Let's go back to where it all began - Padi in Egypt in the beautiful training grounds of the Red Sea. As the intro mentioned, I was not successful in completing the Padi Open Water Course. I was determined to get over my fear of the water - but not approaching this task from the most logical angle. After 20 minutes of theory (yep - not kidding) we suited up & were thrown into 5 meters in the Red Sea for our first lesson. YIKKES was I scared because I did not entirely understand that I would NOT sink like a rock to the bottom. Lesson #1: yellow jacket with bits of air would, IN FACT, prevent me from drowning, along with my tank of air, of course. But I did eventually scrape up the courage to jump in, to finally discover that I would be perfectly safe, before beginning my slow decend to the bottom. This was generally done while sucking on air for DEAR LIFE! Once I realised that there was really nothing to be afraid of, I started to appreciate the beauty & peace of my unique surroundings. I was no longer afraid of the water or the wildlife swimming around me -- which I must add, was always another of my big fears. What can I say; I watched jaws too many times and have a MAJOR fear of getting eaten by a large beast with sharp teeth.
Unfortunately, I found some of the fundamental underwater exercises were beyond me, such as clearing my mask of water, while underwater. Well, in my oh so humble opinion, it is simply not a natural sensation to allow your eyes & nose to fill up with stinging, salty water & then blow it out - at a depth of 5 meters - JUST LIKE THAT! Of course, everyone mastered this with practice, but NOT ME. The next steps were even more overwhelming ... taking the entire bloody mask off, putting it back on & then clearing all that water out. Of course there were some other issues but this one played the largest role in obliterating my confidence or willingness to continue.
But there is a positive side to this traumatic story of failure. I am no longer afraid to swim in the ocean & will snorkel for hours at a time. I have grown to adore the underwater world & the beautiful fish, corals & everyday surprises found in the mysterious land below. Perhaps I might be open to trying once again, when I am really ready & the timing is right. For now, I will continue snorkeling, because there is still so much beauty to enjoy, even from the surface. My discoveries, along with Arnie's at a much greater depth, will be shared for all to see. In case you are interested in learning more,
here is the link for Padi. Pls come again soon to see some incredible underwater footage.
