Ok, this was one of my Great Deeds (see previous post)
One of the best relationships in my life before my Husband was with an awesome guy – Jeremy. There were many good memories but one of the most amazing things that he introduced me to was scuba diving.
He was an avid diver and an amazing underwater photographer. Somehow, he convinced me that the movie Jaws was not my fate if I tried diving.
I was close to 40 at that time and the beauty of his photos gave me the courage to take the course.
I became a PADI diver. I took the course in Vancouver, BC, Canada. So very, very cold ocean water … brrrr!
Basically, it is a two week course. You have classroom studies with pool practice a couple times a week for both weeks and then after the second week, you do 4 ocean dives over a weekend to get your certification.
I am thankful that I learned here ~ I understand that the training is outstanding as they teach you for adverse conditions.
Our first trip was to Guadeloupe …
It was life changing. The water was warm!
The underwater world is amazing. Truly. The colors that you believe cannot exist in nature are displayed in full.
You are weightless. You are as close to flying as you will ever be in your life.
Forget meditation. Forget yoga. This is Zen.
You hear your breath. It is a calm activity ~ I have spend 20+ minutes in the same spot discovering tiny and camouflaged creatures. I have been in the middle of hundreds of schooling fish that you couldn’t touch if you tried. I saw my first shark and almost sucked all of the air allotted to me. I have swum with a turtle and had my finger on his/her back until he/she decided that there was enough of that!
Of all of my Great Deeds, I think that this was one of the very best – on par with my pilot’s license. And for the same reason. Freeing. Flying.
It became a deal breaker for a future spouse and my husband, Kim, met that goal. He is also a seasoned diver.
Usually my posts are meant to give you a general inspiration to try something new or points to ponder … this one is specific.
Take your scuba certification.
Really, Really.
~~~
Here are some FAQs
- a ‘resort’ course does not give you enough information to make you and your dive buddy safe – don’t rely on it
- you don’t have to be a great swimmer
- if you live in a cold water climate as I do, I recommend that you take the pool and classroom course about 3 weeks before your hot climate trip and get the paperwork to take with you and do your 4 ocean dives on vacation – PADI is all over the world ~ if you take the paperwork, you can complete your course on vacation without wasting your time there with the classroom. 2 days of ocean dives in warm water and you can spend the rest of your trip enjoying your new classification!
- This will change your life. You will ache to be underwater. You will plan trips around it.
- Three quarters of the world is covered with water – don’t miss that part of our planet.
It is worth it.
Do it, do it now.
Love it. Just love it.
thank you – can’t recommend it enough!
I admire your determination. Unfortunately I am Claustrophobic and would be afraid to run out of air and panic…I know all in my mind LOL…I do however love to snorkel and really enjoyed snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands … AMAZING… As you said the sense of freedom , the silence and a true feeling of Zen!!
Do keep in mind that when you are in the tropics, you can often be 60 feet down and the water is so very clear you can still see the sun above you … as to running out of air, not a problem, that is why you have great training and a dive buddy with an extra mouthpiece so you can use their tank too. Believe me, when you go through the training, all of your fears will float away (pun intended)! I can see you already have experienced the wonder of the underwater world!
Thank you for your kind words Linda. Another great thing about diving is how it can focus your travel planning. Great beaches and islands are everywhere. Why not choose one that has awesome diving as well?!
Absolutely! Funnily enough, we were at Rick and Janine’s yesterday and ran into Val and Walt! We were having that exact conversation and they mentioned that they were thinking about a diving trip your way next year. Best gift you gave me and you are a thoughtful gift giver!