Back in April 2015, a common friend on FB posted if there was anyone who was interested in a DSD or Discovery Scuba Diving for a friendly price of PHP 1,500. I got interested because it was my goal back then to try scuba diving. I sent him a message, we met at Ayala Cebu on a Saturday, another person joined and we got ready to go to Kontiki Dive in Mactan, Cebu. He has a pick-up car so the transportation was not a problem.
This was an unofficial Discover Scuba Diving
Because it was offered in a friendly price, I didn't know that there is a certification for discover scuba diving. So, the experience was more of a fun dive for the experience. And I didn't know there are two organizations you can choose from to do your scuba diving certification. These are PADI and SSI. So, that's for another story.
To know more about the Dive Site: Kontiki Reef
According to divescotty.com:
The ideal place for scuba divers of all levels is the Kontiki House Reef (also called the Kontiki Reef). It has a good shallow flat area that is suitable for novice divers.
The shallow part of the reef is covered with sea grass and different colonies of colorful corals. The steep slope also has an artificial reef, which is a big piece of metal sunk down in the 90s, and now filled with life and completely covered with hard and soft corals.
The Kontiki reef is excellent for underwater photography, especially macro photography.
Source: here
Let's get ready to dive!
In the photos above, there I was preparing for scuba diving. But of course, let's have a little photoshoot for documentation. The tank is heavy so I could not carry it myself. And the photo on the right, I was just enjoying the blue sea behind me.
Here's our instructor preparing for the oxygen tank and the inflatable vest. He taught us some basic signals so that we can communicate underwater. It is more on the hand signals on how to go up, to go down, stop, out of air, there's a problem, and he explained the use of equipment. If you want to be a certified scuba diver, you have to do more studies and do 3 days of training.
It was a short introduction so we prepared to go to the water. The BCD and oxygen tank is very heavy so I have to be careful. The instructor assisted me on wearing it.
I have my own mask so it's better to have your own. I bought it for Php 1,000. And it's color pink. I bought it from Chris Sports at SM City Cebu where I worked previously as a cashier/sales assistant.
Ready to go to the deep?
Here we are having a groufie before we went to the deep.
The instructor took our photos. I am glad he got an underwater camera. Later on, the other person quit the session because she had a breathing problem. She needed to stop and took a rest.
Enjoying my first breathe underwater
I enjoyed the session until I almost got out of oxygen. Well, it is dangerous to scuba dive without an oxygen so there is a specific amount of oxygen or a correct indicator that we need to stop the diving session. Meaning, we need to get out of the water.
I actually enjoyed the session that I decided to dive alone but the instructor followed me and grabbed my arm because it is dangerous. It is important to dive with a dive buddy especially when you are not an expert.
Of course, he took many photos of me. I was excited to upload the photos on Facebook.
Another diver saw us and gave me a can of San Mig light for a photo session. It was funny pretending to drink underwater.
Being a first timer on scuba diving, I got so amazed how wonderful and colorful the underwater world is. And it was so satisfying to breathe and swim underwater. The feeling was so good because you are floating. You don't have to exert a lot of effort to swim. A little kick on your feet is fine. It was very calming that you even forget your problem for a while.
So, if you have a problem on land, going underwater is a nice escape.
After this experience, I was eager to learn scuba diving but it is actually expensive. I also needed to improve my swimming without a life vest.
Before, I was scared to do snorkel alone without a life vest. But I have to face my fears. I have to be on the beach every month. That's why when I was single, I always find myself going to Malapascua Island or Moalboal. I prefer to go to the beach compared going to the hike the mountains.
I fell in love with scuba diving. Soon, I will share more of my scuba diving adventures here on the blog. :)
Welcome to iTravelRox! Roxanne Tamayo is a Cebuana who is a traveler. Now a mom of 2 kids and a wife. She is a travel blogger and a digital nomad. As a Virtual Assistant, she does a lot of things like content writing, WordPress web design, WP updates and maintenance, graphic design, and photo editing. She is into wedding photography, as well.
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