Open Water Dive- 11-13 sept 09

Been wanting to blog about my diving trip. Kept relishing the few days when i woke up to morning skies ( 6ish am), making our way to the communal area, to have our breakfast with droopy eyes, being briefed on our dive before setting out... * still daydreaming*
A pose by the showerheads before setting off.
Instructor briefing us. Giving us the face.. " oei dont take pictures first, listen to me..."

Of course, I did had like my last minute kinda doubts before setting off for the trip.
our scuba tanks. Our comrades we carry.
Things like:
" will i have difficulty equalizing? will i experience extreme pain like i did on the plane?"
" will i run out of oxygen? will i panic underwater? Will i hold my breath?"
" why did i sign up for this?"

However, all these were cast off the moment i depart from Mersing. It's not exactly the most comfortable ride, starting at 12am till about 4ish am? 3 of us girls slept a top deck (one bed), with the boat bumping to the breeze, with the cold sea wind across our faces...

I donned on my socks (the black and red BUM socks) in the middle of the night, as i attempt to cover as much of me as possible with my sweater. Pink socks belonging to meryl, the only lucky girl who escaped unharmed, no bites, no stings, no scratches. erm, nope, if we were to include nose-bleeds, we all bleed for this trip.

I still wear it underwater.. for fear of stings and cuts. And i still kena! In fact, that small exposed area ( as one can see) just above my ankle! My instructor is just pure amazed. And i din even realize! until i kept my scuba tank and saw the blood. Just little.

We will shuttle from sampans to boats, vice versa. Alot of interaction.

2-3 diving groups in sampan. Mostly were NUS students (some enjoying their weekend diving leisure , most of us taking our OW.) A tad cramp, but haha, eye candies for the guys when the ladies don their bikinis.Back in the evening, after dinner, it's sharing of post-dive experiences, chilling over beer for some. For us, it's saboteur after logging down our dives. I enjoy it. Oh, our group ( 5 of us)went on a small hike around the island, to Diver's Lodge. That's me using alternate air source! Trying hard not to hyperventilate as i have the tendency to float up!

That's me clearing my mask, as part of the training.

Practicing some of our hand-signals on land. You will be surprised how useful all these come in, when u cant talk, when u cant express your delight as seeing "NEMO!, DORY!", my buddy and i came up with more hand signals, like" slow down, calm down, feeling high( oxygen toxication), which eventually, we mostly just pat on each other, doing the "ok!" sign.

I so badly wanted to take pictures underwater!! I played with Jellyfish, starfish, saw a few humpheads, a friendly batfish, trigger fish, moray eel!
On our way back, looking all rich and happy.

Diving is not a clean, luxurious kinda sport. It's wet, sandy, tho not very tiring, exhilarating, very interesting kinda sport, as you subject yourself to breathing underwater. I like the fact, everyone who went on the trip had a common purpose, to share their passion, the interest for diving. To have their fill, knowing they will need the energy for the next dive, to have a good rest, knowing they will need to be alert for the next dive. To be well-equipped, watching out for each other. Buddy system.

To navigate using a compass underwater, to help each other out, should one run out of oxygen, to constantly be on the look out, for small or big creatures, to play with the fish as they circle around your legs.

It's a shiok feeling. to hear nothing, but the sound of your breathing... to know how a jelly fish feels likes, how a starfish feels like.

I'm glad i went. One thing off my list. Yeah.