SCUBA Diving

I am now an officially certified PADI Open Water Diver, which means I able to dive anywhere in the world for the rest of my life. The Open Water level is the most basic level of independent divers but I am incredibly exited about. There are still lots of skills and other tasks you can do to gain experience and advance your level, but those you generally accumulate over time.

The course consisted of a series of book/theory exercises out of the water and there was also a number of in the water skills activities. I was definitely nervous at first but I gradually became more and more comfortable with the skills, breathing and moving around in the whole aparatus. It is a strange sensation to be breathing underwater and swimming past rocks and fishes but it is really cool. It´s incredible to see things that you´ve only seen on nature shows or read about in books.

My first deeper water dive was a bit of a challenge because I couldn´t equalize my head properly so my ears were killing from the pressure. Eventually I got it but thoughts that I wouldn´t be able to finish the course were running through my head.

Of all the many things I´ve seen, highlights have been seeing some huge sting rays gliding along the bottom of the ocean, a moray eel (they´re remarkably ugly), a couple sea horses and three sharks. On one of the dives a person had a camera and I might be able to get some under water photos from him, but I´ll have to wait and see.