Being 30 feet underwater, surrounded by sea urchins, eels, and the possible shark, isn’t everyone’s idea of a happy environment, but when I decided to become scuba certified, that was exactly the situation I found.
Becoming certified was a goal I had for a while because being underwater is mesmerizing. I first gained interest in the sport when I was around 12. However when I tried to get certified then, I was afraid of the sea creatures, so it ended up not working out.
Now, almost six years later, I was eager to try it again. I was fortunate to get some time underwater in Hawaii a couple of years ago, where the 80 degree water and being surrounded by sea turtles was an experience I wanted to repeat.
I decided to get my certification at Wallins Dive Center in San Carlos. Wallin’s offers three standard class formats. I decided to take the weekday evening classes, which meet twice a week for two weeks, concluding with a weekend in Monterey for the ocean training dives.
This course consisted of reading hundreds of pages of well-illustrated scuba books, and then sitting for a couple of hours in a classroom. I also had to take almost 10 hours of in-pool- training with the scuba gear.
The pool was warm at 80 degrees and we worked out in about 8 feet of water. We practiced clearing our mask when it fills up with water, finding neutral buoyancy, and navigating underwater.
After my pool training, I traveled to Monterey. This was the more difficult part. We lugged our tanks and wetsuits to the ocean and then got up at 6 a.m. to go to the beach and don the suit before dawn broke.
Next, it was time to begin diving. I hadn’t thought about the 55-degree Monterey water being different than the 80-degree pool water. However, much to my chagrin, it was pretty noticeable.
But the giant sea lions frolicking underneath us quickly took my mind off the temperature. The otters that can gnaw your skin off your bones in a matter of seconds also intrigued me, but I kept my distance.
Apparently I am pretty buoyant, because they had to have me add more weight than planned as I floated upside down to the surface.
Our first day in the water involved a lot of training for the final tests on Sunday, the day to complete the certification.
Looking back on it, it was truly a dream come true. Scuba is all about being in harmony with the water and exploring the last frontier. It’s that and wearing 7 millimeters of neoprene suctioned onto your freezing body — a suit that the hotel valets pretend is normal as they stare at you walking out of the hotel at 6 a.m.
Miles McMullin resides in Woodside and is a senior at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough.
