They say you never forget the first time you breathe underwater. I did it for the first time yesterday and must say I agree wholeheartedly.
We arrived on Ko Tao a few days ago. The boatride over was nothing like we had expected. Silly me, I was expecting the overnight ferry would be like the one that you take when you ride over to Newfoundland- the big oceanliner type that would be complete with restaurants, sleeper berths with attached bathrooms, and a local band playing some tunes. Well, it was much more rudimentary than that. In fact, all it was was a small fishing boat full of supplies that were being shipped over to Ko Tao. There were no chairs, certainly no berths, and a hidden toilet that we didn't even bother to go looking for. For sleeping, you simply laid down on the semi-exposed wooden deck (there was overhead protection) with a mix of locals and tourists scattered around you and snooze. Thankfully, we made a couple of Swedish friends and played a few games of Yahtzee to pass some time on board while we were waiting for the boat to leave the dock (did you know the Swedes have different rules for Yahtzee?). The ride was only 6 hours and we arrived in Ko Tao at about 6 a.m. completely astounded by the fact that we had all slept really well and relieved that it hadn't rained. We went directly to Big Blue Diving which is one of about a hundred diving outfits on the island. It was simply a gut feeling we had and we went for it. Plus, we were not in the mood to spend the morning walking around with our backpacks on comparing the different places to dive. The price for the Open Water Diving Course is the same everywhere on the island so price wasn't an issue.
We began the course that same afternoon. It started with some forms to fill out. This is where I first realized that there may be a problem that I hadn't even considered. I often get severe ear and neck pain while descending in airplanes and on the medical questionnaire it asked if this was a problem. I had to consult with a doctor on staff who explained to me why this happens and told me that my sinus cavity wiring is probably not as fluid and wide as others who do not suffer this sort of pain while flying (he was much more technical). So, he showed me some methods of clearing my ears (equalizing) and I wasn't very successful at it. We decided I could try it out in the water and then decide if I could proceed. Today I had to really work on it but found that when the pressure is on, it's much easier to equalize though I still don't think I have the skill mastered.
Anyway, for those who think (as I kind of did) that to go diving you would only have to get an in-water explanation and then go looking for some fish underwater, I'm about to burst your bubble. That is the kind of training you would need for snorkeling but snorkeling is not scuba. Scuba diving, as we've learned, is really complex and you need to watch videos, have lectures, do practical instruction, and do homework that involves (gasp!) math and physics before you even get to try on your wetsuit and (extremely heavy) gear! So it wasn't until today that we actually got out in the water for a swim, though yesterday we were in the shallow water learning some of the initial skills. The swim was only a very short part of the day today though because we were mostly kneeling down on the ocean floor honing up some of our more advanced skills. It was really fascinating to be kneeling down on the ocean floor, I must say. We were next to huge mounds of coral that, if you stood up, would tower over you. We saw rainbows of different fish scoot by and were witness to five large barracudas! Our instructor Jimmy Wild (seriously, that's his name) is exactly how you might imagine a scuba instructor to be. He's American but darker than most of the locals, he has shoulder length sun-bleached hair and a large shark tattoo on his shoulder, he talks kind of like a surfer (dude) and he wears a Superman wetsuit. But he's super-serious about diving and has done thousands of dives all over the world.
Apart from that, Ko Tao is like a tropical paradise. At long last we have reached the elusive white sandy beaches with crystal blue water. It's incredibly beautiful here and cute, healthy dogs abound. It's easy to forget you're in Thailand since this place is a very newly developed island that has not one, but two, 7-11s. Plus, the food is expensive and for the most part, pretty bad by Thai standards. And don't be upset if you don't hear from me until early next week- the internet costs three times as much here as it does anywhere else we've been.
Tomorrow we do the first of our four big, deep dives. Tune in next time to find out how it went!
tothesea,
k&m