Day 31 - Memorable End to Week in Boracay

Not actually me, but verrrrry close representation.

Today was my last dive to complete my Advanced Open Water Scuba Diver training... it would be a test of two skills: deep water diving (>120 ft) and wreck diving (dive through the hull of a ship wreck.) Typical recreational diving takes place around 60 ft.

No problem... this was my fifth dive for the week. Piece of cake.

Uh not.

I ran out of air.

Long story short... my dive instructor, Georgina, and I wrapped up the two skill component tests. We had just finished diving through the shipwreck, and I informed her that my tank was getting low. It was time to head up to the surface.

When you ascend to the surface, you need to do an interval stop to decompress at 15 ft... hang out for awhile, and then complete your ascent to the surface of the water (you build up nitrogen in your body and don't want to get the bends.) I could see the sunlight shimmering at the surface... I thought that I had plenty of air remaining.

It became harder to breath through my mouthpiece/regulator. I looked at my tank gauge; the air had become alarmingly low.

I waved frantically to Georgina and then began a rapid ascent for the surface. I removed my regulator from my mouth... it was worthless. I could feel myself taking in water and drowning... choking on the water.

Every diver has a spare "octopus" (extra breathing mouthpiece) for instances when your buddy diver runs out of air. He/she can share your tank. Gina motioned for me to grab her octopus. I tried to calm down (hard to do when you have no air) and grabbed for her octopus.

I missed, choked some more on salt water, and then tried to bolt away from her in a mad dash for the surface. I remember at different points that I thought to myself, "hmm... so this is what its like to drown" and "this can't possibly be happening to ME."

Gina grabbed my wetsuit, yanked me down, and shoved her octopus into my mouth. We held it there... I knew it was the right thing to do. I was afraid to ascend too rapidly for fear of getting the bends.

With her spare regulator in my mouth, I began to blow out and vomit all of the salt water that I had taken in. She clutched my arm so that I could remain still and regain my composure... relax.
It took a little while, but I finally relaxed and resumed breathing normally.

We needed to finish our decompression stop. Gina distracted me by pointing to pretty schools of fish swimming by. It worked.

Finally, we ascended to the surface. What occurred over a period of minutes seemed like an eternity. We hauled our asses onto the boat and I sat there dazed... spitting up more salt water, but remaining calm.

I had dinner with Gina, Jerry, and Gina's daughter tonight. I told Gina that a part of me didn't want to take her spare regulator because it was embarrasing and a sign of failure (and of course, at that point in time underwater, I quickly dismissed those thoughts.)

She was amazed that I even thought that. I felt much better getting it off of my chest and 'fessing up. It's one of those things that you'd never think to ever mention to someone, but I figured that I should be more open with how I felt at the time and vocalize those feelings instead of internalizing them.

Fun evening had by all... alcohol-free for me as I want to be on top of my game for marathon-travel-day.

But hey... at least now, I am an officially certified advanced open water diver! :-D

xoxo
E