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Rebecca's Ocean Dive

Wednesday, 19 November 2008

The underwater world is amazing!

After our pool sessions, J. and I had to complete tasks on three open-water boat dives and two beach dives in order to complete our dive classes and certification. We had a busy, but exciting, week in the ocean!

The morning before our day on the boat, I was incredibly excited and nervous. I hadn't been able to sleep the night before because I was so anxious to get in the ocean. I also haven't been on a boat in years and was worried I might become seasick. We had a call-time at 5 a.m. to get on a boat that would take us out of the Santa Barbara Harbor and out to Santa Cruz Island. After I popped some seasickness pills, we loaded our gear onboard, got ourselves oriented, and I curled up below deck for a cold, brief nap. Suddenly I heard a neighbor in the bunk next to me mention, "Dolphins on the bow!" I literally leaped from my bunk and raced to the front of the boat. Dolphins were everywhere! On all sides and in front of me, leaping up into the air, and back down below the surface. They were having a blast! I stood in amazement until they changed course and faded from my sight. As I returned to my bunk below I realized what I was actually about to do - breathe underwater in the ocean, home to my favorite animal, the dolphin! We would be sharing the same space, and I would be seeing the world the way they see it. I lost all worry about seasickness, and from that moment on, I knew that everything would be okay. I couldn't WAIT!

It took a lot of patience to control our bodies in the ocean. Here, in contrast to our diving classes, we had weights, very heavy gear, and lots of it! The buoyancy that I had practiced over and over in the pool was nonexistent in this cold, salty water. But by our second and third boat dive, J. and I had improved immensely. We could relax and explore this entirely new world!

Swimming 30 feet underwater was an amazing experience. The first thing I realized was how small I seemed. There were kelp forests instead of trees, and fish flying by instead of birds. Bright, orange Garibaldi swam right up to me and examined my funny-looking mask. Colors were everywhere! There were moments where I literally felt like I had been shrunken down into a tidepool. By the boat, we followed rocky reefs, and off the beach, my compass navigated me over surfperches, crabs, and sand dabs, hiding underneath the sand. There was life everywhere!

After our last beach dive, our certification was complete! I felt like I emerged from the waves a new person! Although this process has been tons of fun, it has also been a lot of work, both physically and mentally. But J. and I made it! And I am so proud of us. Not only did J. face his fears of being in a body of water, but he pushed himself to explore this huge world he has been avoiding his whole life! And the best part? He LOVES it! When we walked onto the beach together, J. said, "That was awesome! Can we go back in?" Hearing this from J. filled me with so much happiness. I truly believe that if everyone could learn to explore this wonderful world underwater, they could see that it's not so scary or intimidating. It is beautiful!

I am so thankful to Annie for giving me this experience - this is something I have wanted to do my entire life! Now I know that one day, I will be able to swim with wild, free dolphins, and see the world through their eyes. This is only one experience I dream about, and now I know that my dreams are reachable. It will happen!

Thanks for sharing this experience with me! I encourage you to get in the water, make your own discoveries, and dream big! See you under the sea!