Becoming a certified diver was an exhilarating experience. This is a skill I will utilize throughout my life. Becoming certified required some online coursework, in person class work, and actual diving.
The most difficult part of getting scuba certified was the online coursework. The online coursework took approximately 6 weeks to complete. I watched videos, read articles, and answered questions. It was intriguing and informative. A fair amount of information was about the dangers and safety. Decompression sickness, lung over expansion, and nitrogen buildup are a few dangers I learned about. Most importantly the first rule of scuba diving is to not hold your breath and always breathe.
We only had two in-person classes, but they were excruciatingly long. We learned how to set up and use our equipment. A few essential pieces include the regulator, the tank, the buoyancy control device ( BCD ), the mask, and fins. We learned how to use dive tables to calculate how long we can safely stay down. We also used dive tables to calculate the residual nitrogen in our bodies. I got to meet my classmates; everyone there was much older than me.
The diving was the best part of this class. We spent two days diving in a pool, which is known as contained diving. The pool was 9 ft deep and very large. After this we had open water diving from a boat in the Bahamas. The Bahamas water was very warm. The warm air felt so relaxing as it flew over you. While underwater, I saw the cutest most lovable bluish gray puppy dog of the sea aka the Caribbean reef shark. There were so many colorful fish. We also explored an area with the wreckage of a fallen plane. I could feel the bubbles as I breathe using my regulator. After 7 successful Dives I was certified.
I am overjoyed that I will be on a boat again this summer. I am excited to dive in the Cayman Islands. I hope to go to Turks and Caicos, Roatan, and the British Virgin Islands to dive one day.
