Scuba diving was by far one of the best experiences I’ve had in my entire life. The feeling of being underwater is something so rare that I cannot really put into words but I will definitely try. It’s a surreal experience that is a perfect mixture of an adrenaline rush with tranquillity. But before that, let’s begin from the beginning, because the story of how I got roped into this adventure is quite interesting.
So, there’s this institute in Pondicherry that specializes in professional scuba diving, kayaking, surfing and similar water sports. A few years back my boyfriend, with his friends, visited this place and had a kayaking session. The institute people clicked a few cool pictures of them and that was that.
However, a few weeks back my boyfriend got a call from his friend visiting Pondicherry saying that he spotted their kayaking pictures at a few places in the town. Basically, the institute was using these pictures, without my boyfriend or his friend’s knowledge for their own advertisements.
Naturally, he was furious and he called the institute up. They apologized right away and offered either cash or a free scuba dive for him and his friends as a compensation. My boyfriend being the adventurous type that he is, accepted the scuba diving session in a heartbeat.
Now here’s where I got lucky. One of his friends, who was supposed to join, could not make it because he lives abroad. And my boyfriend presented me with an opportunity to scuba dive for free in a silver platter. The excitement I felt at that moment is hard to put into words—I was grinning from ear to ear. I had always wanted to do it, so it was a no-brainer for me, and I was so extremely excited! It felt like a dream come true, and I couldn’t wait to experience what lay beneath the surface of the ocean.
My adventure began with a basic preparatory training at the institute. We were asked to wear our wet suits, fins and mask and taken to a metal tank. Here, we were instructed on how the gas cylinders will be tied to our waists, how to breathe under the water through the the oxygen tanks and how to relive the excess pressure that builds up under water by popping our ears. The tank training helped simulate the underwater conditions, giving us a glimpse of what to expect during the actual dive. I also got a certificate that is valid for a year which will allow me to dive directly into the ocean foregoing the training session.
Not gonna lie, this was quite scary as it took a while for me to get used to the fact that I’m actually breathe under water and not freak out. One needs to be calm and take slow deep breaths while being under water. I was unable to get the hang of popping my ears initially either. But the instructors were very patient and explained everything well. However, I was still worried that I might be not able to do it properly while under the water. Despite my worries, I kept reminding myself that I had to trust the process and follow the instructions.
Moving on, the next morning, around 7 am we were taken to the ocean in a group of 8 people. We were given pills to wade off the seasickness but it did not do much for me. The anticipation of the dive kept me excited, but the constant rocking of the boat made the wait feel excruciatingly long. It took us around 40 minutes to reach the diving spot from the shore and I was extremely seasick the entire time. I just wanted to get off the boat as soon as possible even if the only way to do that was jumping into the water.
Since we were all novices, we each had one instructor assigned to us, who’d be diving with us. I had to wait a while till it was my turn. Then, the oxygen cylinders were tied to my waist, I put on the mask and fins and was ready to go. The moment felt surreal—I was about to take my first step into a completely different world.
I was instructed to sit on the boat's edge and let my body to drop back into the water. I was held and helped to calm by my instructor. Next, I descended feet by feet beneath the sea with the assistance of my instructor and a guiding rope. I popped my ears every few feet or so to release the pressure. In between, I posed for a few pictures and videos and continued exploring the deep water.
I will never forget the absolute silence and calm that I felt being underwater. It felt like I was the only one in existence due to how still the water was. I was surrounded by the beautiful blue ocean completely. Oh, how can I forget about the pretty fish! It was stunning to float beneath the water among the colourful fish.
All too soon it was time for us to get out of the water and into the boat. The entire dive lasted about 30 minutes, and it wasn’t nearly enough. At the beginning I was nervous about being under water for so long but once I was in there, I never wanted to come out.
Being under water really does tire you out and I promptly fell asleep as soon as I got into the boat. Atleast that saved me from being seasick again!
Ive always been in love with the ocean but this experience took it to the next level. Scuba diving was more than just an activity for me; it was a journey of awe and wonder.
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