Crossing it off the list

Yeah!!!!! Finally I get to cross off "Learn Scuba Diving" from the I WISH list

I took the lesson at Diverse Borneo. 3 days course is rm900. Google Diverse Borneo if you need more info.

The first day started with a classroom session that took like almost 4 hours. All theory stuff were taught during the 4 hours. I tell you, for any 3 or 4 days scuba diving course it is always a crash course. So many things to learn!

Then the second day is more to practical skills and a confined water dives. I am still pretty much terrified that the fact the moment you started being introduced to the equipments, the next thing you know you are doing the back roll from the boat. Going down tank first with the air supply (regulator) in your mouth.

God damn! It's like a shock to me! And being a swimmer I am not good with fins.  If you swim without fins you are not supposed to kick so much (as in swimming in the pool) but if you are wearing fins, you gotta do big kicks. Everything is a shock.

Thank God for the perfect weather, it was so sunny and I got baked. Lagi la tu urang putih in our group. Memang burnt! 

I am nervous for every dive and when it comes to certain skills where you have to take off your snorkel mask and just breath with the air supply. Oh my god! And not to mention putting the mask back while you are underwater and clearing it with a blow from your nose. From this moment, I started to have second thoughts already as my friend decided to give up on the course and it's just me and the orang putih will continue. 

I started the final day feeling demotivated. I was already thinking to actually give up if I am having another panic attack on the final day. I usually will have panic attack when I feel uncomfortable with my breathing using the regulator (air supply) or if water start to flood my mask sikit sikit. 

And to my horror, the final day dive started off with a dive in the open sea not at a confined area anymore. And we went down almost 20m like that. It was awesome down there but I struggled to find my peace. Eventually I could keep calm but it was after much of a "if I decide to do something foolish, I might die" kind of thought.

This is a fake smile to cover the nerves. But all one need is a lot of practice and the trust to the equipments. Because at the end of the day, that's the only thing that provide you the life support down there.

I saw turtle today during the final dive. It was awesome and surreal. It made me so pumped to do more diving PROVIDED I will go and dive with someone who is more experienced than me. I just need to feel safe. 

And yeah, I made it! Big thanks to my instructor, AhPeh for being patient and to hold my hand whenever I got anxious underwater. Childish as it seems but I feel like a little kid who is so scared if I am underwater.

Learn scuba diving (done!)

The first three days of my school break is really really productive. Learning to Scuba Dive in 3 days is not easy but it is possible. And this is something out of my comfort zone. 

Tomorrow is the highlight of Kaamatan. Who is going to KDCA tomorrow?