Last weekend, I completed (and passed) my PADI Open Water scuba class, which is a good thing considering I'll be diving daily for six months starting at the end of June. We did our open water skills in Lake Travis, while the weather and conditions on the surface were perfect (see pics below), the conditions underwater left a little to be desired. The water temperature was about 62 degrees and the visibility was 4-6 feet, meaning I couldn't see the front half of my instructor's body when I was swimming behind him, only his fins that were kicking me in the face, and sometimes I could barely see those. Even with the frigid water and poor "viz" as the cool scuba kids call it, I loved every single minute of it. I love the thrill of breathing underwater, a place where we air breathing humans just aren't meant to be. I love sitting still on an underwater platform while perch swim back and forth in front of my mask, begging for treats like dogs. (People often feed them Vienna sausages, apparently). I love the complete silence, only hearing your breath and bubbles. I love the complete concentration required to scuba dive, staying calm under new and sometimes stressful situations, maintaining your buoyancy, checking your air, checking your depth, learning how to navigate in a foreign environment, exploring places you've never been before. There is no time for distractions or idle thoughts - keep breathing, swimming, checking your gauges and soaking in the underwater world around you. If I was this thrilled to be diving in murky waters, I can only imagine what it will be like to dive in the crystal clear Indian Ocean with bright tropical fish, coral and maybe even a whale shark or two.
Congratulations on new certification!
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