I know I said I would post about my experiences at the limited amount of dive destinations I've been to in the past year, but I thought I'd share about my journey in becoming an avid diver too!
There was a question posed by someone - "Do I need to know how to swim if I want to scuba dive?"
Guess what - the answer is NO!
How do I know that? Because I am a great swimmer, but I started off being one of the worst students my instructor ever had, for the simple fact that I am a swimmer! Of course, everyone's experience will be different, so I am just sharing mine - this might not apply to other swimmers + divers out there.
I remember scoring 98% for the theory test for the Open Water Course, and everyone had their money on me excelling during the open water skills in Pulau Tenggol. When that moment came, I surprised even myself (and everyone else) - the very first time I descended into the sea (it was only 5m) and touched the bottom, there was only one thought that was racing through my mind.
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OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG - I need to move, I need to be on the surface, the water is crashing down on me, I cannot breathe, safety is at the surface, I need to go up NOWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!
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So I did surface, almost immediately, and to my own disappointment, I couldn't make myself go down again. Despite the dive master (who was assisting the instructor) trying to calm me down and coax me to continue, I gave an ultimatum (with some tears too - coz it was just way too overwhelming for me #drama I know), that I will not complete the Open Water course."Diving is just not for me," I said convincingly to all of them. Embarrassed of myself too, but of course, I coated that with lots of 'confidence' about my decision.
You see, for me, as a swimmer, my natural reflex when I am in the water is to stay on the surface, and keep moving. That's what we swimmers do! I'm as island girl (Penang FTW!), I grew up loving the water and swimming is a favourite pastime. So how did this happen?
It never crossed my mind that scuba diving is all about being relaxed, being calm, level-headed, super alert to your surroundings, trust, and just being in the moment.
Not bulldozing through the waters like what I normally do when I hit the pool / swim in the sea.
Many of my friends who dive, actually don't swim too! So, if you are wondering if you need to know how to swim to scuba dive - the answer is NO :) In fact, the non-swimmers are the ones that have no pre-conceived ideas of having to move all the time & be on the surface and actually enjoy the experience of being underwater instantly.
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| Passed with flying colours on my 2nd attempt at the Open Water Course. This is the instructor who certified me in April 2014 |
- Got home, ridiculed by the fact that I was so determined to do it but failed - decided to practice all the skills at the Pusat Akuatik Shah Alam pool (it's 5m deep and many people go there to practice too).
- Returned to Pulau Tenggol with a few friends and my instructor, and repeated the OW course. And the rest is history!! :)
Hope this is of some value to anyone out there wondering if you should take up scuba diving or not. It is simple - Why Not? :D
