Becoming a Certified Scuba Diver

 

As the famous American author on leadership skills, Simon Sinek says, always start with the Why. The purpose of this pursuit was to experience a big part of our world that is hard to access but filled with beautiful treasures. Have been thinking seriously about exploring underwater for the last 2 years.

So, I signed up for a Scuba training course with Temple Adventures, Pondicherry. While there was an option of experiencing a dive with basic training, I signed up for a certification course from PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) which is a globally recognized dive training org. The PADI Open Water Diver course is the gateway to the underwater realm. This entry-level certification equips aspiring divers with essential knowledge and skills to dive safely. The certification involved online training, online exam and 3 days of in-person training which included many tasks in each session. 

With a ton of apprehensions, I signed up for the program. The online course opened my eyes to a new set of scientific knowledge about what happens to our bodies under water. Did you know that at 10 metres/33 feet the pressure is twice as much as what we experience on land. There are protocols on how to descend, how long to stay under different depths and how to ascend safely. Most of the online course focused on these concepts. There were also other fun elements such as hand signals which is how divers communicate inside water.

With a steadfast determination of going through the training (and hoping to complete the certification requirements), I made a solo trip to Pondi. It drove down (thereby fulfilling another goal) and stayed in a beautiful Airbnb accommodation very close to the dive shop. 

Day 1 - Confined Water / Pool Training

After getting introduced to my instructors, I was given a tour of the centre. It was interesting to see all the equipment and accessories required for diving. My first lesson was on kitting and de-kitting. As a diver, one needs to set up their own kit which includes the BCD (a backpack style device used for buoyancy control), regulators (the pipes that carry air from the tank) and the cylinder. My first task was to learn the process of setting it up and doing all the checks. Remembering the sequence felt daunting at first but after 5 repetitions it felt easy and natural. Interestingly, I set up my kit for all the training sessions including when diving into the ocean. It's an important part of being alert and being responsible for yourself. 

The next part of the training was in a pool - more like a big tub. After checking size and selecting the gear which included wetsuit, mask, fins, BCD and weight belt I stepped into the water. Initially I learnt to breathe through the snorkel and then through the regulator that supplies air. The mask pinches your nose and one starts automatically breathing through the mouth. Wearing the BCD kit, cylinder and weights adds on 20 kgs to your back. Wearing the fins on your feet gives you no control to stand even in shallow water. As part of the training, I had to do many tasks including clearing water from my mask, removing the mask and wearing it again, simulating running out of air and borrowing air from my buddy (co-diver). The complexity of these tasks, the constant weight on the back, being in water for a few hours was driving me to exhaustion. There were times when water entered my nose, throat and I wanted to give up. After about 5 hours of training, we ended day 1. 

Day 2 - Fresh Water

We drove about 40 mins to a quarry that contained fresh water. The plan was to descend 12 meters / 40 feet. After gearing up we entered the water and swam to a point where a buoy was set up. We descended after checking all equipment using a rope as a reference. Within seconds of starting to descend, I started experiencing intense pressure in my ears, a severe pinch. Though I constantly did equalizing (protocol to counter the pressure), it took a few minutes to get normal. At the bottom, visibility was low. Here again I had to do a set of tasks and constantly use hand signals to communicate with my instructors. I experienced feeling weightless and gliding up and down water. My instructor was holding me while we swam around. After about 30 mins, we started the ascending procedure. 

After being back on the surface, I was trained on helping my buddy by learning to tow them to the shore in 3 different ways. 

After a short break, I had to complete the hard requirements for the certification - a swim test and a float test. The swim test requires swimming for 200 metres freestyle or swimming for 300 metres wearing snorkel and fins. After experiencing how deep the water was, I chose to do the snorkel/fins method. I had never swam for such lengths in such deep water. I switched on a different mode in my brain, entered the water and started swimming. One of my instructors came along side me and keep guiding me to turn when I finished one length. I somewhere knew I would not drown because she was close by. At some point, she tapped me and told me it was done! The next part was a 10 min back float. This again was something I had never done. The key was to relax but certainly hard when you are under “test”. 

