Hello Hive!
This is my first taste of the underwater world that made me decide to pursue open water scuba diving lessons.
I already mentioned in my previous posts that I will be having this Moalboal series. I actually made a few posts already and I think more are coming in the next few days. I will just provide the links of those posts I've done at the end of this post. Please do visit them if you want to know the context of this series.
Me, my friends from my previous work, and our guides after that successful discovery scuba diving in Moalboal last November 2020.
I have always been fascinated by the strange yet majestic world underwater. Since I got a hold of an old National Geographic magazine that contained a lot of stunning photos underwater, I always dreamed of a day that I will be able to experience what it's like down there.
We already had plans with @scubahead about the diving class and we planned it for months, but when it was time for me to pursue it, something unprecedented happened that made me postpone the diving lessons up to a later date.
When my friends invited me to have a long weekend in Moalboal last November, I immediately said I'll join them. They said we would have discovery scuba at Php 2,000 or around $42.00. I didn't tell @scubahead that I would be having a scuba diving because we had plans already and it was just postponed due to reasons that are beyond me.
I thought it was also a perfect opportunity for me to get a sense of what's out there and feel if I would like it before fully committing to an expensive lesson and certification.
After checking in at Pacita's Beach Resort, we immediately head to Mark's Diving Center, if I remembered that correctly, for the first activity of the day. We prepared for the dive, had almost an hour of a crash course on what to do and not do underwater, and then head to the water.
One thing I noticed during the preparation and briefing is that we were not taught how to set up our air tank and BCD (buoyancy compensator device). They have set it up already for us. That's one reason why I decided I should go back and have my diving lessons. I want to learn how to set up everything.
The Experience Underwater
It's a different world down there. One very important rule is to keep on breathing and I made sure of that. 😂 I initially had a problem with equalizing. That's what really made me worried. My left ear really hurt when we descended a few meters from the surface so I signalled my guide that my ear hurt. We ascended back a few meters and I tried to equalize again. It took a long time before I was able to do it.
Once I was able to acclimatize to the new surroundings, I enjoyed it very much. I was easily distracted by the corals and fishes, but the most mesmerizing of all was the school of sardines.
Panagsama is known for its sardines all year round. It is said that there are only two places in the world where you can see a permanent school of sardines. The other one is in South Africa.
While I enjoyed all the sights down there, I didn't like the idea that I have no control over my dive gears. Our guides were holding our talks from the back and it felt like we were just dragged along. That's another reason why I decided to pursue that diving lesson.
We were just swimming along the reefs of Panagsama until the part where there were sardines and then they decided it was time to resurface. It was only about 15 minutes underwater. Our air tanks were still 150 bar/atm. They said the current was strong. Bummer.
At the Surface
It can be seen from our faces that we were so happy to have ticked off one item in our bucket list. But for me, it was not enough. I wanted to have more photos underwater and that didn't happen. I wanted to have more photos with the sardines and the corals. It left me hanging that I wanted for more. That's the main reason why I decided to pursue that diving lesson which I will be posting in details in the coming days.
For some reason, they took more photos at the surface than underwater. It became like a photoshoot. I couldn't complain, but there should have been more photos underwater. I mean you could easily fake while at the surface.
More photos:
Was it worth it? At that time, yes. It gave me a glimpse of what's in store for me if I would pursue scuba diving, in which I did. Now that I'm certified, no. It was too short. We could have spent more time underwater or at least spent the air until maybe 75 bar.
I guess that's all for this post. Next post will be about Garden Village, a restaurant where @discoveringarni brought me after the meet up. See you in my next post!
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying hard photographer so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.
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Nice post, I have had so many opportunities to Scuba and that's one thing I wish I would've done, Thanks for sharing, this just makes me want to do it more now.
I think you should do it. It's an awesome experience. It's okay if I can't dive again because I already experienced it. Just do it once and if you don't like it, at least you know what it's like for you.
Yea, I missed the opportunity to do it at Subic Bay, went snorkeling instead on Grande Island. Love that place.
My prime sources of info for the underwater life, discovery channel, physiology books about deep sea diving and how it relates to medicine, and an anime called Grand Blue which will be having a live action adaptation released soon. You won't get me near a beach especially underwater but you'll see me always looking at pictures featuring sea life because that's a whole new world down under.
Glad you can cross one off the bucket list with Hive and HBD in exchange. We need more of that kind of transactions off chain. Someday I will have that happy kiddo expression like what you wear on those photos when diving.
You're afraid of the deep? I also have thalassophobia, but I confronted it. It's actually kind of liberating underwater. You only listen to your own body.
Aversion to the beach most likely. The scorching heat of the sun, smell of salty breeze, the feel of dried sticky salt on your skin, and the grainy texture of sand that gets trapped in your butt cheeks. Yeah, not really missing out on anything. It's along the lines of I can go do it without a problem but it's going to take me a lot of convincing to bother with it. I'll still like the underwater photos and sceneries I get to see from a second hand info. I'll cross diving off my list but not anytime soon.
