Some moments were indeed wondrous, some were traumatic and others, just uncomfortable. I didn't take to diving like a 'duck to water' but I think I'd get there with more practise. Here's a pic of my teacher 'Nelson' (a good sea-faring name). The traumatic and uncomfortable bits begin with the weights and the oxygen cannister attached to the jacket - I knew if I'd just needed to bend down to adjust my fins I could never have straightened up again from the knees. The next challenge was sitting and falling backwards from the side of the boat and trying to remember all the instructions about using 3 fingers to hold the regulator in place and 2 to hold the mask in position and use the other hand at the back of your head to keep the mask on. It takes a lot to let go of being in control and just to fall backwards off a boat. Next bit was my 3 lessons to be learned in the water - breathing thru the regulator, losing my regulator and learning how to retrieve it then rid it of water while underwater, Third lesson is having your mask fill up with water and learning how to expel the water while underwater. I had to fight a small panic attack forming as I adapted to the mass of air bubbles that form around your face as you expel breath and that then multiply in line with your panic as you breath faster and harder. At this point I wanted to give up and tried to prepare Nelson by saying 'it really doesn't matter if I don't dive today Nelson!' nustering up as much dignity as I could, but we settled for taking things nice and slowly and giving me time to get used to the regulator and calm my breathing. Nelson explained the underwater signals we would use like 'I'm ok' and 'I'm in trouble' but he responded in the nagative to my question of whether there might be one we could use for 'I'm sorta ok I just need more time' which was a shame. Anyhow, I'm proud to say I passed lessons 2 and 3 with flying colours and so wentook my first dive - going down 9-10 metres, having to equalise by popping my ears asnwe descended. Nelson had suggested 45 mins for the first dive but he'd spooked me again by the fact that I couldn't just surface at will as we'd need to surface gradually and equalise to the pressure so we settled on 30 mins and then ascend so I could digest it all. I'm afraid I'm one of these people that have to understand the theory too. All went well and I really enjoyed the dive a lot - we surfaced and I had an hour before dive 2 which I anticipated with pleasure. For dive 2 we took the boat out to more open waters which didn't have the calming influence of the bay and the waves were strong so as Nelson briefed me on our next dive while we were treading water and explained to me the inflation mechanism and how to release it as we descended straight down the waves were washing over my mouth and nose and so at that point it all just felt too much too soon and I decided 'enough for one day' and that i'd opt for 'living to fight another day'. And so it turns out it's not as easy as all that now I've tried it - I'm glad I did and I'll have another go in Sulawesi when I'm there in August!
