April 3, 2014

by Haley Beets

Scuba diving is often associated with tropical weather, coral reefs and turquoise water. That’s why it might be surprising that the frozen campus of UW-Whitewater has its own scuba club.

Bill Krieger teaches a scuba diving class at the university and is the adviser for the UW-W Scuba Club.

“Before the club was on campus, the closest [scuba clubs] were either in the Madison or Milwaukee area,” Krieger said.

This is the first semester of operation for the club, but President Theo Esser is no stranger to leading a scuba club.

Esser was president of his high school’s club, and his passion started much earlier.

Esser went on a vacation to Florida eight years ago and was lured by the mystery under the sea.

“It’s a whole other world underwater,” Esser said. “I fell in love with it right away.”

Krieger’s passion started years earlier and in cooler temperatures.

“I have always had an interest in what is underwater,” Krieger said. “It started growing up on Mackinac Island in Michigan and was reinforced strongly while I was in the Navy.”

Krieger got his scuba certification in 1988 while stationed in San Diego. He’s now certified as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.

“I want to be the best dive buddy and instructor that I can be,” Krieger said. “There has not been a single class that I have taught that I haven’t learned something from it myself.”

The club is not limited to veterans like Krieger. Scuba newcomers can test out equipment on Discover Scuba days.

The school provides scuba equipment like masks, snorkels, fins and buoyancy control devices.

“It’s the chance for people who aren’t certified to get in the water with the gear on with a certified instructor,” Esser said.  “You know that you’re safe, so you can really enjoy the fact that you’re underwater.”

Esser said a lot of new divers have a mental block about breathing underwater, and end up holding their breath. Though it’s hard to overcome, he said it’s worth it.

“The best part of scuba diving is the adventure,” Esser said. “It’s something that is completely atypical. It doesn’t seem logical that you should breathe underwater or float upside-down.”

For Esser, the fun doesn’t end there.

“Half of it is the adventure of going there, and the other half is telling others of the adventure when you come back,” Esser said.

Esser said his goal is to take trips with the club to more exotic locations than the Williams Center pool. On his personal list are Playa Del Carmen in Mexico, Devil’s Pit in Florida and Pearl Lake, Ill.

Despite its Midwestern locale, some consider Pearl Lake a diver’s mecca. Scuba diving is not restricted to the coastal cities.

“There are lots of great dive spots around Wisconsin,” Esser said. “But they’re ice diving for the majority of the school year.”

Until the ice melts, Esser said the club will continue to plan big and practice all they can.

For anyone interested in learning more, the next Scuba Club meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4, in Room 183A in the Williams Center.