Oh! Not always a fan of the beach because I'm a mountain person, but I learned to love the it lately. I just don't stay under the sun for too long, may it be on the beach or swimming in the water.
Staying under the sun result
Congrats on your achievement @ybanezkim26
I was impressed by how focused and determined you were at diving into it all (no pun intended:) You never know what this could lead to.
When I want something, I tend to be very determined to get it. I'm only after the experience though.
It's good though. It's nice when Filipinos get to enjoy and experience the natural resources and beauty of their own country like foreigners do.
I think you picked a good time to visit Moalboal, because we've been having quite a lot of rain and some days it's so grey and doesn't look like the tropics.
I like that you gave a detailed and comprehensively written scuba dive post after you have completed your own Open Water Dive Course. I look forward to reading your next post. 😊
I felt like I should lay down the details prior to the main event. 🙈 I also intended to compare both experiences to make it more comprehensive. If I have written this before the certification, it would have been a different tone.
Which camera did you use for your photos? Was it a GoPro? 📸
xx
🐠 @elenahornfilm 🐠
Yes. We used GoPro, but it was not mine. It's from the Dive Center.
I understand. I was wondering because the photos seem a bit like film stills... which I really like in photos. So I thought it might be a GoPro. I like travelling with a GoPro because sometimes you forget that you have it running and capture some funny scenes :) .
That's the problem really. We don't have control over the photos generated. They just took the photos and gave them to us. If I had more control, I would have taken a lot of underwater shenanigans. 😂
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These are looking very good and the underwater shoots are beautiful
Thank you! I'm not satisfied with it though. 😂
Looks like this experience was well worth the wait, I love that first shot where you're below the sardines!
I'm sure you must be looking forward to exploring more of the underwater now.
Yes! I can't wait to dive again. I still have to save for that though.
I almost joined a course like this over the recent holiday but plans had to change because of travel restrictions. Instead I stayed on dry land ad went on some secluded camping trips.
Great set of photos and write up.
Camping trips! I missed that. I will definitely try that again early this year.
Camping is the best. Easily done but just got to find the time to get out there.
It seems you aren't satisfied with just this, more reason you wanna get that diving lesson.
I like how determined you are and want to do more.
You wanted more photos underwater? Couldn't you have just asked for that? Or was it not possible or necessary to ask?
Or moreover asked your guide to help with that.
Why did you suddenly developed an issue with your ears?
Has it always been so or it just happened in the course of diving?
It's difficult to ask when you're underwater. We thought they got us covered.
This has been my problem ever since. When we were snorkeling, I couldn't descend to a certain depth because my ear would really hurt. It's okay now though. I can now equalize well.
Oh I see.
By the way, I hope your ear issue won't pose a problem to your diving lessons
It's okay now. I'm already done with the diving lessons and there was no problem.
Oh, really? The diving lesson is just a one-time thing? Or twice?
I thought it will be the same as a driving lesson that may take up to a week or even a month sometimes
I took it in three days. Four deep dives and 2 other shallow open water trainings.
Oh great!
I went diving once in the Galapagos. It was awesome but also scared the shit out of me. Just the whole being under water thing.
It's scary at first, but it's okay knowing the people you're with are dive masters. Still, there's this fear of what might be lurking under there. Haha
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Woow what a fascinating experience, I was waiting for this publication, I liked it quite a lot. Congratulations for your great work, in all aspects of the post.
A big greeting
Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked my post. This keeps me going.
kim! di kaba natakot baka may shark hahahah
Wala naman masyadong sighting sa Moalboal. In case meron man, they're docile. They're more afraid of humans than we are to them.
Kumusta ka @ybanezkim26 , salamat for your support on my post 🙏.
I was just checking out your diving experience and it is AWESOME. I have been shark snorkeling in the Bahamas and I loved it. The underwaters are so amazing, yet so fragile and worth being protected. But keep proceeding becoming a diver as you can help raising awareness about the most important life line of this planet. I will dig thru my old pics from that trip to see if i can share my shark experience with the community.
See ya 🐠 🦑 🐡 @bulldog-joy 😁
Wow! You know some Filipino words? I agree with you that the underwater world is so beautiful yet so fragile. And they don't even care about the world above. They're just there continuing to be the life line of the planet.
I'm now a certified open water diver. I just haven't shared the whole experience yet. My next plan is to have enrol in advanced diving course. Maybe this year.
Awesome, diving is a dream of mine as well, but I wasn't able to pursue it yet.
Lol, I know like the 2 words in filipino 😄. I was working for some famous artists from the philippines/usa. My partner has been their psd for many years and I joined them. I don't wanna mention the name but I suppose you know who I mean.
I will keep track of your experiences. I love to travel but since a year we are stuck in Germany loosing all our jobs.
But taking a look at your posts is like going on a vacation...love it.
😱 Thank you very much! This made my day.
You are very welcome. Look, I found an old pic when sort of working for your country. It was quite an experience with the ppl from the board lol, but a nice memory. I am equipped to go to the philippines lol...hopefully in real someday 😅.
Wow! See you sometime in the future then...if ever you can visit here for real.
I guess it's time you should. It's a nice world down there.