Under the Sea – SCUBA Diving Experience

When was the last time that I did something for the first time, you ask? Not very long ago! Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Yes, I did SCUBA diving.

I’ve always loved the ocean. The beauty of the living creatures under the sea mesmerizes me. I would say I had a lot of chances to try diving, but I couldn’t get myself to try it. The idea of being underwater scared the heck out of me. My imagination goes wild of the dangerous possibilities that may happen. Think of drowning, for example!

Last week, I had another shot at trying it out. I was more confident because I had a bunch of experienced companions. I felt safe to be surrounded by 5-7 people who can save me in case something goes wrong. Haha!

If you haven’t tried SCUBA diving before, and you’re about to embark on your first attempt, below are some of the tips that may help you:

• Don’t be too confident and try to immediately go to the sea. Be smart and request that you practice. Our guide asked me to practice and train in the pool first. He had me go through 4 essential things before diving:
  • Breathe through your mouth, not through your nose. Use your diaphragm
  • Learn how to equalize
  • Don’t panic when water gets in your mask. Actually, don’t panic at all. Period.
  • Know your hand signals. They’ll come in handy. Makes sense, because you can’t talk underwater 😋

• It helps to have a guide. My flippers weren’t even useful, TBH. My guide did all the swimming for me, which was good. He knew what he was doing and where to go. At one point, I even felt like I was a dog on a leash. LOL.

• Just enjoy the experience. The ocean is beautiful. Take pleasure in seeing the breathtaking reefs and fishes. They’re something that you don’t always get to experience every day.

Would I do it again? Definitely. Possibly even independently. Next time, I WILL take stunning photos. Who knows? I might even get myself certified. 😉

Here’s a quick video by my brother-in-law, Mike Racho.