I can’t quite say that my decision to learn how to scuba dive was a lark. I mean, I put it on my Life List. I’ve wanted to do it for a while. But the timing was larkish. There was no planning, no weighing of options, no listing of pros and cons. To be honest, there was no real frontal lobe engagement at all. I decided that, in an effort to align my actions with my beliefs, I needed to, among other things, cross something off my life list.
Within a day, I’d signed us (Chad, The Boy and me) up for scuba lessons. (I asked them first. My big puppy eyes are hard to resist.)
Fast forward to now. It is Sunday night as I write this, and I feel I’ve just returned to earth from Planet Scuba. Friday night, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday, I learned scuba skills. Scuba skills are what the instructors call them. I call them handling-every-fucking-thing-that-can-possibly-go-wrong-no-matter-how-remote-the-possibility skills. Here I thought I’d be floating about underwater, breathing like a superhero in my awesome, streamlined, racing striped wet suit, happily blowing bubbles like nobody’s business, and instead, I’ve spent every morning getting the shit scared out of me (a LOT can go wrong on a dive), and every afternoon trying to act like I’m not terrified.
And here’s where the “no frontal lobes” part of my decision comes in. At some point on Saturday (probably when I was waiting for my turn to demonstrate that I could totally handle it if I found myself without air underwater… I know, right? Underwater without air! That is NOT the scuba experience I signed up for), I realized that my complete lack of swimming skills, my tendency to panic under duress, and the fact that I’m as effective with flippers as I might be, say, dancing Swan Lake in clown shoes, might make me an unsuitable candidate for scuba diving.
Had I given the decision any real thought before hand, I might not have signed up. Which is why I’m glad that, among my many questionable tendencies, there is the one where sometimes I just go for it.
Since Friday night, I’ve been tied up in knots. It’s like going downhill on a roller coaster ALL the time. Each time our instructors teach us a new skill, I’m sure I won’t be able to do it. And each time I do it, I’m stunned. Giddy, even. Until the next one. Twice during the course of the weekend, I nearly bolted. Pep talks, and my firm belief that growth will come from doing what scares me, kept me there. I’m pretty sure it will get me to the beach next weekend to do my four open-water dives.
You cross your fingers… I’ll get some sleep. Battling demons (underwater) is hard work.
Wild
Ha. I guess you have learned that leaping does not always lead to flying . . . .sometimes it leads to swimming.
How fun. Can’t wait until you actually take pictures of this adventure! I know . . . there is a lot to learn first, but I have faith the day will come!
*shaking my pom poms* *turning cartwheels* {oops! change that to tried to turn cartwheels}
Yay, You!!! You are amazing and awesome and inspirational and I am grateful to get to hear about your adventures, j. From hula hoops to scuba diving in a few short weeks. Woo Hoo!!
I don’t know this for sure because my daughter and granddaughter had mini-scuba lessons for a mini-scuba diving session at a marine facility or sanctuary or some such, but hopefully the worst is over for you. Either way, I have faith that you will do your best.
Big #JLove
*Ever-So-Proud-Of-You Hugs*
Congratulations — the ocean is about to be a much better place…
Yay J! I think that lack of frontal lobe involvement is so under appreciated, it is so often when our most courageous thoughts come. I like to think of our gut reactions as the “true” “content of our character” Sadly mine is to push women and children out of my way like George Costanza – fleeing a kitchen fire, but hey – at least I know what I need to work on. :o) This scuba thing is so incredibly cool. I mean it’s one thing to say you are going to do it, but quite another to actually be doing it. OK, I need more coffee because I’m starting to sound like one big cliche. Basically what I’m saying is: So cool! So super-heroific of you (and Chad and The Boy)! xo
Terre, Troy (good cop instructor) says we won’t really have much time for pics. We do get 1 and a half “tour dives” but the rest of the time we’ll be performing skills tests in the ocean. Takes a while before the fun starts. (I just wore my determined smile as I wrote that.)
Thank you, Dani. Your pom-poms are always appreciated. (Replies that sound inappropriate but are not.)
Becky, Awww. Thanks.
Caroline, You make me laugh. I do not picture you like George Costanza at all. Though when I’m underwater without air… I have to curb some unflattering tendencies myself. ;-)
I’m so proud of you!! You have literally opened a new world to see.
So glad that is over for you.
