So yes, now into our second dive. If you read my last post you probably understand that at this point I’m slightly freaked out but WAY more prepared than the first time.
Duane couldn’t come this time – he’s done something funky to his arm. And so it’s just me and my kids at the cafe this week. All of us are really disappointed that Duane couldn’t be here. It actually felt kinda wrong to do this without him.
Was not looking forward to this. At all. So. We walked in to the pool and saw Will from our first venture and Elliot from our last one. I was stoked to see them both actually! It was great to know the people that are going to cut off your oxygen while you’re a metre below the surface 😁
So the plan was that Elliot continues with the kids and Will was here to get me past the mask thing – yay! And that we’d get through the pool sessions as quickly as possible. Pretty sure I fucked that up – sorry Dave!!
First thing we had to do was a 200 metre swim. That’s cool, and actually wasn’t an issue but we all forgot how to count. So we had a gap in the middle where we had to figure out whether we’d only done a hundred metres or not. Annoying. We did another round just in case.
Then into the pool! Will was our on the spot photographer and did a fantastic job – not a finger in sight, I really need to ask how he did that!
That first step is a doozy…
I asked that we did the mask work later – my theory being if we did the fun stuff first I’d cope much better with the stuff that freaks me out. Both guys were good with this. Phew. But Elliot took the kids for their lesson and I had my catchup with Will.
It was cool! So cool! We started with a snorkel run up and down the lane, loved that – still loving snorkeling thank goodness 😅 and then moved on to a mask off thing, and after that I don’t remember really… we did quite a bit and it was all REALLY cool!! Even the off mask stuff was cool – pretty sure we’d done the right thing with our pool trips.
The fin pivot was a notable exciting bit though! The connection between how you breathe affecting how you float was very cool and an essential thing to know to find your space in the water. Will showed me the technique for getting rid of cramp – actually hugely important to me because cramp is a large issue in my life. He also showed how your buddy could help, including a calf massage. I don’t like massage at all. Though didn’t tell him that, but when I repeated the buddy cramp solution on him I did tell him I wasn’t going to massage him. This was an unfortunate thing to say to a guy who was about to cut off my air supply while I was at the bottom of a pool…
We did the out of air thing with the weird thrum that happens when you have no air coming through your regulator which was also weirdly cool. Probably helps knowing that your air is going back on again obviously. Though don’t insult the guy that has to turn your air on at this point FYI 😁
And then we did the hover – I love the hover! I’m pretty sure I’m the champion staying still person – I could do that all day. And (afterwards) I was trying to figure out why. I think it’s because Will told me it didn’t matter what way up I was, or how I turned, I basically just needed to focus on my breathing and not go anywhere. And so I didn’t move!! At all! It was much like being in my lazy-boy – really really cool and I could definitely have done it for more than 30 seconds.
We had an hour between our first session and our last one. And when we went back in the pool the first thing Will had me do was the minute without a mask on thing. This freaked me out. I just could not bring myself to get under. Stupid brain was screwing with the rest of my body.
He was SO patient and let me spend the time to figure out how I was going to achieve this wee milestone. And it was important to me that I did so I was doing my best to figure out how to make this work. And Will let me. I’m so grateful for that. He didn’t suggest things or try to persuade, he just gave me the space and allowed me to make directions to make this situation mine to control. I don’t know whether he did this on purpose or not, but it made SUCH a difference. So we swapped sides so I could touch the wall And still release air from my BCD and we went down slowly at my leisure and I breathed through the stupid fear and got it!
I just want to say that it sounds like I’m doing this just to tick some kind of weird box. I’m not. I’m doing this because I really love that I can explore an AMAZING part of this world without pain while I do it and because it’s actually the most amazing feeling when it’s right. Absolutely amazing, there are actually no words to describe how it feels to be down under the surface and be in control (mostly) and move freely. It is nothing I thought I’d ever experience again. So. I want this to work because it gives me something I thought I’d lost and also because it’s VERY COOL 😆
So yeah, was totally comfortable in the end with being underwater without a mask on, and then sticking the mask on and emptying it while still underwater.
Then tried to do the putting a tank back in the BCD and it was all over rover… partly because the current had pushed us way out of lanes and I’m always aware of when we’re intruding on other people’s space, partly because I couldn’t frickin’ flip over to be able to tighten the belt, and partly because by this time we’d run out of time.
So! To sum up… just the most awesome thing! After the dread of the start I felt a million times better at the end. It was so very cool.
After we got out of our wetsuits we had a 10 minute float – lovely! Well apart from the fact that without a wetsuit it was REALLY cold, and the stupid current which kept trying to take you to different lanes. I think we should do that every time, but maybe in the spa.
BlueKahu 