Finding My Fins

In case you missed it, I have been learning to dive since March with Shrewsbury Sub Aqua Club, a branch of BSAC, at Shrewsbury Quarry Swimming Pool.

In a rash vest I bought especially.

So why do I want to learn to dive? Well, I am a self proclaimed mermaid and what kind of mermaid can't explore the deep? It's more than that, though. I have always loved swimming, despite swimming slower than a Greenland Shark, and have always wished I could see what lies beneath the water. Underwater nature documentaries were always my favourite, as they are a window into that world. But I want to go through that window and see for myself! So, I have learned how to scuba dive.

I chose to learn with Shrewsbury Sub Aqua Club as they are my local BSAC branch and I felt like I was in good hands learning with BSAC. The combination of theory, practical and 8 nice long weeks to learn it all over seemed like the right fit for me. And I didn't need to take massive amounts of time off work as lessons are on a Thursday evening.

So how did it go?

I'd love to tell you that I took to the water like a fish and was top of the class, but that would be a big fat lie. Yes, I love the water; but the equipment took some getting used to. It was almost like learning how to swim all over again. And swimming pools are loud, in our initial lesson with the scuba equipment we were in the full group and I missed an instruction. Then on the descent signal, I found I could not sink! I just bobbed over my classmates who had happily sunk to the bottom of the pool. When I finally did manage to sink, I found my chest tightening and being unable to breathe. 

This is when another instructor took me to one side. Everyone was getting one to one instruction the following week, but thanks to the attentive instructors they knew I needed it a little sooner. Being unable to breathe, I was unfortunately having a panic attack. I am no stranger to panic attacks, quite often I am internally chiding myself for having them because it is just a physical reaction to something out of my comfort zone that I want to do. I do like to make matters worse for myself. But the instructor did an effective job of getting me calm by pointing it out that it was ok for my body to wig out - breathing underwater is not a natural thing.

The following week we were given the instructors who would be teaching us the practical skills for the majority of the course; I was paired with a wonderfully patient and calm teacher who took things at my pace. I felt like I might be massively behind everyone, but as my confidence grew I was assured I was keeping pace as was needed. And we figured out why my chest kept getting tight - I wasn't breathing enough! I was too busy worrying about conserving my air that I was wasn't using enough of it. Did I mention I like to make things hard for myself?

The practical skills were taught with plenty of repetition and affirmation, so I felt like I was really getting to grips with all the drills which are designed to be second nature in case of an emergency. I did struggle with a few. Mask clearing the way it's described in the textbook was fiddly and got too much water up my nose - felt like I was going to have a nose bleed! - but I was taught tactics and alternatives to help cope with that. I also struggled with my backward roll from standing. I do not like falling, falling backwards even less so. I am very heavily forward-weighted, backwards is not a direction I like to go in. But after a month of psyching myself out, I finally did it! I was so proud of myself for doing it (and happier than I never have to do that again).

As I mentioned before, the BSAC course also focused on the theory side of things - making sure we understood exactly what was happening underwater. What was happening to the environment, to our bodies and to our equipment. The lectures were well taught and I always left feeling well informed. We were talked through and demonstrated how to assemble the kit, how to use the BSAC air tables, and they taught us the theory behind diving. It was all fascinating and being equipped with a better understanding of what was happening to my body underwater made me feel better prepared for when I did eventually head to open water.

Capernwray - putting our skills to the test!

So this weekend just past, we put our knowledge to the test and dived in open water! We went to the quarry in Lancashire, Capernwray. We had four dives planned, two for each day. The first morning, I was a little stressed. I am not fantastic at driving in new places, so I was on edge already. Then the equipment hire and registration was disorientating and confusing. I didn't know what needed to be where and we arrived after everyone else. When we finally did have our gear, the semi-dry suit I was given was much too small and I full on had to wrestle myself into it. It made me cry. And then the lady hiring out didn't believe me that it was too small! I think when I finally unzipped it and was able to gasp for air, she believed me. So pro tip, go a size larger than you think when hiring a semi-dry!

Once we had all our equipment and better fitting semi-dry suits, we made our base camps. I was feeling a little calmer, but still had that panicky feeling that I was holding everything up. Have I mentioned I am my own worst enemy? I was also a little nervous about being in real water. It's all well and good practising in a pool - a safe environment - but being in an environment with other divers, with fish? I was worried that after all this I might hate it. My nerves were noticed by my instructor and he took me aside to make sure I was calm enough to go into the water. At the end of our chat, I was assured I was in safe hands and was eager to get into the water.

Turns out, I had nothing to be afraid of. I loved being underwater. Seeing the fish was incredible - there were sturgeons, rainbow trouts and little ones I don't know the name for. The water was positively alive. And being a quarry popular with divers, there were loads of statues, things to see and interact with in the water - including a statue of a horse on the loo reading a newspaper! We did all our drills we'd learned in the pool; the mask clear worried me again, having thick gloves seriously decreased my dexterity. But I did it! First time! In fact all of the drills went pretty ok - I know of a couple mistakes I made, but they just need practise.

There were a few hiccoughs, which I found to be experiencing diving for real. I had a little trouble sinking (surprise, surprise) and I got caught out by expanding gas in my BCD a few times. Plus, I had a nose bleed every dive but I think that is due to my being prone to them more than anything. On our third dive, a nearby pair of divers had some trouble with their weight belts, so it is clear it happens to the best of us. On our final dive, I nearly flipped myself and lost a fin!

Regardless, I had a fantastic time and I cannot wait to go again!

Capernwray

I am very greatful for the SSAC and all their patience with me. They are great teachers and diving buddies. I could not be happier with what I've learned and experienced, and I am eager to continue learning.