Scuba Diving

Posted by Marci on Dec 2, 2010 in | 0 comments

I stuck my foot into the extra thick wetsuit and tugged at the rubbery material. The Monterey fog dampened my skin making the wetsuit hard to pull up, and it took the help of my friend to wrestle the suit over my shoulders. He lifted the heavy regulator and tank onto my back and I almost fell backwards. I clipped on the weight belt, and waddled down the beach with my flippers in hand.

I felt as if I wore a Sumo wrestling suit as I fought the waves, each one knocking me on my rear-end as I tried to put my flippers on my feet. Icy water ran down my back as I almost lost my snorkel and mask to another wave. Why was I doing this? I had always been afraid of the deep ocean.

Then we began to descend into the kelp forests. A whole world opened beneath the surface. Fish nibbled at seaweed and colorful starfish decorated the ocean floor. I felt the freedom of weightlessness as I listened to the Darth Vader sound of my regulator.

By the time we returned to the beach, my lips were blue and I felt like I’d spent an hour buried in snow. Determined to never dive in cold water again, I headed to Thailand to try out my new skill.

As I jumped off the boat in Rachayai, a rainstorm blew in. From below the water, the raindrops looked like diamonds on the surface. I became peaceful as I descended into a world filled with colorful coral gardens of deep purple, blue, green, and orange. Bright fish swam around me as I explored a sunken ship. I saw sea horses, sharks, and cuttle fish. I followed a large, blue fish whose skin reflected a rainbow of color as he swam. I moved closer to get a better look, but he turned and started towards me, his fang-like teeth a little too close for comfort.

I must admit, I’m not an experienced diver. Someone told me that on your fiftieth dive you become comfortable. I still float to the surface too quickly at the end of my dive due to negative buoyancy from my tank. I’m terrified before each dive, but the peace I find under the water, and the amazing life I get to see, will always bring me back even though I’m afraid.