Published: 18 June 2016
By: William
Scuba Diving History
For Scuba Diving or Recreational Diving History please check it here.
My History
I still recalled during the university days. My two high school close friends were already experiencing the underwater world. One of them was a Marine Biology student and the other was my classmate in the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. I witnessed them carrying cylinder tanks and at that time I had no idea what it was for. They informed me that those were scuba tanks used for breathing underwater. And they have showed me what they caught for their science experiment. It was a clown fish. Have you seen "Finding Nemo"? After I saw that beautiful fish, I told myself, one day I will become a certified scuba diver.
The opportunity came when I was assigned in Bali, Indonesia for the submarine power cable project. That was in 2012. Bali is well known for beautiful beaches, surfing and scuba diving. The place is also rich in culture. I was assigned there for 6 months. Luckily, the project location was at the country side and near to beautiful coral reefs and the Menjangan Island.
Menjangan Island Dive Site (Coral Cliff)
I enrolled the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Open Water Diver Course for one month because I arranged my class only at weekends during my off day.
PADI Open Water Diver Course
There are other courses aside from PADI. I have chosen PADI because it has established its standard, reputation and name.
First Dive in the Pool
The experience of breathing underwater for the first time was so breathtaking. You can hear the sound of the bubbles. You can feel the bubbles flowing out from the regulator touching your cheek and ears. The experience was unique and makes you want to stay in the water for a longer time. The scuba tank with the Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) is quite heavy on air but in the water the weightlessness kicks in. You will want this fantastic experience! This is just at the pool, how much more in the sea!
First Day of Training
PADI instructor will brief you on the basics of SCUBA diving. You will receive a book for you to study and guide you on the Open Water Diver course. You will encounter some Physics subjects for this course. The most important thing that you will learn and you must not forget is how to minimize the risk and maintain high safety standard for recreational diving. Safety is the highest priority in everything that we do. The book will teach you everything regarding SCUBA diving.
Now they have an on-line course for the lecture and examination. If you have enrolled in the on-line course and you passed the test, you can skip the first day of training. Once you enrolled at the PADI dive centre, you just show the test result and the instructor will refresh you on the safety aspect just to make sure that you understand the basic of scuba diving safety. After that, you will experience your first dive in the pool.
Second Day of Training
Examination. I have the whole week to study all what was written on the book. I passed the test and I was so excited for my first dive but only in the pool.
My instructor readied my scuba gears. He explained to me the functions and uses of all the gears needed for scuba diving. The basic gears are listed below:
HEAD PART
BODY PART
On my first dive, the instructor was observing me on how I swam underwater using the fins. He told me, one of the important things to learn was the proper way of paddling and breathing under water. In paddling properly, you will be able to navigate and stay on course during the dive. Specially when there is water current, sometimes you have to avoid the strong current. In breathing underwater, you will breath using your mouth. you have to inhale and exhale maximally in such away that you can feel your lungs are empty and repeat the process again. In doing this, you will be able to efficiently used your air tank and enjoy the scenery underwater a longer time.
My Instructor was checking my SCUBA diving gear
Third Day of Training
My second dive was in the pool and at the open sea.
In the morning, we dived again in the pool. This time the instructor taught me on what to do in case of emergency. These are common accidents that can be avoided:
- Difficulty in breathing - I have experienced this during the training. He told me just remember to trust your diving gear and try to keep calm so that you will not panic. Once panic kicks in, disaster will happen. And also, stick to your diving buddy all the time.
- Mask gets accidentally hit by other diver's fin - Number one rule, do not PANIC! Remember to breath on your regulator through your mouth and open your eyes underwater. Try to find your mask and put it back slowly. He will teach you on how to put the mask back and remove the water inside your mask underwater.
- Regulator was accidentally detached from your mouth - Do not PANIC! If you cannot find your regulator, bend at your right side and eventually you will notice your regulator will be dangling at the side. If still not found- octopus regulator to the rescue.
- Regulator malfunction - If this happened, octopus regulator to the rescue. That is the main reason there is a secondary regulator. The second reason is for you to share to your diving buddy if both his regulator and octopus failed. Buddy system is very important in recreational diving. NEVER DIVE ALONE!
In the sea, it was my first time diving in the artificial coral reefs. The community is planting new corals in order to repair the damage done previously by illegal fishing. They have done a good job that in the future I want to volunteer in establishing artificial coral reefs.
Fourth Day of Training
I passed all the practical training! The fourth day was my official dive before I will become a PADI Open Water Diver. Actually, it was not that the difficult. You just have to focus on the task at hand.
The challenging part was controlling your buoyancy. It has a vital role in SCUBA diving. You have to master your buoyancy because you have to protect the coral reef and the worse thing you can do is to damage the corals that was already there for hundreds of years. Some corals are highly sensitive. To have a balanced buoyancy means your diving experience will be satisfying.
It was so rewarding having been introduced to the new world just beneath the waves. My dream has finally come true!
Certified PADI Open Water Diver
The hand sign means "Okay"
To start your underwater adventure; you can check the deals for hotel bookings at this websites: Agoda.com and Booking.com.
God Bless and Never Give Up on Your Dreams!
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