Come out, come out to the sea

“if you leave when I go…you’ll find me, in the shallows.Lying on my back, watching stars collide.” – Shallows, Daughter.

I’m pleased to announce that I have checked one item off my bucket list; diving. The experience was nothing I could have ever imagined. I don’t know if you, dear reader, feel this when you’re surrounded by the vastness of nature; this sense of surreality and vulnerability, the greatness that is Mother Nature. Beautiful, strong, and capable of taking everything away from you.

My virgin dive was filled with both exhilaration and anxiety. When you take that first plunge into the sea, it hits you. You’re in this HUGE SPACE. Sea water is God-awfully salty, and the currents, a silent force capable of sweeping you in all directions. Strapping on my mask and taking a peek below, it hits you again, “Good Lord, check out whats below!”. And its time to descend.

Descending always makes me jittery. It is a complete surrender to the sea. You can’t hear, you can’t scream; just you and your breath in utter openness.

Theory Lessons + Pool Sessions
To be a certified Open Water Diver, you’d have to sit through some theory and attend a pool session or two (depending on the school you sign up with). There is also a swim test, but really this “test” is just for the instructor to make sure you’re comfortable in the water. If you’re a water baby, well, this wouldn’t be too much to handle.

Essential guide – what to bring on your trip

Sunscreen and Aloe Vera Gel – especially if you’re a fair nymph comme moi (like me), sun exposure feels amazing, but do your cells a favor by protecting them.

iPod and a comfy jacket – this is for the ferry rides to and fro. I love being on boats so having these made the trip even more relaxing. Helps too if you have motion/sea sickness.

Rain jacket – a MUST in event of bad weather.

Ocean Pack – Perfect companion for keeping your stuff safe and dry while on board. 5L is good enough. (I love my sunny yellow ocean pack by the way)

Highlight

Nothing is more beautiful than when two people find a love that runs deep and vast like the ocean – not unless they profess it in the element which they both love! A proposal was made during our 4th dive. Definitely a moving moment, though tearing behind the mask is highly not advisable. Beautiful nonetheless.

Come dive with me

I am glad I signed up for this with the bestie. What started off as a random bucket list item, that became coded as our Mermaid Training, is now a new found love for the sea. And if you’re a water baby, I highly urge that you get certified to be an Open Water Diver.

Moving Forward

Talks are in for taking the Advanced course. And of course, a mermaid themed photoshoot with FeeLim.

T.

Notes:

I took my Open Water course under Blue Reef Scuba (Singapore) – a cool and very colorful team of dive instructors that made all of us feel that nothing could possibly go wrong. Blue Reef does PADI certification, while there are other schools out there that may offer a different syllabus.

Lovely fisheye photos where taken by Samantha of FeeLim Photography, using a fisheye lomography camera and assorted films, with a lomography underwater case. Regular snaps are from my humble iPhone.

Ocean Packs can be purchased from dive shops – I got mine from Toy Outpost in Vivocity for 25SGD.

Total cost of trip over the long weekend = 659 SGD and under 50 RM for miscellaneous spending in Malaysia.

Listen to Shallows by Daughter here(amazing band by the way)