So scuba diving is weeeeeeird. Its really cool, because you see fish from Finding Nemo and stuff. But I’m just weirded out by the idea you can breathe under water.
here fishy fishy
here fishy fishy
The breathing mask makes you sound just like Darth Vader, and I keep humming the theme from Star Wars while waiting my turn to demonstrate my scuba skills. “The Imperial March,” I believe its called.
We spent the first two days waking up early and watching cheesy videos about scuba diving, and reading 200 plus pages of material about how not to die underwater. All the things that can go wrong are frightening, but accidents are really rare, so thats good. Our friend Indiana Katie is getting her Advanced certification, so she’s been going to 40 meters and on night dives and to ship wrecks and crazy stuff. Hearing that there are shipwrecks and pirates makes me want to scuba. Piracy is motivating.
I’ll be happy if I don’t hyperventilate myself out of the water.
studying for scuba finals I’d forgotten how hard it was to focus on reading and videos in school, especially for like five hours straight. But the room was air conditioned, and it is my life at stake, so we pulled it together. Highlighting fun facts in the book was exciting. and we’re learning all sorts of cool new words I can’t wait to throw in a conversation all casual and recreational diver-like, such as nitrous poisoning and asking people what their total bottom time is and what pressure group they’ll be in after ascending 18 meters for 48 minutes, and having long drawn out conversations about the proper fin.
The biggest challenge I’m overcoming in scuba is realizing you really do have to focus and remain totally calm and in control of your actions. Calm and in control are not my strongest points. I wasn’t breathing properly, holding my breath because I was scared there wasn’t going to be more air, so while everyone else is kneeling at the bottom of the ocean, i keep floating up and up and up and giving mini screams in my breathing tank until I calm myself down. Second in terrible to the calm breathing is getting on the wetsuit, which is a really fun dance to do in front of lots of people, trying to make all your wobbly bits not wobble. There is no such thing as a graceful wetsuit entry. Our instructor, Ben, is British, befreckled, and kinda looks like a taller version of the cuter hobbit in Lord of the Rings, and I have a mini crush on him, so I’m trying to be a very good student.
my stitches. possibly barbed wire. Right now we’re waiting for the medical clinic to open so I can get my stitches removed. Yes, the barbed wire stitches in my foot are finally ready to come out! We tried doing them ourselves with scissors, but I felt faint. However, health care in Central America is sliiiiiightly sketchy, so this is a bit nervewracking right now and I’m writing panicky messages to people that smell faintly of tetanus. And panicky travel blogs. As one does.
By this time tomorrow we’ll have reached 18 meters, which is like…ummmmm 18 times 3 is 54 something feet below the surface!! Thats crazy. Its pretty cool though. This is something I never thought I would do, and I’m really glad I’m doing. So yay Gringa Fest!
Miss you love you wish you were here
Raquel
Cover of Open Water (Full Screen Edition) PS other movies I shouldn’t have watched before coming on this trip….Open Water.
Yikes.Related articles
- 235: GringaDiaries: SCUBA-Certified in Utila (racheldangerw.wordpress.com)
- 233: GringaDiaries: Heyoooo Honduras! (racheldangerw.wordpress.com)
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