I was on vacation in Cancún mid November 2017 and a two of my hostel mates invited me to join their dive. I had never been scuba diving before and was quite nervous at the idea of being submerged underwater and surrounded by marine life.
However, I'm not one to back down from new and exciting experiences, so I joined with a bit of fear and worry on my mind.
We got to Squalo Divers bright and early to begin the in class portion of our diving informational session (two of the three of us didn't have PADI certification).
Our in-class instructor, whose name I cannot recall (tall guy who lived in Canada for a bit), was very thorough and explained in great detail the joys and the risks involved in diving. While I appreciated his thoroughness, I became riddled with all of the potential "what ifs" that could go wrong.
I just kept thinking about what would happen if I panicked under water and pressed the red button(to inflate my vest) and shot up to the surface of the water. I remained cool, calm and collected on the outside, but my mind was racing all the while the instructor spoke.
After the classroom session we made our way over to the hotel to practice in the pool, before heading out to the ocean. We began with simple breathing exercises and slowly made our way underwater to implement our practices.
I submerged my head underneath the surface of the water and did exactly what they said not to do (Silly me, I know. Blame it on the nerves!) and held my breath causing me to panic. I quickly gave our field instructor the thumbs up signal indicating that I wanted/needed to go back up.
I took my head out of the water and removed the breathing regulator from my mouth. The field instructor rose to the surface and asked what was wrong. My fears had manifested and simultaneously disrupted my thought process.
I had become consumed with fear and was so close to quitting (before the real fun even began). I started crying and second guessing if the experience would be worth it. The field instructor reassured me that I would be okay and that I needed to trust myself.
I calmed down and began trying again, this time he held my hand (literally) and took me through the process, step by step. I am so grateful for his patience and understanding. I didn't feel judged or like I was wasting his time. I felt comforted and reassured, thus boosting my confidence in trying this new experience.
We headed out into the beautiful blue ocean that lies between Cancún and Isla Mujeres and began our dive at the Underwater Museum.
We fell backward into the water and made our way down the rope, pressurizing our ears in the process. Once to the bottom, the field instructor ( all the praise for an incredible amount of patience) held my hand and guided me around until I felt comfortable exploring on my own.
We swam around, exploring for a bit, viewing the museum and all of the cool "ship wrecked" pieces that were underwater. Our second dive was at beautiful coral reef ( I kept thinking of Finding Nemo and secretly hoped to see a Clown Fish, a Pacific Blue Tang and an anemone. I realized afterwards that I was in the wrong part of the world see those little fishies, lol.) that was bursting with marine life. We saw a sting ray, numerous species of fish including several schools, a beautiful little turtle and much more.
At the end of our dives I was incredibly happy with my choice to go through and live this new experience. I cannot imagine having my first dive with any other Scuba Diving company.
Due to the incredible experience that I had, I plan to get my PADI certification on my next vacation in Thailand or somewhere that I can see our beloved Disney - Pixar fish friends - Nemo and Dory.
A million "thank yous", Squalo Divers, you all made my first diving experience one that I'll never forget.
Be well and happy diving! read more