Paul McDonald

 

I began diving when, as a teenager, I traded my motorcycle for a tank and regulator…the early 60’s… before certification was even a requirement.   College and life got in the way for a while, and finally, in 1976 my wife and I got our Advanced Open Water certification before an upcoming trip to Acapulco.

After receiving a Nikonos III for my birthday (from a wife who was tired of trying to keep up with my swimming), I was hooked.   I continued with film until I saw the results she got on her first attempt with a Canon point-and-shoot.  My first digital camera was a Canon 20D, and now I  shoot a Canon 50D with an Ikelite housing and Ikelite 125 twin strobes. 

 

After a trip to Fiji in 2005 for an educational photography dive trip with a professional underwater photographer, we were determined to continue.  The problem was she was in Grand Cayman; her courses were very expensive, and were only available a few times a year.  Fortunately, that same year we discovered HUPS while at SEASCAPE, and made our first trip with them to Bali that same year.  HUPS members were very welcoming and willing to share what they had learned with rookies. The workshops were very educational, and best of all, they met just a few miles from our house…monthly…what a find!  Since that first trip to Bali, we have made trips all over the world with HUPS and loved and learned on every trip.