Meet Rod Triplett! His love for diving started in 1982 when he was certified in Monett, MO. His family had just moved to Table Rock Lake from Kansas City, and his dad was constantly working on their dock but would always drop tools in the lake. Rod’s dad insisted that Rod and his sister become certified divers so they could retrieve all the tools. Rod also got recruited to cut trees so they wouldn’t hit them with their boat!
Rod was an avid lake diver for about 10 years until he was out of college and could afford to go to the ocean to dive. He loved diving in the lake all of those years but had no idea what ocean diving was about or how incredible it was. The first time he dove in the ocean, Rod was truly in awe of its enormous size and the clear visibility.
Over the past 40 years, he’s been able to dive in rivers, ponds, and all of the lakes in southwest Missouri. He’s also ventured to tropical places such as Hawaii, Florida, Cozumel, and the Bahamas.
Each of his dives holds its own “favorite place” for him. For Rod, each underwater experience is unique and holds a special place in his heart, from diving with turtles in Hawaii to diving the reef at Palancar. Rod’s upcoming diving excursions include his family and another couple traveling to Belize next winter to experience the amazing coral reefs and warm tropical waters.
“I truly enjoy seeing all types of creatures while diving. Large schools of fish are fascinating to see how they move in such harmony and he loves to see stingrays because of their grace. Plus, the occasional eel tucked away in a cave or rock structure is always exciting!” – Rod Triplett
Rod recently completed his Enriched Air Nitrox course and loved it! He plans to continue diving and gaining new experiences in lakes and around the world.