So I am officially a Scuba Diver!
This weekend I took an a compacted scuba diving course (the one you are supposed to complete in 4 days, I completed in 3!).
I got my study book that you have to read through and take quizzes in the mail last Wednesday and the more I read and learned the more I got terrified to dive. There are so many ways you can die while scuba diving! I even called up the diveshop and asked them what would happen if I just couldn’t complete the course…
So Friday morning rolls around and I hop on the train to a very sketchy area of Melbourne, Frankston. There I found the diveshop I will be doing my certification through, Diveline. The two men who run the shop are super nice and wonderful and I happened to be the only person doing my certification that day! So I got personalized training for my first day which was wonderful!
We finished up theory and I took my test at the shop and then practiced putting together the gear before Paul, my instructor, informed me it was time to head to the pool and go under! I’m pretty sure my heart started pounding triple it’s usual speed…
At the pool we practiced snorkeling, getting in and out of the water and preparing our gear. After I swung the 50lbs of gear on my back we entered the water and Paul told me to go under and breathe! I panicked and did as I was told. It was such an odd but cool experience to breathe underwater! We spent 3 hours in the water learning different things, swimming around (under the people swimming above us which was really odd and finding all the gross things floating in the bottom water of a pool, something I never recommend…), and just breathing underwater!
Day 1, complete!
Saturday morning I returned to Frankston again where I found a few more people, a nice kid named Ben, another divemaster Sandy, and a woman Sharon. We all loaded up our gear, got into our wetsuits and headed out to the 47 degree (Fahrenheit) water for our first open water dive! It was freezing, sandy, and scary going under off the Frankston Pier. As soon as we jumped into the water the cold hit us! We spent 2 hours in the water on our first dive learning skills, getting comfortable, and diving down to 5 meters. After another 1 hour session in the water diving to 6 meters once we changed our air tanks we finally could warm up! Boots and warm socks never felt so good!
Day 2, complete!
Sunday morning the same group, except minus Sandy a woman named Caroline and I made our way out to Portsea on the Mornington Peninsula for our boat dives! Today I wasn’t nearly as scared even though I knew we were diving much deeper. I was finally enjoying scuba diving! Ben and I were buddied up and in the water we went! Less than 10 minutes later, after the initial shivering and descent, I looked down at my computer and saw we had made it down our 18 meters! 18 meters! It was crazy! We floated and swam around pointing out cool corals and fish to each other before being told we needed to begin our ascent by our instructor Paul. Suddenly we lost all the others from our group and it was just Ben and I. For a moment we both looked around trying to find each other before going back to our training and just deciding to go up and do our safety stop on our own. We made it up, did our safety stop and surfaced where we reunited with the rest of our group who apparently had had problems.
Changing out our tanks on shore and grabbing some lunch, we were ready for round two and out we went on the boat again! This time we did a 12 meter dive and explored a marine life sanctuary and the cool fish who lived there.
On the way back the boat suddenly slowed and the captain shouted snorkels on, everyone in the water! Looking around we saw a bunch of seals sunbaking on a structure in the middle of the ocean! We jumped in! And the curious seals did the same! We swam and snorkeled with the seals for 20 minutes and I found that the more you play and act like a seal the more they play with you! If you dive down they dive down and swim along with you! It was so cool and I think I made some new friends!
After the hour drive back to the dive shop, we filled out paperwork, put away our gear and Paul declared us all, OFFICIAL SCUBA DIVERS!
What an amazing adventure. You have more guts than me. You are truly enjoying life and the opportunities, which present themselves.
Thank you! It was quite intimidating but worth it! 🙂
This sounds like a lot of fun! I’m sure the scenery was breath taking. Way to go!
It was so cool! Definitely recommend it!
Congrats! I hope you will share awesome photos in the future. I am a chicken so will live through you vicariously.
I hope to take some good ones when I dive at the Great Barrier Reef in a week and a half so keep reading! 🙂
I love scuba diving! You have to go to Stuart Cove’s in the Bahamas and dive with the sharks! It’s an incredible experience!
Ooooh! Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll have to add it to my list!!
It must be really fun to swim with the seals. Scuba is a thing I have yet to do.
