Under The Sea

I can’t believe it! I actually did and went through with it!

To say I have a reason to do it, I just couldn’t point it out. To say there was a calling, I just didn’t feel it. It was more of a last minute decision, although it was on the optional itinerary. Verbally, I said I was going to do it. But I eventually realized that I was not mentally prepared.

So what is it that I did out of the blue?

SCUBA diving.

MV accompanied me to the neighbouring chalet to look for diving instructor. And we found one at Alu-alu Divers. Introduced ourselves to Mel, who became my instructor and almost immediately, we started our “lesson”.

First session was watching an introductory video, covering the basics- the breathing regulators, the suits, the complications, commonly used sign language which is universally accepted, etc.

After finishing the video I thought I was done for the day. But how wrong I was. Immediately, I was taught how to set up the buoyancy control device (BCD- the jacket the holds the oxygen tank and also helps in staying afloat, ascend and descend at will). Then, load it into a speedboat, and off we went to Turtle’s Bay.

Ok, can’t possibly be bad, I thought to myself. I should be able to handle the dive, since I am quite a fast learner.

But boy, oh boy. We weren’t going for a dive just yet. 200m from the shore, the speedboat stopped and I was told to jump off the boat and swim to the shore! I was speechless. My throat went dry. I thought it wasn’t a pre-requisite to be able to swim (but of course, I’ve already told Mel that I could). So why is she asking me to swim from such a distance away? I thought they were all joking (They meaning, Mel, Dex- the other instructor, with 3 other seasoned divers). But nope. They were dead serious. Dex even jumped off the boat first to “encourage” me.

So I followed suit. And then Mel joined me. Dex and the other divers left for another location. Leaving Mel and myself in the water, with a life jacket that Mel was hanging on to, and refused to give it to me.

It was difficult. I had my contact lens on, so I swam with my head above the water. I don’t know why it never occurred to me to close my eyes and swim properly, or asked for a pair of goggles, since I had it in the boat. I started to swim. And Mel was there all the while, continuously encouraging me to continue and float on my back if I was tired.

Throughout the whole time, I remember thinking, I’m never gonna make it… I’m too tired... I can do it... No, I can't. I’m going to drown… I want to give up… I don’t want to dive anymore… I can do it… No, I can’t make it… The next thing I know, my feet could touch the sand. Oh what a wonderful feeling it was! Finally! Feet, ground. Shore, reached!

The whole idea was to make me face any fear I had of the sea and hopefully, abolish it. And also to learn to trust Mel.

Shortly after that, the boat came back with our BCDs, which we put on, then check the equipments for each other (standard procedure), as we were considered “Buddies”. The next lesson was learning to use the regulator (the hose that connects the oxygen tank to the mouth), how to locate it if it dropped from the mouth, how to clear the mask, practicing some sign language, etc.

After that, we took the boat, pick up the other divers, and went to D’Lagoon for my first dive!

My first dive was awkward. I was swimming upright, just like a seahorse!

But whatever that I saw, was just marvelous. It was a whole new world underneath. It’s one thing watching these marine life on TV, a whole new experience altogether to see and be there in person. It was almost magical.

We dove for about 45 minutes, as deep as 15 metres.

The next day, I reached Alu-alu by 8.30am and started to assemble my BCD for my 2nd dive. This time, we shared the boat with 3 other Chinese girls and their instructor, Alex. Again, we went to D’ Lagoon, but this time to the beach first. Alex was teaching the girls what I learned yesterday, and Mel was teaching me how to snorkeling and use my fins properly so as to not dive like a seahorse anymore!

After that, we went to the deeper side of D’ Lagoon for our 2nd dive. Again, I was diving like a seahorse every now and then. But it was equally as magical.

That afternoon, I watched the 2nd video- which covers the complications of diving Eg. decompression syndrome, nitrogen narcosis, etc. I also had my multiple choice questions test after that, which I passed. ;)

On the 3rd day, was my 3rd and 4th dive to complete my license requirement. The 3rd dive was to T3, which I liked best. And the last dive was to the Shark Point Pinnacle, which of course I saw a shark, as big as the size of a speed boat, from afar. Dove for about 50 minutes each time, as deep as 18 metres.

I love my diving experience. It was a completely different world down there. I felt like a part of the underwater world. During my last dive, I swore I felt like a mermaid, only without the graceful movements. I was still in awe, and somewhat surreal. I couldn’t help but thinking, what an interesting life my dad was living when he was active in diving previously.

I’m definitely diving again. I finally understood,

“One thing we cannot escape- forever afterward, throughout all our life, the memory of the magic of water and its life, of the home which was once our own- this will never leave us.” – William Beebe.

And it never will.

With Mel, on a kayak!