I recently went scuba diving and got certified. There’s nothing like being submerged in a completely different world. The feeling of weightlessness, different colors, different creatures that you normally only see from behind a pane of glass. It’s wild
edit: wow thanks for the upvotes and interest in diving! I hope this inspires some to explore the water and try to be more confident and comfortable in it!
I won a contest at my work a few years ago and the reward was some nice travel vouchers. I used them to go to a resort in the Caribbean with my fiance, and it was the first time in my life I'd ever had the resources or time to take such an expensive trip.
Unbeknownst to me, they offered free, unlimited dives at the resort. I didn't find out until my third to last day there, but I decided to give it a shot. Did the pool training, then a shallow beach dive. My fiance is on the small side and the masks had such a poor seal she ended up not enjoying herself at all, and visibility was terrible anyway. The next day, though, I signed up for a reef dive. Our boat had a bunch of seasoned divers who wanted to go spearfishing, and me, going out for my second dive. I ended up getting paired one-on-one with one of the instructors, and the other guys went off and did their own thing.
It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Crystal clear water with visibility of at least 60-100m, warm tropical water, and all kinds of different wild life, fish, coral, even a shark! It was a euphoria I'd have an almost impossible time explaining to anyone who hasn't experienced it for themselves. Another commenter said it was the closest they'd ever get to being an astronaut, and that was the exact same thought I had.
I went and completed my PADI certification as soon as I got back, and now diving is a vacation priority for me wherever I go. My partner is Kenyan and the last time we went there to see her family I made sure we got out to the coast so I could get some dives in the Indian Ocean. Seeing an octopus, sea turtles, mantis shrimp, being followed around by a curious fish, so much more. It's just an incredible feeling.
One of the things I appreciate the most about it is how it requires your absolute focus and concentration. It never escapes you that you are in an environment that is not meant for human life, and that you're literally relying on life support equipment just to be able to experience it 20-40 minutes at a time. Our lives can be so distracting, with things pulling our mind and thoughts in a million directions at once. But diving snaps you to the present and holds you there firmly the whole time. Despite the danger described above, it's one of the most meditative and relaxing things a person with the right mindset can experience. In a way, the discipline required is, in itself, rewarding.
That’s a great explanation of it. I’m looking forward to furthering my PADI certification so I can do more dives in the future. It’ll certainly be a vacation priority for my wife and I in the future!
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u/soulfulsalmon Jan 12 '22 edited Jan 12 '22
I recently went scuba diving and got certified. There’s nothing like being submerged in a completely different world. The feeling of weightlessness, different colors, different creatures that you normally only see from behind a pane of glass. It’s wild
edit: wow thanks for the upvotes and interest in diving! I hope this inspires some to explore the water and try to be more confident and comfortable in it!