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When This Social Distancing Is Over …
I’m going scuba diving. Yes, I need the peace and quiet of hearing only my own bubbles.
Life as a staff member of the Jindal School of Management is fun, I get to interact with many interesting people and learn new things every day. Though I love my job, everyone must pursue diverse interests and hobbies. One of my passions is definitely scuba.
My fascination with the underwater world began when I was on a Caribbean trip, and I was challenged to try snorkeling. I was so hesitant to jump off a perfectly good boat to flail around in the ocean. The 1970s movie Jaws ruined many of us from ever going into an ocean.
Jumping into the water, I didn’t realize how buoyant people are in salt water. I eventually relaxed and saw what was beneath me. Scuba divers were on the hard bottom of this dive site exploring the exotic fish and tropical corals. The colors were brilliant and bright, and I was fascinated by seeing the divers as I watched their exhaust bubbles rise to the surface. While I was snorkeling, the picturesque corals and an occasional very colorful parrotfish would swim by. Parrotfish exhibit a rainbow of colors.
After seeing what was beneath me, I wanted a much closer look. That night, I woke up repeatedly, reliving what I had seen that day. Getting closer to the reefs would require scuba certification classes and training.
I enrolled in certification classes after I returned home, and I earned my open-water certification. I was a scuba diver. This opened up a whole new world for me. Where would I go next? Would I buy my own equipment? Would I meet new people who had such an avid fascination with the underwater world? Yes, yes and yes.
My first actual dive trip was to a dive resort in Roatan, Honduras
I had not had an opportunity to do a backward roll-off entry from a boat into the azure blue water, but this particular dive site required the divers to do so. It was a bit disorienting, but I got my bearings and swam around in awe of all the beautiful fish and corals. In the distance, I could see a boat intentionally sunken for divers to explore. Until this time, I had seen the underwater world only from other people’s videos and still photos. The real experience far surpasses what any type of photography can capture.
Exploring the wreck was fascinating. I could swim through parts of the boat that were made safe for divers to enter and exit. A practical joker placed a chandelier on the bow as a joke for future divers. It has since become a game to see what unusual things I can find underwater. So far, I’ve seen a bicycle, full place settings of china, tires, wine bottles, cut-off jeans, a telephone (on a boat wreck) and various and sundry items divers have lost or other practical-joke items left behind by comical divers.
On a particular underwater excursion in Cozumel, I heard a high-pitched beeping. I motioned to a nearby friend to ask if she heard it too. Not long after, a submarine came by. It was a vessel that carried cruise-ship passengers through the underwater world to see the sites. The spectators got more than just fish and coral on that trip.
One trip, my group took the plastic mat from a Twister game, and we played underwater Twister. Not many divers can boast they’ve done that when trading dive tales.
Since that first dive trip, I’ve logged nearly 400 dives and been to many Caribbean countries to practice my beloved sport. The typical question I hear is, “Have you ever seen a shark?” Of course, I have — on almost every Caribbean dive I’ve done. I see mostly nurse and reef sharks, which typically don’t bother divers. One night dive, my friends and I were around three reef sharks that started circling us. I couldn’t keep my dive light or eyes on three at a time, so I motioned, using scuba hand signals, to a nearby friend, “I’m going up. I’m uncomfortable with this.”
I have two favorite places to dive
Cozumel, Mexico, and Bonaire, a small country that is part of the Caribbean Netherlands and lies north of Caracas, Venezuela. Both locales offer different things to see. Indigenous to Cozumel is the noisy splendid toadfish (it sounds like a cricket). Bonaire offers smaller fish and busy coral activity.
This sport has given me opportunities to see the world, and I’ve made lifetime friends. I’ve seen so many sources of natural beauty in the underwater world.
Part of the joy of scuba is visiting different countries and experiencing their cultures, food and dance. Many of the locals don’t participate in scuba or snorkeling. The children are always happy to see Americans, and then share their cultural dances and happy smiles.
Yes, now I’m a certified master diver still seeking peace and quiet underwater. I’ll hear only my own bubbles.
