July 30: PADI Certified :)
Holding my mask and regulator to my face with my right hand and taking a “giant stride” off the back of my liveaboard ship with an inflated BCD (buoyancy control device), weights, and scuba tank tightly strapped to my body, I took a deep breath and prayed that I would be able to face my fear of drowning enough to descend below the surface and complete the dive. Nine dives later I am officially PADI certified for open water.
My five-day certification course started with two days of intense training in and out of the water at the Pro Dive training center in Cairns. For the classroom portion I watched dozens of videos, listened to summaries of key information from my instructor, and passed several quizzes and a final exam.
Just a few days ago I had no idea of the meaning of terms like “BCD,” “equalizing your ears,” “BWRAF,” “SPG,” or “bar” meant. However, with my life on the line, I became extremely motivated to study online material, listen carefully in classes, and ask good questions.
The swimming pool portion of the first two days required me to demonstrate proficiency with dozens of challenging skills designed to make sure I was prepared for potential emergencies both below and at the surface of the water.
I learned to take off my mask, put it back on, and remove the water from it all while underwater. I practiced sharing air with someone who was out of air below the surface and simulated a CESA (controlled emergency swimming ascent) by swimming the full length of the pool without taking a breath.
For the at sea portion of my training, I exhibited the ability to complete the same exercises but this time in the ocean. Some of the more challenging skills including removing and replacing my BCD, “losing” my regulator and replacing it, breathing properly out of a tank that has a leak, and navigating with a compass.
Every time I stepped of the back of the boat and descended into the depths of the ocean, I asked myself how I came up with such a crazy idea given that drowning is my biggest fear. But after taking several calming breaths and looking around me, I became so captivated by the beauty that most of my anxiety disappeared.
I swam with a sea turtle, admired shimmering schools of little blue fish weaving their way through brightly colored coral, caught a glimpse of a whitetip reef shark, and gasped in awe at the Emperor Angelfish with its bright yellow tail, blue and white stripes, and a dark ring of blue just above its mouth.
My next post will share what it was like to live aboard a ship for three days at sea during training. What an incredible week!
