My first dive ever!

Divemaster Marc

You never really know how you would react on your first dive, I was told.  So I decided to put it to the test.  Something about Takatuka really inspired me to take my first ever "Discover Scuba" dive there.  First, the dive shop looked very organized and clean, and the equipment looked in good condition (not that I'm an expert, haha). 

So after a breakfast cooked by Cathy, I decided to book with Marc. Good thing he was free that afternoon, since I was leaving the next day.  I was the only one taking the dive that day, which was fortunate because I think he had his hands full with me.  First, we had to go through some of the suits, because I'm 4'10" and tiny, so I couldn't possibly fit any of the suits. But we ended up with his first choice;  still a size too big.

I'm o.k.! Survived. Hehe.

So how did I react on my first dive?  We got about halfway down when I started imagining that my mask was filling up with water, and that my regulator wasn't working.  I also began to hyperventilate and breathe in my face mask.  In short I panicked, and I vigourously kept making the Not O.K. sign!  He had to bring me up again, let me float on my back and talk me through it to calm me down.  Only when I said that we could give it another go, and only after another pause did he let me descend again.

Check out the diveshop. Not me in my size-too-big suit.

It was o.k after that because I managed to go down 15 meters, when initially he only planned 10.  At the sandy bottom of the sea, we kneeled facing each other and he gave me some silent applause of congratulations.  We also swam around for about 45 mins. and saw coral grottos, sea cucumbers, eels (I thought they were snakes so I hurriedly asked him to steer me away), cardinals, angel fish, schools of other fish (big and small), and best of all a sea turtle.  The latter was a rare sight so I was lucky.  Too bad I didn't have a camera I could use.

Dry-mouthed and back on surface again, I said I was so tired.  Marc laughed because he was the one that carried me, so he should be the one to say it!  Anyway, thanks to Marc.  He's great! Takatuka is sulit!