So....Maaike and I arrived on the crazy diving-mad island of Utila. I completed my Rescue Diver course. My instructor got decompression sickness which wasn´t a great start. He also was completely shit to be honest. When he got bent another instructor took over, Phil. He saved the day as he could actually teach and I finished the course with him, feeling like I could actually save a life. (Which is the point). I did a wreck speciality course which teaches you about penetrating the wrecks (of course I giggled like a child everytime they used the word ´penetration´ and once again felt like Joey from Friends.) I had decided to leave the island after the courses when all of a sudden I found my self drunk in the bar high-fiving everyone as they cheered ´´she´s staying woooo, new DMT!!´´
(DMT is Dive Master in Training for those who don´t know). Hmmm well seeing as I said it I guessed I should start with the training. I began the course and six weeks of fun ensued. During this time I got to assist on a Rescue Course which was SO MUCH FUN!! I think I fake drowned 100 times, I would take off my mask, my regulator, weight belt and act like a complete fool underwater to see if the guys could cope. My guy did well although he spent every second above the water cursing ´Damn you Shelley!´ I also completed my 100th dive there, which is traditionally done...naked. I didn´t think I would ever do it naked but found myself bikini-less trying to strategically cover my parts with a white board slate and failing miserably. I think it may have worked until the point where I couldn´t put my bikini bottoms back on and had to get my instructor to help. Oh the embarrassment.
The same day I did my final Dive Master test which was of course the ´snorkle test´. Oh dear. They taped a funnel to my snorkle and I placed the mask and snorkle over my head. Through the funnel they poured a beautiful concoction of Rum, Tequila, Beer, Sambuca, Coke and the real killer...HOT TABASCO SAUCE. Thanks guys. I sat on the bar trying to guzzle it down as quickly as it was being poured in with the crowd all cheering me on. Meanwhile, the hot sauce was burning my mouth and throat and my stomach - full of bubbles - was beginning the process of deciding that it must reject all of it´s contents. I tried to ignore the gagging reflex.
I finished the drink. Phew. The last mouthful landed mainly on Phil´s shorts as I just couldn´t take anymore and removed the snorkle from my mouth oops... I was just feeling the sense of relief that it was over when I realised I had to do the mask clearing skill. Crap. They poured beer into my mask until full and then I had to clear it to ´demonstration quality´. I was just trying not to be sick, screw demonstration quality.
Afterwards I ran to the bathroom, did a big burp and realised I didn´t have to be sick. It was a good moment. I survived the snorkle test and kept it all down including hot sauce. I have to say though that this was the worst test of all. I would rather have done the Physics test again than endure that...but it all ended well...
We also did a staff trip while I was there to Cayos Cuchinos. We did three dives (the last on a little plane wreck which was interesting). The dives were good there as it´s protected and we saw nurse sharks, baracuda, many pretty schols of fish, turtles...it was a great day. When we returned to the boat the drinking commenced. Oh dear. What a state...everyone was wasted when all of a sudden the captain spotted dolphins, I just remember hearing ´´Dolphins! Mask! In!´´ And so I drunkenly shoved my mask and fins on and leaped in. The dolphins swam around us and we could hear them chattering away underwater...it was a wonderful moment, then they swam away and we realised Danny the captain was not so impressed with us all abandoning ship oops.
We partied away on the boat until arriving back at the shop, jumped off the top dock together (which I have to say was considerably easier after drinking) and in the end only 3 of us made it out that night to continue the fun. I was proud to be one! One thing I loved there was the fact that I could just borrow the kayak with a friend and go diving together whenever we wanted. I had a lot of fun doing that. Except the day when the currents got strong and the dive shop sent the boat out to rescue us haha...oops... I also did some night dives with a friend and we sat watching the Phosphorescence, there were so many different types and some that dropped like falling stars surrounding us. It was magical.
There was also a night dive on the ship wreck. That was a really cool dive! We swam inside the wreck at night time, up the stairs and into the rooms. A lot of fun, and managed to see a little baby octopus changing colours in front of us :D We spent many nights just swimming around the dock playing with the phosphorescence which was a lot of fun and the sea was suprisingly warm at night. Oh and we all hired an island for the night for Kelly´s birthday which was brilliant..wow there´s so much to say about Utila...I cannot possibly fit it all in here!
Just to say that I learnt a lot there and became a hundred times a better diver. I passed the course and also completed some specialities and so I can now call myself a ´Dive Master Master Scuba Diver.´ Woop! I saw my first two cases of Decompression sickness there which were horrible but also a good warning on the dangers of diving and not following the rules. The chamber is not somewhere I ever want to end up.
The highlight of Utila was the chance to swim with whale sharks! I swam with these gigantic graceful magnificent creatures 9 times! The first time I slid into the water, looked down and the shark was swimming right towards me, looking at me, he swam underneath me and I was so awe-struck that I even forgot I had my camera in my hand...it was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G :D
So anyway, I finished the Dive Master course, said goodbye to my little apartment, all my friends and the ´comfort-zone´ I´d ended up in and headed off towards Nicaragua with great enthusiasm to see something new and be on the road again!
