After watching so many shark thriller movies and being paranoid as usual, I never thought that I would step out of my comfort zone to try scuba diving for the very first time. I also didn’t like the idea that I would be so vulnerable underwater and unable to reach the surface in time should there be any accidents. But I decided to give it a try since it’s only a beginner lesson, and they open the course to even 10 year old kids!
Turns out, IT WAS ONE OF OUR BEST EXPERIENCES AT MALDIVES.
It costed us about USD 350 for 2 pax (~SGD 480) which included diving + photos, and this course is suitable for people with zero or little diving experience. Booking in advance is required, and we had to sign a indemnity form during registration.
Basic Introduction
On the day itself, I was having mixed emotions between being excited and nervous at the same time. After all, it was my first time and I really didn’t know how it will feel like. Our instructor gave us a basic training of hand signs and instructions to take note before we put on the diving equipment.
The equipment was super heavy!! I had issues walking down the steps into the water, and you really have to hunch your back if the weight is too heavy. But it’s just a few steps and if you really cannot make it, I think they can help! The weight is negligible once your body is submerged.
The instructor moved on to brief us about the breathing technique (which is basically the same as snorkelling). So if you have snorkelled before, this wouldn’t be an issue. Just remember not to breathe through your nose but your mouth instead. He also taught us how to clear the pressure from our ears and also the water from the goggles if water enters. He could also adjust our life jacket to control whether we float or sink.
Entering the Ocean
After we were comfortable under the water, we proceeded to submerge deeper by following the rope. For those who are worried due to zero experience, the rope allows you to grab onto something, so you don’t have to worry about the currents underwater. I actually became used to the breathing after a while, but I had to constantly blow the air out to reduce the pressure. I would say that it’s not too difficult to follow as long as you’re not afraid of being completely in the water.
I did have difficulties trying to balance myself in the water as the flippers was slightly obstructive. So I looked like an awkward starfish in water (according to R).
The view was so gorgeous beneath the surface, and unlike snorkelling where you only get to see a small part, we get to see the edges of the coral reef! Once we turned to our right, we couldn’t really see anything but the deep blue sea. (Might look a little intimidating to some! It actually made us excited as well)
The beginner scuba diving lesson on its own is quite safe, as long as you do not panic underwater. However, since the water isn’t too deep (12metres), I believe the instructor can adjust the lifejacket to make you float immediately in case of an emergency?
I Needed A Break!!
As we went deeper down, water started to go into my goggles which made my eyes sting quite badly. Somehow I had issues trying to get rid of the water. I think as much as I tried to remain calm on the outside, I panicked a little inside. I was trying to give those signals to my instructor that something was wrong, then I kept pointing to my eye and upwards – which means I want to go back up. R must be freaking out behind me, as he didn’t know what was happening. Our instructor brought me up to clear my goggles and we went back down again shortly.
I think water tends to enter the goggles in the deeper section (Or is it just me?) After a while, I was like: Forget it, let’s just move on. Before I knew it, we already completed the course and we were back on the surface. I didn’t think we went 12 metres down but the instructor told us so. I was pretty shocked! The course lasted about an hour excluding training.
Overall Verdict
I really love the whole scuba diving experience! Even though it is only a beginner lesson, it allowed me to have a solid feel of how it is like to dive without any experience. If budget wasn’t an issue, we would have gone for a 2 day course. R wasn’t especially keen at the start and he only obliged because I pulled him along. But after the course, he actually enjoyed it too!
This is quite a wordy post but I really want to note down every details of the experience and my personal thoughts so that those without scuba diving experience can know what it is like to try out for the first time!