I haven’t had the chance to do it either, but it’s on my bucket list. I love marine life.
Go for it Ben!!! There is no time like the present! 🙂
They were such cute and playful animals! 🙂 and I recommend it!
Congratulations on getting your scuba certificate. I am always in awe of divers but it scares me. I hope you have marvelous dives in your future.
It’s quite a bit intimidating but we can do anything we put our minds to right? Maybe one day you will go! 🙂
Scuba diving sounds amazing!! Congrats!! I worked at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago this past summer and was always soo jealous of the scuba divers that worked there. Have an amazing time!!
That sounds like such a fun job! What did you do there?
Congratulations! I’ve always wanted to go scuba diving. It looks like so much fun.
Thanks! You should go! Even an introductory dive would be so cool!
How exciting and congratulations. I can’t swim, so I won’t be scuba diving and will be looking forward to hearing about your experience.
Thank you Robin! 🙂
Congrats! I used to love scuba diving. I can’t do it because of my ears now but it’s such a beautiful experience.
xoxo
Candace
http://www.FromCtoC.com
Way to go to conquer your fears. Looking forward to hearing,and seeing your adventures at the Great Barrier Reef.
Thanks for making it happen papa!! 🙂
What happened with your ears? And question for you experienced diver, how long should it take for the water in your ears to drain and them to be back to normal?
Wow! Congratulations Melanie! This is a definite achievement…I have always wanted to scuba dive but been to scared. Way to go!
Thank you so much! It was definitely something that you just had to jump in and swim… Literally and figuratively! You should go for it! 🙂
Sounds like so much fun and an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading!
Very exciting! My husband and I have been diving for about 10 years and we love it!
Where has been your favorite place you two have dived?!
Congratulations! You are very brave for doing 12 meter dive.
Thank you! Definitely something I recommend trying!
That is beyond amazing! I wish I knew how to swim. 🙂
HilLesha O’Nan
There is no time like the present right? 🙂 you can do it!!
Congrats on becoming a scuba diver. I have always wanted to do a dive. One day hopefully I will get the chance.
Definitely do it! It is such a cool experience!
Congratulations, scuba diving is one of the things on my bucket list. The marine life sanctuary must have been really neat.
Fish are so cool when you are right next to them! Thanks Catherine!
Sounds like you had such a great time. Scuba diving is something on my bucket list.
I definitely recommend it! 🙂
Wow, congratulations for being a now certified scuba driver. Be careful in the waters! I know it’s fun to see creatures underwater.
Thank you Kirstin!
Congrats! I panic in the water and don’t really like fish, so wouldn’t be for me I guess 🙂
Haha probably not! There is plenty to do on land! 🙂
Congrats on completing your course one day early! I’m not one for water, so I envy you. 🙂
What an incredible experience! Good for you for learning how.
I would love to learn how to scuba dive, but beeing half blind is quite a challenge. (lol)
Congratulations and I hope I will read in the future all about your amazing adventures.
Congrats! I’ve scuba dived once during vacation in Hawaii with a couple of my friends. I loved it! Only thing is getting used to breathing through mouth entire time.
How exciting! That opens up a whole new world for you. I have good friends who travel to Cozumel each year to scuba dive, and they do love it so.
Congratulations! I’m kinda scared of being in the water so reading your experience makes me feel like seeing it myself. I’m sure the view is wonderful too.
Good for you! I would love to try scuba diving but I am afraid of water.
congratulations! this is so cool! my brother used to do scuba diving and that was so cool
xo
Orly
http://coffeebeansandhighheels.weebly.com
wow nice to hear your experience! this made me feel like persuing and trying this scuba. i am not really scared of sea water or ocean water but dont like things that touch my skin when i snorkel haha i need the scuba suit if ever
My nieces just got certified in Southeast Asia. I am so proud of them. It opens up a whole new underwater world.
I love to learn about scuba diving!
But the problem is, I have this great fear of submerging in deep sea water! 🙂
Congrats on your new title! 🙂
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Congrats! Sounds like an amazing experience. 🙂
Congrats! seems like a great experience and one that I hope to embark on sometime.