Sleeping, err...swimming with the fishes.

By Bobbi-Jo // 5 March 2010 // Comments: 1 // Related Categories: Best Backpacker Job, sydney, Things to do

Let’s talk about the list of things I was afraid of before coming to Australia that turned out to be really not that bad since I’ve been here:

Heights? Over it.
Being alone (in the traveling sense, not the “I’m all of a sudden 40 and I have 12 cats and a bingo habit” sense)? It’s pretty sweet.
Fish? Psshhh.
Sharks? Well. OK. Still afraid of sharks. But big fish can bring. it. on.

Starting Monday, I was booked into a 3-day, 4-dive PADI Open Water Diver certification course. Even though I’m from South Florida, I’ve never been a big fan of snorkeling (water getting into the snorkel, feeling like, you’ll, you know, drown), so I was fairly certain that scuba wasn’t going to be my thing.

Self contained underwater breathing apparatus.

Uh. I can breathe just fine above water, thanks.

After completing the course - I can now dive to 18 meters! - and meeting George, Manly Beach’s most famous and fabulous Eastern Blue Groper, I am so, so, very glad that I am now among the League of Underwater Astronauts.

I took the course with Pro Dive Manly, it’s one of a few Pro Dive locations throughout Sydney, but I think it’s their most popular. Which completely makes sense because the location is gorgeous and the instructors are not only professional and super helpful, but fun. Even though the mornings were early and the days were long they kept everyone motivated and fully capable of managing not to blow up any oxygen tanks.

Andy, our intrepid instructor, not only kept me from, ahem, drowning, but made sure we were all totally prepared for all of the skills we’d have to perform and tests we’d have to take to get certified.

I’d recommend taking a scuba course if you’re in the area. I got the impression that even within Sydney the dive sites can be pretty unique from each other and obviously like nothing you’ll see in other parts of the world, so there will be lots to see and do. Plus! You pretty much get to look like a sea monster when you get out of the water with your tank on. Which is...awesome.

I’m officially a convert. Hopefully I’ll get some more diving in in the future.

As long as there are no sharks.

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