Scuba Diving!

So...J.Ward and I decided that while we had the opportunity we would take some scuba diving lessons. We signed up for the Open Water Course and started it last Tuesday (Feb 17th) and completed it on Thursday (Feb. 19th). Wow! It was an awesome experience!! The first day was just watching a DVD and going through the text book, then taking a test. Apparently we both passed because they let us get in the water the next day. We spent Wednesday morning in the pool, learning how to breath, clear our masks, equalize our ears, how to hover in the water, and what to do if you run out of air. In the afternoon, we went out into the ocean (shallow water) and passed off the skills we had learned in the pool. We did our first two dives there in the lagoon. While J.Ward was working with the instructor and I was watching them, a puffer fish swam right up and stared me in the eyes! He got so close that I had to back up so he wouldn't bump into me! He then swam over and had a look at J.Ward and then the instructor. Shaun, our instructor, actually had to shoo him away because he was being kind of a pest. The fish are very curious and sometimes even like to swim along with you. The area where we were diving was the same area we had previously snorkeled in but it was amazing to me how much better everything looks when you are right down there with it! Even the sea slugs looked better!

On Thursday, we did our two deep water dives. We drove out to Lau Lau Point, a spot where many divers go to train. I was very anxious and nervous before getting in the water as the waves were a little rough, but still o.k. for diving. As soon as we got under the water I felt myself relax and I began to enjoy the experience. Our first dive was just for fun and to see the sights. We followed a rope down over the reef into the deeper water (I think we went about 35 ft. deep), where everything opened up into this fantastic place. There were many different kinds of coral and sea anenomes and lots of tropical fish. Our instructor took us a little way out from where most of the divers were and we got to see a Green Sea Turtle swimming and feeding along the rocks and coral. It looked so graceful and was just like you see in the movies...only we were right there next to it! We then swam back to where many of the fish were. We saw tons of Butterfly fish of various colors and designs. We even saw a Pipefish, which is a bottom dweller that is very long and strange looking. Also, we saw a school of small Baracuda swim past! It was fantastic! And there is nothing like the weightless feeling of being in the water like that. J.Ward described it as something like being in a Disney adventure, with all the other divers swimming around and seeing their bubbles going up. It was fun! Our second deep dive was to pass off the remaining skills, one of which was going to surface after running out of air. We didn't actually run out of air but we had to act as if we had. It was a bit nerve wracking but we both managed to pass it off! I guess I was anxious and went up a little too fast but it was o.k. It was sad to have this day come to an end because the experience was so great!! I was exhausted but exhilirated! I don't know how many opportunities we will have to ever dive again like this, but it was well worth the effort and anxiety!!!!

Hafa Adai!!!