We have spent the last 4 agonising and very tiring days learing how to dive in the deep sea. This may sound like a doddle, but beleive us it is not! Spent 2 days training and studying and doing exams in the classroom and pool then hit the Great Barrier Reef. Honestly, it was so scary getting into the ocean, knowing what is in there! Also we had to do so many tests/practices and had an instructor called Fabion who was extremely hard on us. "Two times bad and you fail" he would continue to tell us regularly. The effort that goes into learning everything is sooooo much more than we had expected! Here's a few things... Learning how to breath in the correct amount of oxygen so you don't run out and die! How to suface at a certain time and rate without getting Nitrogen Bubbles in your brain. How to keep yourself under and how to ascend with 4 weights strapped to you! How to take off your life jacket and air and STILL swim! Stuff like, "neutral buoyancy", taking off and cleaning your mask under water, taking out your regulator (air flow) from your mouth and finding it while 18 metres down. All this as well as watching out for the marine life that may give you a nasty sting, bite or kill you! Hmmmmmmmmmmm!
Anyway, the first few dives were very scary, we saw a white tail shark on our first dive, 1.2 metres long, which we have been told is a very rare thing to see 1st time! On our fourth dive we saw 2 sea turtles (which were great). They were muching away on seaweed, which supposedly gets them drunk! ha!
It's Saturday night now and we are "well chuffed". Off out to celebrate! Now wherever we go we can go scuba diving and do what the hell we want! It was absolutely magical and on our last dive (after we had passed) we were so happy. I watched nemo for ages, saw a puffer fish, a turtle, and loads of amazing creatures that I havn't got a clue of their names!
We can't wait for the next dive!
Have a look at our photo underwater!
xxxx
