I still could clearly remember the first time I learned how to breathe underwater. It was a diving trip with relatives in Batangas and I got introduced to Discover Scuba Diving (introductory dive course). Everything about the experience then was new for me. From the surface, the rush of cold air after my first intake from the regulator was exhilarating. The unnatural feeling of continuously breathing through my mouth was uneasy at the start, with me continuously fighting the urge to inhale through my nose. I was in a wetsuit and had gears with me that I didn't know how to operate. All the dive master instructed me to do was to relax, breathe slowly and deeply and enjoy the view. Seconds later, I looked up and saw the bottom of our boat, realizing I was already on a sandy area of the sea bottom with schools of colorful fish swimming around us. The thought of being under the ocean, already able to breathe calmly from the cylinder, and feel weightless immediately thrilled me. There was so much to see in the entirely new environment I was in. I wanted the experience to last longer...Five years after, I was in this same dive site already earning my PADI Open Water Dive Certification.

 

What made me comeback in the water?

 

1. Diving soothes the mind and senses. Every breath of air is calming and satisfying. The flow of bubbles as I exhale and the rhythmic sound of breathing in and out of the regulator seems to provide a relaxing background to the ambiance, akin to that of meditation. The underwater environment is just pure eye candy.

 

2. Every dive experience is a unique story to tell. Once we get out of every dive, we would always be eager to discuss with our buddies what we saw underwater and how the dive went. One time, I was able to spot giant clams, a clownfish and a lionfish.  The next time, I could proudly claim that I've seen a sea turtle in its natural habitat. This makes me look forward to every dive experience: have a manta ray hover above my head, a whale shark glide below me or dolphins swim around me. Those are just the few.

 

3. Comes with every dive is a new learning. I get to develop skills on how to improve buoyancy control, breathe and move through the water more efficiently, navigate underwater or even how to respond to different situations. I learn how to identify species of fish, corals and other sea creatures I've never seen before. All of these make diving never boring. It always feels good coming out of every dive realzing that I have new skill and knowledge.

 

4. Diving is a social and interactive activity. One practice in diving is that you always dive with a buddy, looking out for each other come what may. This makes diving a shared experience. We learn together, plan the dive and dive the plan together and discuss the dive experience together. From the drive to the location, the boat ride to the dive site, the actual dives and even to the post-dive activities, the thrill of the activity stays as you catch up, interact and share stories with friends and diving buddies.

 

5. Diving is fun and challenge, combined. There are plenty of diving techniques and skills to learn which push me to continuously level up my capabilities. Advanced and specialization certifications with varying levels of difficulty that I could take fill up my bucket list, not to mention the countless options for dive spots in the Philippines (and even other countries) I would want to visit. All of these give me the opportunity to grow in this hobby, while enjoying it at the same time.