SCUBA...

In August, much to people's surprise (myself included) I completed certification as an Open Water Diver!  To explain why this was such a monumental event, let's go back to November 2011, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.  Ryan and I were staying at a resort on the Red Sea, a very popular location for diving.  Coincidentally our resort had a dive center offering SCUBA certification.  Now, we could not complete  the entire certification due to necessary time prior to flying (you cannot fly within so many hours after diving), but we could begin with our introductory.  We thought it would be a great idea, something to do together.

The classroom portion was easy as could be.  We knew everything we needed to know, now we just needed to put our knowledge into action.  We were going to start simple, in a very deep pool.  How hard could it be?  I should have taken the fact that with all my equipment on, I could barely walk to the pool.  I pushed my worries away until I stood at the edge of the pool.  The instructor told me to step in, off the edge, into deep water.  Deep breath, relax, step, splash, I'm in.  This is where things got interesting.  I was a good student, I knew how to put air in my BCD, I knew how to let air out of my BCD.  The one key problem, when the instructor told me to let air out of my BCD, I did not follow his instruction, I chose not to let the air out, I was too afraid to go under the water.  No trust in the thing they refer to as a regulator that allows you to breath underwater.  My instructor tried to be helpful.  He thought I had forgotten how to let the air out of my BCD, so he did it for me.  Big mistake, a full battle started, he would let air out, I would put it back in, eventually his expertise outscored mine, and I was at  the bottom of the pool.  I had a face mask full off water, no it wasn't leaking, I was crying.  Not a good situation, panicking underwater while trying to keep a regulator in your mouth.  I resisted the urge to punch the instructor (how forceful can a punch really be underwater) and resorted to making my way to the pool wall, and climb my way up the wall, to the surface, with all my equipment on.  I finally made it to the surface, clung to the edge for dear life, and threw the regulator out of my mouth.  A split second later, the instructor and Ryan surfaced.  The instructor asked, "What's the problem?" my death glare response was all that was needed, Ryan explained to the instructor that it would be best for me to get out of the pool, and no longer continue with the training.  My loving husband knows me so well.

Fast forward to November 2013, Four Seasons Resort Kuda Huraa, Maldives.  Ryan and I are relaxing on the beach after days of diving.  My loving husband looks over at me and says, "You did so well with all the diving.  I remember when we were in Egypt, you were like a dying, wet cat crawling out of that pool."

Wet cat no more.  I am officially addicted to SCUBA.  I have always loved fish aquariums, now I can swim through giant aquariums, and see all kinds of interesting things.  Who knew there was so much hiding under the water?  Plus, the best part, I have my loving husband next to me.

I wish I knew how to upload videos, but unfortunately I do not.  Enjoy the following pictures Ryan took with his underwater camera.

Actually taken with my camera.
A picture of the back of our boat with the dive Dhoni next to it.  

Orientation dive at the first resort.  My first real experience with true open water.
I did all my open water dives in a quarry in Illinois, VERY different water conditions than the Maldives.  After the orientation dive, I had a better understanding of why people become addicted.  

Gold speckled moray eel.

Snail

Our dive "Dhoni" We would take this boat to the dive sites.

Ryan took this picture of me from below.
A pretty cool picture with the light and his bubbles.

Crab

Puffer fish

Wreck dive.
I can honestly say I do not enjoy wreck dives.  I was creeped out.
I kept waiting for Ursula to come out and snatch me. 

No Ursula, just lots of fish.

Puffer fish

  I think this very accurately shows how HUGE the whale shark was.  Look how TINY he makes the people look.
Ryan is a pretty awesome underwater photographer.  I just wish I could post some of his videos. 

SCUBA still is not the most Virginia Lee friendly sport.  I chipped my manicure and pedicure.  Wet suits will never be an attractive thing to put on or take off.  The equipment is heavy, and it is awkward walking to the edge of the boat, but once you are underwater, it is a very Virginia Lee friendly sport, graceful, and relaxing.  Until you blow a booger into your mask while equalizing your ears or clearing your mask underwater.  It happens.

The only question that remains, when and where can we SCUBA next!?!?