So about a month ago, i managed to fulfill one of my little life goals i.e. to be a certified scuba diver.
It sounds quite daunting at first, when you think about the big borderless ocean, underwater wildlives and sharks, and a monster load of water that could drown you. But really, it's nothing too scary!
I honestly had one of the best experiences of my life.
To those of you who are interested, here's how to get started.
1. First of all, you need to make sure you can swim. Don't worry, you don't have to be a pro at it, just as long as you're able to do a few laps, and you're comfortable in water, then you're good to go!
2. Do some research & choose a diver training organization that best suits you. I highly recommend PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). If you have zero experience and qualification, you will have to opt for the Open Water Diver Course, which was exactly what i took.
3. Next, you just need to pick a destination for your diving course. There are many many PADI dive centers around the world, so it's entirely up to you! (I did mine at Dive Down Below, in the state of Sabah, Malaysia).
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| DownBelow Dive Centre, Gaya Island, KK, Sabah. |
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| The View from DownBelow Dive Centre. |
4. Once you've decided on the destination, contact the particular dive centre and start planning your vacation! It's as easy as that.
My experience at Dive Down Below was beyond amazing. I traveled alone, but i instantly felt at home the moment i arrived at the dive center. Everyone was warm, fun and friendly! I could say it felt like the asian version of Hawaii - sunshine and blue skies, crystal clear blue water, divers in bikinis and surfers pants, tanned and toned Sabahan dive instructors with sun-kissed skin and golden hair who were constantly humming some chirpy song. Only things lacking were the ukulele and a cocktail shack, but too much alcohol is prohibited when diving so NEVERMIND. lol.
My Open Water Diver Course was for 4 days, and each day filled me up with new skill lessons and challenges. But there was nothing to worry about, cause my instructor, Tim is a macho man!
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| my instructor, Tim. |
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| Dropping into the water. |
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| Splash! |
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| Can you spot me? hehe |
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| Assembling the scuba gear. Freakin heavy! |
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| Prepping for the Open Water Dive! |
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| and we're good to go! |
As you can see, there's a white lady beside me taking the same Open Water Diver course. She's 59 years old but she has the spirit and determination of a 20 year-old. I wouldn't say this diving course was the easiest, because lots of underwater skills were required, and at one point we were required to do a swimming test - 200m swim in the middle of the sea with no gear at all, no goggles no mask no fins, but with strong seawaves that could eat you alive! She couldn't make it on the first try but did not give up. When she finally made it on the second try, i was honestly moved, was so proud of her i gave her a big tight hug!
On that very day, I learnt that AGE IS REALLY JUST A NUMBER. Such an inspiring lady :)
I even met the youngest diver Josephine, 10 years old!
However, this course did torture me a little when it came to studying & revising the theories of diving. Every damn evening when i came back from the island all tired and roasted, all i wanted to do was sleep and die in bed, but i still had to do homework & revision, in preparation for an MCQ theory exam. LOL SO MUCH FOR HAVING A BEACH VACATION.
Well, what i can say is, it was definitely worth it. Now i'm a certified open water diver, and i'm licensed to dive in any part of the world :)
I've got my diving licence. When is your turn? ;)
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