Finally diving
Today we the day we’d been waiting for. Mat and I were awake and up before 7am! What a stark contrast from the previous couple of days. The pair of us had our cereal for breakfast. I had some nice and simple chocolate hoops, nice to drink the chocolate milk at the end. The instructor had given us the all clear today, and we were finally going to be scuba diving in the ocean. Woohoo! Click here for the first day of scuba diving.
We made our way to the dive centre and waited for our transport to the harbour. There were a few others there too, waiting with us. The taxi was only 10 minutes or so to the harbour. Once we were on board the boat, we took a seat, and set sail. Here we go! It took us around 40 mins to get to the first dive site. Whilst we were waiting, we had to set all our gear up. This included the wet suit, fins, BCD, mask, and the rest. There’s quite a lot to check, but you get the gist, and the instructor will always check with you.
Prepare to dive!
Once all our gear was sorted, we just had a short wait until we got to the dive site. We were finally ready for scuba diving in the ocean. Everyone got suited and booted, and took the step of faith into the water. As long as you remain calm and follow the instructor’s instructions, you’ll be fine. It can be easy, at least when you’re a newbie, to get into a panic. For example: if you start drifting away, if you swallow some water, if you feel you’re falling behind. Just lie back and take some deep breaths, you’ll be fine. Besides, the faster you breathe, the quicker you’ll run out of oxygen and ruin it for everyone else!
Once we were on the bottom of the sea floor, we followed Khuong. The visibility wasn’t very far, but what I saw was stunning. It blew my mind to finally see the ocean floor. All of the fish, the corals, and the reefs were awesome. It’s not as colourful as it is on the TV (because the use a filter), but it’s still incredible. I don’t think there’s a situation which is more serene and peaceful. There’s next to no sound, and everything that happens on the ocean floor is so fluid and calming. Scuba diving in the ocean is so much fun, I recommend to all that are capable. This is truly a great place to relax.
Alongside the scenes, we also had to practice some of our skills. This included controlling our buoyancy (not rising or falling), as well as clearing our masks. Taking my mask off to clear it will always make me panic, I swear. As soon as the rush of water it’s my face I just lose it haha. Someday I’ll get there I’m sure.
Coming up for air
Our first time lasted around 45 minutes. When your oxygen level gets to a certain point, you have to ascend. We climbed back on the boat and took our gear off. The oxygen cylinders were swapped out straight away, but we left the rest of the gear on the benches. Once everyone was on board, we started off again to the 2nd dive site. There was a lot of fresh fruit prepared for everyone, plus hot drinks and cold water. I grabbed a plate and had some mango, watermelon, dragon fruit and a banana. Except for the banana, I don’t think I’ve ever tried the other fruits before Asia. To be honest, I loved them all, especially Mango!
Mat and I were beginning to feel sea sick during the boat ride. In fact, as I was getting ready for the 2nd dive, I was sure I’d throw up. Thankfully, as soon as I got in the ocean again, the seasickness disappeared entirely. This left me able to enjoy the scuba diving in peace. Again, it was truly awesome, more wicked corals, reefs, and fish too. This dive followed the same schedule as before, some sightseeing, followed by some practicing of our skills. Our 2nd dive lasted around 50 minutes before we had to go back to the boat.
Setting sail for the shore
Once we were back on the boat, we took our gear off and washed everything. We then enjoyed a nice bowl of chicken curry, courtesy of the Captain’s wife/relative. Mat and I thought it was great, but the others said the previous cook was better. After eating and drinking, our main focus was not being sick. We had a good chat with Nina, a dive master, and Khuong too. I also took the opportunity to just enjoy the sunshine, blue skies, and the breeze on my face. Such perfect circumstances to be in. Once we were back at the harbour, we took the taxi back to the dive centre, then made our way to the hostel.
The scuba diving in the ocean was pretty tiring, so we decided to go for a quick nap. Once this had been accomplished, we headed out for dinner. I had chicken breast cooked in onions and wine, with some french fries on the side. It was a very delicious meal. I’m surprised at how good the food has been in Asia, can’t think of many meals I’ve not enjoyed. After also enjoying some pudding, we went back to base and turned in for the night. More scuba diving awaits us tomorrow!
