My first time diving

2023 was a year of many firsts for me. On an open ended wander around the world since December 2022 and I was signing up for activities I’d never tried or thought of trying before.

Had my first ever helicopter and propeller plane rides in New Zealand. Did some quad biking in Bali.

Now it was time to try out diving. In Bali too. This was in March 2023.

I was a bit nervous about this one. Not a strong swimmer. In fact had missed a lot of school and the swimming lessons that went with that. Had some lessons in 2016 prior to a Greek islands sailing trip but still wasn’t comfortable being in the water. Snorkelling was also problematic. Awkward in the water and getting water in the snorkel tube. Ugh.

I had nothing to worry about. Turns out diving is nothing like swimming or snorkelling.

So I signed up for a “trial dive.” No prior experience or training needed.

I’d booked through an online tour operator and checked reviews. Came to about £130 for the day. The dive would be at Tulamben on the eastern coast Bali. About 2 hours and 30 minutes drive from Ubud. Pickup and dropoff were included.

Tulamben is the site of the shipwreck of the USAT Liberty, a US Army cargo ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942. We’d be going down into the shipwreck!

Got to the dive centre nice and early. The instructor talked me through the plan for the day. We’d be doing two dives, one in the morning and then another in the afternoon after lunch. Lunch was provided too.

I was given a wetsuit to change into. Skintight and took a little effort to get into. Then the instructor zipped me up at the back.

We went by the water and I was fitted with my buoyancy control device (BCD) and breathing gas cylinder (oxygen tank). All very bulky and the oxygen tank was heavy! I also had some weights strapped around my waist, I’d need them to weigh me down.

So I was being set up to sink straight down!

The mask and breathing unit mouthpience, or regulator, I’d breathe through were explained to me.

The BCD had a couple of buttons. One to inflate it with oxygen from the tank to increase buoyancy, i.e. go up, and another to expel oxygen to do the opposite. It starts out inflated for maximum buoyancy.

The fins would go on last as walking around on land with them on isn’t easy. You could trip!

I was all set.

It was time to get in the water. I waded in with the instructor. My mask was on, the regulator was in my mouth. I was breathing oxygen from my tank. Slow, regular breathing.

We stood in the water up to our shoulders. So far so good. The instructor told me to put my head underwater for a few moments. I’d had hand signals explained to me, especially the ones for “are you okay?”, ‘yes, okay”, “I have a problem, help”, “go up”, “go down.”

Time to go down. The instructor held my hand. We descended very slowly. I continued to breathe regularly. There were little fish around us. I’d been told how to “equalise”, that is, how to clear the air pressure which builds up in the ears. Gently holding my nose and blowing, like on a plane. Swallowing can work too. This needs to be done every few meters, and you can actually feel the pressure in your ears.

The mask covers the nose and there’s no risk of water getting up your nostrils. But you can still blow up through it.

So far so good. Still holding hands. Looking around. Going deeper slowly. And then I make a friend.

Just as I’m getting a little nervous a sea turtle turns up.

Looks me in the eyes. “Hey, so just chill. I live here, it’s all good man.”

I nod slowly. It is okay. Hello.

The instructor takes photos and videos. I swim with my new friend. Gently kicking with the fins. Breathing continuously. Well this is all fine.

Then there’s a school of spotted and stripped fish that go by right in front of me.

I feel like I’ve entered another world. One where I am a guest. An observer. It’s humbling.

I am in awe. We swim around a little more. Still holding hands. The instructor checks with the “are you okay?” hand signal every few minutes and I make the appropriate “all good” signal back. Sometimes the Vulcan salute which confuses him until he realises I’m a weirdo.

Then he signals “up” and it’s time to ascend. So slowly go back up. He inflates my BCD. And up we go. We’d been down about 10 meters.

Coming to the surface I take the regulator out of my mouth and then step onto the shore. Suddenly feeling very heavy. The instructor helps me out of the apparatus.

Time for lunch. So a long lunch break. Sitting in a canteen. Still in my wetsuit. Chicken sandwich and chips. Need the carbs! Diving is hungry work.

I’m excited to go back in. We’d be exploring the shipwreck. So BCD back on, step into the water. Holding my hand again the instructor takes me under. We descend and go down to the shipwreck. In the 80 years or so it’s been down there the the sea has claimed it. Barnacles galore.

And then into the shipwreck itself.

It’s slightly claustrophobic in places but the instructor guides me through. I don’t worry about getting stuck at all, and there are other divers around too.

Then we’re out and exploring some of the other sea life. It’s enthralling.

I see something that looks like it’s straight out of Alien.

I’m transfixed by everything I see. Moving around slowly, exploring on my own while staying close to the instructor. I have no sense of time. No idea how long I’ve been down there. Don’t care. The instructor does, and he signals “up.” I’m a bit annoyed.

We ascend. No longer holding hands. After we surface I say to the instructor “it’s only been 15 minutes!” He replies “you’ve been down there over an hour.”

Oh.

Time passes differenty down there. Whether that’s a “new experience” phenomenon or will pass with time (no pun intended) remains to be seen.

It is another world down there. Serene. Quiet.

I felt safe in my equipment. It isn’t like swimming or snorkelling at all. It’s more like what I’d imagine being an astronaut would be like. An aquanaut. Self-contained. And “scuba” is an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus after all.

I am a humble guest down there. The scuba gear separates me from the native inhabitants. But I am able to share their space for a brief period and it is a privilege.

I will forever be grateful to my friend. The ambassador who welcomed me almost immediately. The sea turtle. I will see you again.

I would recommend trying diving to everyone, health impediments notwithstanding. Try it. You have nothing to lose.

I did a second trial dive in Thailand almost a couple of months later and will be posting about that experience too.

Now looking to get my PADI Open Water Diver certification so I can dive more freely in future.

Diving rocks.