As Yoda would say to you about next weekend,
“Courage, find, you will.”
Slapping self to stop the Yoda talk. What great memories your son will have now too. Now I feel like talking like an Aussie,
“Good on ya.”
Proof that being in over your head is a good thing.
Laura, Assuming I make it through next weekend, yes! And thank you for saying you’re proud of me. For some reason, I do find that enormously encouraging.
Jack, It’s not over yet. One more weekend under the real sea, doing all the skills we did in the pool. THEN, certification. (I like when you speak Yoda.)
Karen, In more ways than this literal one. For sure.
Don’t forget the waterproof cape! :)
Now you will have to get a waterproof camera. Just imagine all of the great pictures you can take underwater!
yep same ol’ skills you do in the pool you’ll do in a, um, well slightly larger (and saltier) pool there on the coast.
for me i had a bumpy start too but then i kinda never stopped – worked for the dive shop where i had lessons, helped teach classes, bummed rides on dive boats, visited nearly all the channel islands, gotta book signed by j cousteau, was on his boat alcyon & dove with his film crew, even watched movies in their screening room when they had offices here.
dive on woman
Mary, Gotta figure out the cape thing… Right after I actually get certified. Which I’m not quite yet. Cross your fingers. Think good thoughts.
Keith, I bet you are/were less clumsy and panicky than I am, but thank you for saying that. I’m really hoping the ocean dive is going to remind me why I wanted to do this in the first place.
at first you’re clumsy u/w but you’ll soon figure out
getting around takes very little effort. especially after watching sea lions cruise by or dive bomb you – they’re like u/w puppy dogs.
Judy — my thoughts are with you and I will definitely send as many good vibes your way as I can. I had a similar experience when I took classes to prepare for diving when Steve and I were dating and he asked me to go in this adventure vacation with him (I was determined to get through it as I knew it was important to him and I knew some guys would have thought me too prissy for such a trip). Anyway, although I love the water and swam on a team when I was a kid, all that talk about ‘the bends’ and warnings to never, ever hold your breath while using the tank really freaked me out. I completely understand your apprehension — the super cool thing about you is not that you ‘have no fear whatsoever’, but that you admit it, face it and tackle it head on. Once again, you are an inspiration!!! Can’t wait to see pics of you in your diving gear etc. :-). P.S. Please forgive any typos I’m typing this on my iphone. I’m sitting in a parking lot with my coffee and needed a dose of Judy :-).
freaked me out.
Forgive that random ‘freaked me out’ at the end of my comment — it was not connected to my dose of Judy :-). I’m not sure how It
got there but I’ll blame it on my phone ;-). Hey, I was reading the other comments and was really impressed by Keith’s. How cool is that? To have gone diving with Cousteau??!! Wow!
Casey, oops, I never went diving with the C man himself but was on his boat when it was docked here in Marina Del Rey. And I was out with the film crew which was amazing fun -wow- all that gear, cameras, lights & seemingly miles of cables to power the lights. i was asked to help with the cables u/w.
anyway, picture this, they were there to film sea lions off santa barbara island but guess no one bothered to contact their agent as hardly a sea lion showed up for the waiiing cameras.
made me realize film crews must spend hours/days/weeks of down time waiting for nature .
funny how that works cuz there were times when i was out to santa barbara island with 30-40 sea lions swimming around me like an u/w ballet. my first amazing experience with them was the time i took a piece of bull kelp (its a thick, heavy kelp) and tossed it to a sea lion who in turn caught and sped off with it & let it go and then another sea lion got it and then the chase was on.
so those are the kind of adventures that make learning to scuba so worthwhile.
Carey, Exactly! It’s not the critters that are scary it’s the possibility of human error (or worse, though less likely, equipment failure). Did you do the adventure dive? And yes, Keith is awesome. He has been most reassuring. He’s my dive therapist.
Keith, Oh, hi! ;-) I absolutely love your stories. I bet if you told them in my backyard, even the beans would respond.
ha my tales are um kinda like fertilizer, hmm. the therapist is in, 5 cents please. same skills you accomplished fine in the pool are the same one’s you’ll be doing in a slightly larger, salty pool.
Carey you don’t have to be a great swimmer to scuba (like all water sports) you just need to be comfy in the water. and with a wetsuit & fins on – that’s pretty easy. just relax.
Thank you, Coach. (You are actually helping!)
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