Now it was time for the second dive. The descend got better and I was able to move on my own. I was trained on compass navigation. The fun part was practicing neutral buoyancy. I would cross my legs in a sitting position by holding my fins with opposite hands. My instructor would hold his hand at a level and I would need to bring my eye to that position. Inhaling would make my float higher and exhaling would make me sink. The trick was to inhale/exhale at a rhythm to stay at the required level. 

After completing all the tasks, my instructor moved away and my buddy (trainee instructor) signaled to me that I need to tag along with her. But before I could realize, I lost visibility of my buddy and I moved in search of her. I made a few kicks with my fins, noticed sunlight and warm water. It suddenly dawned on me that without my realization I had surfaced up. My instructors came up behind me quickly, but this put me in complete panic mode. I felt out of control and lost confidence. I had to complete one last task and I did not want to. After a lot of cajoling from my instructors, I pushed myself to complete the final task. By this time, I was drained physically and mentally. 

Day 3 - Open Water

This was the big day when I would dive in the ocean. I had a hard time keeping my nerves calm right from the previous night. Chanting and breathing exercises helped. We got into the boat at sunrise. There were 6 other divers who were doing the discover scuba program. My instructors briefed me on the procedure to enter the water and tasks to be done inside. The dive depth would be 18 m/ 60 ft. When the boat anchored at the dive site, I geared up. They showed me how to do a back roll - sit at the edge of the boat, and fall backwards into the water. The last time I must have done something like this must have been rolling on the bed as a toddler. I knew there was no way to think and execute. I switched the mode in my brain to a ‘do mode’ and just quickly did the back roll. Once I hit water, I was overwhelmed by the volume and the current. We did the checks protocol and started descending holding on to a rope. Almost immediately I could see large schools of fish. I realised this was the moment I had worked so hard for. I was actually scuba diving and looking at sea life! It was challenging to hold on to the rope while the water made me feel out of control. With my instructor’s help I was able to maintain my position and move. Once down, it felt magical. I was gliding weightless and saw some amazing marine life - Silver moonies, Puffer fish, Lion fish, Octopus, Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse. I had to perform some more tasks towards the certification requirements. My main task was to watch my air consumption and indicate when I had consumed half. Just like you watch your car fuel when going on a long drive, it is essential to monitor the air left in your tank and maintain a reserve before you ascend. After 30 mins, we started the ascend procedure. Climbing on to the boat via the ladder after surfacing was extremely challenging. The waves would push me. Holding on with one hand, I had to remove my 3 kg weight belt, my fins and then climb up the steps wearing the 17 kg BCD while the boat bobbed up and down in the current. 

Once in the boat, we quickly changed the tank and got ready for the next dive. This time the entry mode was a Giant Stride - You basically lift one leg and take a big step into water while pressing the regulator and mask tightly so they dont move on contact with water. This entry felt more fun. This time we descended using the rope as a reference but not touching it. Once in, we moved to different parts of the reef. I learnt how to use breath control to stay close to sea life but not make contact with the bottom. I had a jaw dropping moment when I saw the Grouper - the fish was inside a submerged car and it covered the entire front section door to door. I also saw hermit crabs that would quickly hide inside shells when we went close.

After 25 mins, we ascended and climbed back to the boat. The water was even more choppy this time and it took every last bit of energy to climb up. 

That was it! I had completed my training, met my certification requirements and dived in the Bay of Bengal! I was now a certified open water diver!

Reflections

An experience such as this, opens up so many vistas for understanding yourself and the world. 

With the right training methodology and the right kind of trainers anyone can learn the most complex tasks. 

Meeting adventure enthusiasts and people who have opted for out of the box careers makes you question your status quo.

I am beginning to gain a profound appreciation for the importance of marine conservation. After meeting the wonderful creatures underwater, seeing plastic water bottles in the ocean immediately made me feel concerned.

Our bodies have immense endurance potential. The only way to unlock it is to put yourself through an experience. 

Dar Ke Aage Jeet Hai. This cheesy line from the soft drink commercial is actually true. Fears, apprehensions, self doubts are natural but if one has sufficient drive, one can overcome all these emotions and win!

Underwater footage