Why I Dive

"Diving gives me a sense of exploration--whether it's at a remote location, a unique encounter with underwater marine life or just examining a coral reef, when I'm diving I know I'm experiencing something special."

Name:
Doug Krause

Age:
38

Hometown:
Castro Valley, Calif.

Occupation:
Marketing Manager

Favorite Dive Destination:
Papua New Guinea

Certified:
1984

Level of Certification:
Instructor

Doug Krause has a job most divers only dream about--he gets paid to help design and test new scuba gear. As part of dive equipment manufacturer Oceanic's product development team for the last 13 years, he's developed diving innovations that have since become standard product features.

His job also gives him an opportunity to improve the diving experience for other divers. "I remember a few years ago wondering why I couldn't 'turn off' the beeps coming from my dive computer during a dive. I talked with our engineers, and we were able to create an alarm acknowledgement button for the computer console--no more annoying beeps," he explains. "Diving often gives me the chance to think about new concepts and ideas." He does admit that his job has "ruined" more than a few dives. "I keep asking myself, 'What if we did this?' or 'What if we moved that?' I guess that's one of the hazards of the job."

He explains that he likes seeing people's reactions to products he's helped design. "It gives me a sense of pride and motivates me to keep diving and coming up with new ideas." --Scott D. Jones