying to keep up with my instructor. As we descend deeper into the cool water, I adjust to the pressure and, for the first time in my life, experience the feeling of weightlessness. The sensation is incredible.

This is my first scuba diving experience and I didn’t even have to leave Lawrence.

Scuba diving — an sport most often associated with cruises to the Caribbean and piña coladas — actually exists right here in the Midwest. Lake diving, cave diving, mine diving and even muck diving offer alternatives for the thousands of scuba divers who don’t live near the ocean. While some types of diving can be dangerous and require extensive training, diving provides a fun and unusual substitute for the everyday Midwest getaway.

Who dives in the Midwest?

Scuba diving in the Midwest seems like an oxymoron. Jennifer Johnson, a certified scuba instructor at Blue Planet, 1305 E. 25th St., has experienced her fair share of taunts from fellow divers, who consistently say, ‘You’re from Kansas?’ and ‘Why would you want to dive in a lake?’

Johnson, who has recorded more than 130 dives in almost three years, dives in Midwest locations, such as Stockton Lake in Stockton, Mo., and Oronogo, an abandoned zinc mine in Oronogo, Mo. While she still makes regular visits to Key Largo and other Caribbean locations with Blue Planet, the more affordable Midwest trips still appeal to her.

Photo by Kit Leffler

Lakes and abandoned mines offer a unique experience from ocean diving. Even with the murky lake water, Johnson says Stockton Lake is relatively clear. Moreover, the substantial freshwater fish and plant life make the dive beautiful - although not everyone would find minnows quite as exotic as sea urchins and jellyfish.

Gloria Ludwig, member of the H2Oz Scuba Club in Lawrence, praises the uniqueness of Midwestern dives. During her trips to the abandoned mine in Oronogo, Ludwig has explored a piano, a stack of cars, some old computers and even a small airplane. These random pieces of artifacts provide fun investigations for those who cannot afford to visit a coral reef.

Most of all, diving in the Midwest is a great way to practice for ocean diving. Johnson and Ludwig both use local lakes to keep up on their diving skills in between trips to resort locations in the Caribbean.

Should I be scared?

Photo by Kit Leffler

While scuba diving in abandoned mines and caves brings an excitement to the sport not found in the ocean, it also brings certain inherent risks. Clay Coleman, author of The Certified Diver’s Handbook: The Complete Guide to Your Own Underwater Adventures, says diving in any environment where direct access to the surface is impeded and beyond the reach of sunlight can be very dangerous. From equipment failures to navigation mistakes, any misstep can have deadly consequences. Coleman suggests that divers receive the proper training before attempting these types of dives.

On the other hand, Robert Rossier, author of Dive Like a Pro: 101 Ways to Improve Your Scuba Skills and Safety, assures that you can greatly decrease the risk by getting the proper certification. Rossier says very few accidents in caves involve certified cave divers.

Beth Anstaett, Newton, graduate student, and active scuba diver, says there are other risks involved with lake diving. Because of the low visibility and murkiness of lake water, she says it is very easy to become disoriented. “I get more nervous in 20 feet of lake water than in 60 feet of ocean water,” Anstaett says.

Getting Started

Lawrence surprisingly offers many different scuba diving options. Ligeia Espindola, Ecuador, junior, began scuba diving by taking the course offered at KU. While you won’t obtain your diving certification by the end of the class, Espindola says you can receive all of the training you need in a pool to pass your open-water certification test. She took her test at Stockton Lake and has since been scuba diving in the Florida Keys.

Anstaett did her training and certification through Blue Planet, which included three weeks of classes, two evenings a week. She now has completed 25 dives in almost three years.

Johnson suggests that anyone interested in scuba diving complete a Discover Scuba session before signing up for any classes. For only $10, the session lets you try out the equipment and decide if you like diving before investing money in classes.

Either way, it has never been simpler to start scuba diving — even for us Kansans.