By Delphine
Since learning scuba diving last year, I’ve discovered a whole new world that I never experienced before. I have come to appreciate the underwater universe that is so full of beauty, wonder and mystery. Going underwater nevertheless fills me with a great sense of anxiety and fear.
I didn’t grow up like Grant where he swam, fished, dived and sailed since he was a toddler. He is more fish than human in many ways. My experience with boating and the ocean started only seven years ago when we got our sailing yacht Arabella. While snorkelling, I always wish I could hold my breath and dive down to see the corals and fishes like others, rather than just staying on the surface. I tried but I either struggled to get down, or when I managed to dive down I would panic and thought I was out of breath and popped back up immediately.
I decided to take a free diving course in Bonaire. For me, the main purpose is to overcome my fear and learn to be more relaxed underwater. My friends Amandine from Dragonfly and Anne from Kithara decided to join as well. Wonderful to have good company and support.
We took two half day morning sessions with Saty and the owner Gaby from Deepsea Bonaire who were fantastic. During the course, we learnt relaxation techniques, breath hold techniques, equalisation and duck dives. We also practised free immersion with buddy and safety procedures. All of these are definitely outside my comfort zone and I struggled. Being upside down underwater was a very strange sensation! I couldn’t go straight down with my duck dives but I went deeper and managed to stay underwater much longer than I ever did before. Most importantly I felt more relaxed under water. Now that I’ve learnt the basic techniques, I can practise on my own.
I feel proud that I overcame my fear and challenged myself. For me, this sailing experience has been a process of pushing boundaries, constant learning and self discovery.