Scuba Steve

Sunday, July 8th 2012

My one word to describe the day: oscillating

So, after talking my big game about “scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef” I actually had to execute when I woke up this morning. Clare looked all ready to go in her board shorts and scuba certification card in hand and I couldn’t help realizing that I may or may not be insane for agreeing to do an “intro dive.”  I calmed myself as we waiting for the bus outside our hotel. I thought, how challenging can it actually be if they take heaps (Australian term) of people out on the reef every day.  I laughed it off.  Clearly everything will be fine and maybe I’ll even have a special scuba talent.

Ha.  Anyone who has met me for more than 5 minutes knows that I am a walking magnet for the most incredibly awkward and dangerous things.  You think this would be any different?  So, the boat pulls out on the waters and the captain gets on the loudspeaker and tells us it’s going to be a rough and rocky ride so prepare yourselves.  Prepare myself? For what?  Well, soon I found out.  The weather in Cairns this past week has been windy and overcast, making it extremely difficult for boats and lowering the visibility for divers.  As I was sitting on the top deck my stomach was twisting and turning and my head was spinning.  I had taken ginger tablets with Clare just before in case and I thought I would be fine.  I casually asked one of the crew members how long the ride would be, to which they replied two and a half hours. WHAT!!!!!! Any one who also knows me knows that despite my medical interest I have an extreme aversion to anything to do with vomit and/or people in the act.  I tried to calm myself by looking out the window but unfortunately it wasn’t working.  Poor Clare had already surrendered as well as about half our ship.  As if I wasn’t nervous enough, I couldn’t even listen when the crew was giving the lesson about the air tanks and masks because I was silently panicking. 

The warship

             The calm before the storm

I eventually occupied myself by talking to a Canadian family next to me on a holiday (Australian term) with their daughter.  They were extremely nice and put up with my inane chatter.  I also bothered the couple to my left who were from NYIT on a holiday as well.  They were just going snorkeling and wondered why I would ever try scuba diving for the first time in these Pacific swells. To be honest, I almost backed out.  Motivating me were the incredible views and on the way I even saw the tail of a humpback whale as it reached the surface.  Truly breathtaking.

I laid down the rest of the time to the reef which seemed to help my stomach.  I zipped up my wetsuit (after zipping my leg in it the first time, OUCH) and hobbled down the stairs to meet my fate.  I was in group number 2 which meant I was going out to the reef right away.  However, the crew had trouble tying the boat down because of the wind and waves so we waited about another half an hour.  In this half an hour I tried so hard not to be sick.  I started talking to a Scottish man in my group and I was like “Oh, hey I’m really scared” and he was like “Oh, okay.” I thought I made a friend, but then I got moved to a group of people who only spoke Portuguese and they couldn’t understand the safety instructions/couldn’t help me if something went wrong underwater.  GREAT.  I just sat at the platform and let the crew (not bad looking I might add) yank on my weight belt, tank, flns, and mask and tried to look cool.  I think they saw past it though as when I was pushed into the water I choked and screamed that I couldn’t breathe.  After I actually put the right breathing tube in my mouth I tried going underwater and practicing the skills of clearing my mask of water by blowing out my nose, taking out the mouth piece underwater, and equalizing my ears.  Not so easy.  It was so hard to breathe and to see and the waves were rocking me into the boat.  Clare was already out there on her dive and I quickly hoped she was feeling okay and safe in the water.  Right as I got used to breathing, I went totally under with my guide and two others and she guided us around the boat.  These were easily the most terrifying 2 minutes of my entire life.  I couldn’t see one inch in front of me, I couldn’t breathe well, and my ears were compressing with the pressure.  Already at least 3 of intro divers dropped out just sitting on the platform and all I could think of was that I should have done that.  How long were we going to be under this water?  After what seemed like ages, one person in my group dropped out and we surfaced.  It was now just my guide, Tawnay, and another woman.  Here goes nothing.  She started swimming and told us that now we were going to the reef. OH! No one told me that going underwater like that was just practice.  Some of my fear subsided.

Finally, after choking on so much water and holding on to Tawnay’s hand for dear life, she deflated my vest and we sank.  Once we got really deep in the water, the breathing actually got easier.  Finally, I saw what I came for.  I saw the magnificent colors of the reef and the schools of fishes swim before my eyes.  I felt comfortable now and kept giving Tawnay the “ok” sign underwater which was completely unnecessary.  I had an underwater camera and snapped a few pictures of what I could.  Tawnay reached her hand into a giant brown and green hole shape and I did the same.  It was seriously slimy and started to close when we touched it.   I later found out it was a giant clam!  This once in a lifetime journey went on for about 20 more minutes until we swam back to the boat.  I couldn’t breathe but as soon as the crew yanked me out the water they were keeled over laughing at me as I screamed, “That was awesome!” --coming from the girl who basically threw a tantrum before.   I regrouped with Clare who also enjoyed her dive but was still feeling under the weather.  She is seriously a champion for pulling through that dive.

I third wheeled my NYIT friends’ snorkeling trip out after my dive was over.  We swam out with one of the guides and she was hilarious the entire time.  Although the visibility was not very clear, I was still able to enjoy the remarkable view until a swell filled up my snorkel.  A wave carried us out farther than we should have been and the crew started blowing the whistle from the boat.  I was actually scared until a diver from another boat came over with a life tube and I held on.  I got to talking with him and found out he was from Melbourne and had been working here for 4 months.  I casually held on to the tube with one hand and put my face into the water.  I ended up getting a guided tour of the reef!

After an eternity, we reached land, and Clare and I basically sprinted to our room off the bus.  After a shower and some food, we both aren’t feeling too hot.  But we did it.  Oscillating were the waves, our stomachs, and my nerves.  Oscillating my bravery, courage, and happiness.  But always stagnant is the Great Barrier Reef, despite the weather or wind on the surface.  I truly conquered a fear today, and that is enough for me.