Sinking Slow, Floating Fast...in Kapalai

Wow, I can't believe I'm going from top of Borneo to the bottom of Borneo in just 24 hours! For the next four days, I'll be spending time underwater to get certified for open water dives at the Sipadan-Kapalai Dive Resort in Pulau Kapalai. After all these years of saying I want to get certified for diving, I'm finally doing it, but I'll have to pass the swimming and floating tests before I can became a certified diver...ugh!

"Breathe slow...no slower, slower". "Try to stay buoyant, don't use the BCD to control your buoyancy, use your breathing to control your buoyancy". Thank goodness Linda (my dive master/instructor) was patient enough to teach me how to breathe slowly and control my buoyancy (it still needs work). I thought I was going to ace the diving course but harsh reality sank in - I suck. Sorry everyone, I don't have any photos of me sucking...but just picture an Asian pot-belly pig, in a wetsuit, trying to swim, dive, and float.

After four days of learning how to dive, I just need to pass the 200 meter swim and 10 minutes of floating to become a certified diver. First attempt to swim 200 meters was a complete disaster, after 100 meters of splashing water and then sinking like a rock. Yup, I got thrown the doughnut and had to swim back with it...how embarrassing! Linda couldn't stop laughing as she watched me 'swim'...then she suggested I could swim 300 meters with a mask, snorkel and fins. Now that I can do...I think. Back in the water (just need to relax) and swim 300 meters (frack!). Linda sends a support kayak to assist me if I start to panic...but I'm happy to report no doughnut was needed this time (ok, I barely made it back but I passed the swim test). Next up, 10 minutes of floating...I know I could do one minute, maybe two, but 10 minutes? Tick-tock, tick-tock...just relax, tilt my head back and breathe for 10 minutes...

As of September 6, 2011, I'm now a PADI-certified open water diver. Maybe I'll go diving in Australia!