The previous item that we crossed off our list involved going 14,000ft in the air. So it made sense to check out what is down below for our next activity. Scuba diving involves quite a bit of preparation before you can submerge. It is recommended (but apparently not essential) that you get a diving medical and there is quite a bit of theory to study. We found the study element particularly difficult as we can’t even go though a five minute ad break without saying something to each other!!
The main purpose of the medical is to test your lung capacity and your balance through your ears. Nick had no problem getting his ears checked. I on the other hand had a Madame Tussauds open for business in my ear canals and needed an ear flush. Mortifying.
We ended up becoming SDI certified over a three day course which will allow us to dive anywhere in the world to 18 meters underwater. Next stop, Great Barrier Reef!
The course consisted of:
- a day of theory with an exam
- a day of confined water diving to get used to the diving equipment and underwater communication
- a day of open water diving and skills
After completing the course you can understand why there is so much involved in becoming certified. You are completely reliant on your equipment and a small error in your pre-dive checks can result in a complication. Anything from your air tank running out or your weight belt coming off and rising to the surface too quickly and tearing a lung.
Your equipment is quite heavy and it is a relief when you get in the water and take the weight off your body. Especially if there is a distance to get to the water. I always thought that you just jumped in the water and swam down with ease and you had a tube to suck air through a tank. That’s how it looks in the movies! No one mentioned equalizing, safety stops, regulator checks, weight belts, purging, decompression sickness and nitrogen narcosis (however, that last one could be kinda funny!).
Its all worth it though! It is incredibly peaceful down there. You almost feel as though you are in slow motion and the only thing you can really hear is your breath. Schools of fish dance past you and there are endless areas to explore and fish to admire near rocks and in caves. I think its safe to say that we will be scuba diving again in the near future!
30 March 2013 – 1 April 2013
Tags: air tank, australia, Bare Island, BCD, certification, certified, coral, decompression, decompression sickness, dive medical, diving equipment, diving medical, ear canals, equalizing, exam, fins, fish, flippers, great barrier reef, Laura Davies, lung capacity, Madame Tussauds, mask, Nick Cooke, nitrogen, nitrogen narcosis, NSW, open water, open water diving, PADI, regulator, salt water, scuba certified, scuba dive, Scuba diving, SDI, snorkel, study, Sydney, Sydney Harbour, underwater communication, weight belts, wetsuit
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