Learn to dive, learn to stop

Learn to dive, learn to stop

“Life is too short for bad books,” a friend once told me. We had been trading recommendations for a while and I was shocked that he had given up on The Kite Runner. “Keep it up,” I urged. “You’ll love it.”

He shrugged. “If I don’t like a book in the first two chapters, that’s it.” He pretended to throw it away.

“I wish I could be more like you,” I had said. And I meant it. You see, I'm the type of person who will doggedly pursue a book or a task or a project that I don't enjoy just so I can finish it. Reading an Eligible Boy was the only thing I ever had complete control over and ever gave up on - and it still bugs me to this day.

With that in mind, I had no doubt that I would learn when I booked a 3-day PADI Open Water Diver Intensive Course (just days after admitting that diving was the first travel experience I almost shied away from). to dive and complete the course. Sure, I was nervous, but I started it, so of course I was going to finish it.

Only, I couldn't do it.

Day 1 went relatively well. Our group of five students met Michael, our instructor, for the first open water dive of the course. Aside from putting my life in the hands of a 22-year-old, I actually felt pretty comfortable in the water. I found it easy to breathe through the regulator and as we settled down to around 11 meters I felt much safer than on my very first dive.

Afterwards, Michael warned us that Day 2 would be intense due to the shortened length of the course. We spent the morning with theory, followed by practical tests in the pool and our second open water dive. The day after we would take our final exam, followed by two open water dives. I shifted in my seat and asked if anyone had ever failed the practicals.

Michael shook his head. “You can’t fail as such, but most people fail the pool tests.”

That totally blew me away. We had already lost one of the students in our group (after five minutes on the controller he said it wasn't for him and left). I thought I would be okay now that I had completed the first dive, but actually the hardest part was yet to come.

That evening, Peter and I spent the evening working through five lessons in the PADI course book. I paused at the various lists of practical exams. Usually they were spread over four or five days - I had one morning. The knot in my stomach tightened, but even then my belief that I would pass remained strong.

Day 2 started at 8:30 a.m. We did two hours of theory work and learned how to assemble and disassemble all of our diving equipment. Then we started with the practical tests.

First there was a 200 meter swim, followed by 10 minutes of treading water. Secondly, we had to remove our regulators (breathing hoses) underwater and reinsert them after 10 seconds. To my surprise, I managed to do this much more easily than on my very first dive, when I freaked out and almost backed out of the whole thing.

Next we had to “lose” our regulators and move them underwater and reinsert them. We then had to remove some of the water that Michael had let into our masks - a process of inhaling through the regulator and exhaling forcefully through the nose to force the water out. This was followed by “out-of-air” tests where we had to take out our regulators, swim to another diver, ask them for their alternate regulator and put it in our mouths, then fold our arms and swim to the surface.

An hour later I was feeling surprisingly well. Michael later admitted that he didn't think I would get that far when I told him I wasn't a good swimmer. Next I switched from our regulator to a snorkel and then back underwater, which I managed to do with some effort. Afterwards, we had to duck underwater with a snorkel, let it fill with water, and then exhale sharply to clear it. Again I managed it with some difficulty.

And then came the test that stopped me in my tracks. We knelt on the pool floor and Michael filled my mask with water, the idea being that I would inhale through my mouth and exhale through my nose to force the water out. Instinctively, I inhaled with both my mouth and nose, which flooded my sinuses and made me feel like I was drowning. I shot to the surface, ripped off the mask, and pulled out my regulator—classic signs of a panicked diver.

Michael and Peter showed up to reassure me and encouraged me to try again. After a few minutes I did. This time I managed to remove half of the mask, but panicked again and shot up. The third time it happened again. The fourth time I just managed it, but instead of continuing to swim calmly, I shot back up and took off my gear.

"I did it then, right? I did it."

Michael nodded yes and then said solemnly, “But you have to do it again.” He saw my reaction and explained, "You have to do it until you are sure you can do it in open water. We will test you at depth and you will not be able to shoot to the surface."

I knew then that I couldn't continue. Strangely, I found that if I put my head in the water with the regulator but no mask, I could inhale through my mouth and exhale through my nose, but with a flooded mask I couldn't help but try to take in as much air as possible. In the depths of the ocean, neither Michael nor I would be able to do anything if I experienced the same panic.

I looked around the pool. By this point a second diver in our group had left, leaving only two others left: Peter and a Frenchman named Johnny.

I turned to Michael. “I don’t think I can do that.”

Peter tried to encourage me to try again, but being at the bottom of the ocean in that kind of panic wouldn't be fun for me or fair to my fellow divers.

I shook my head. "I can't do that." And so, with Michael's approval, I left the pool and became the third person to leave the course. I watched the last two students complete the remaining tests and then joined them on the boat for their second dive.

Michael asked if I wanted to take the exam so that I could complete the theory and move on to practice at some point in the future. It was a day earlier than planned, but I achieved 86% - much, much easier than the physical side of things.

alt=““>Last Men Standing: Michael (center) informs Johnny and Peter before their second open water dive

Before I stopped, I thought it would make me feel like crap. I thought I would be filled with disappointment and regret it later, but as I walked out of that pool I felt a rush of relief and genuine happiness that I didn't have to continue.

Today I watched Peter and Johnny receive their certifications. Instead of feeling regret or disappointment, I only felt relief and pride.

Maybe quitting isn't so bad.

alt=“Learning to dive: Everyone smiles: Michael forgives me for dropping out of the course”>Everyone smiles: Michael forgives me for dropping out of the course

How to pass the Open Water Diver course

Over 30,000 people have used Atlas & Boots to prepare for their course. We have now compiled all of our tips, advice and learning aids into one handy booklet. For just $2.99 ​​you get:

– A list of all physical tests >
- Examples of all 5 knowledge reviews - Diving signals - Over 100 flashcards to review - A link to interactive flashcards online - Beginner mistakes to avoid and more

See full table of contents

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