As I saw the vast ocean, turquoise waters my heart started beating heavily. They asked me to sign with the name and time in. I had an emotional hijack from hindsight, but forebrain was pampering me to say – you wanted to do this!
Stepping into water doesn’t matter until you know you are
going inside. Every step of mine the water level raised. I saw others engrossed getting
trained hustling with breathing and learning sign language.
I felt a mix of exhilaration and trepidation. Here it was - the
moment I had been dreaming about for years. For as long as I can remember, the
thought of being submerged in water terrified me. Aquaphobia had kept me at bay
for years, but today, I was determined to face it. My heart raced as I put on
the scuba gear, each step feeling like a battle with my own fear.
My trainer(Thanks Abhinesh aka Abhi) was constantly reassuring
that ‘I will do good’. But, unless there is an inner voice screaming at you to
silence that fear, you can’t shut it up. For someone like me, with a deep fear
of water, submerging my face beneath the surface felt like an impossible feat.
It's more than just a physical act—it's a mental battle. The sensation of water
closing in is suffocating, like the world is shrinking around you. It’s a big
deal, a monumental leap.
When I took that first dip, the moment my face slipped
beneath the surface, my entire body trembled with panic. The cool water
surrounded me, and in an instant, it felt like the air had been stolen from my
lungs. I gasped, trying to remember how to breathe, but fear gripped me so
tightly that in just two seconds, I shot back up, heart racing, desperate for
the comfort of air. The fear was real, raw, and overwhelming. As I broke the
surface, gasping for air, I could feel the fear gripping me tightly. But then,
I started speaking to myself—You really want to do this. This is on your
bucket list. I didn’t come all this way just to be scared and give up. I
wasn’t going to let fear win. Deep down, I knew I wanted to experience the
magic I’d only ever seen in documentaries—the colourful coral, the graceful sea
creatures, the beauty of the underwater world. This was my chance to see it for
real, and I wasn’t ready to leave without that moment.
The moment you make the decision not to give up, things
start to change. It’s like a switch flip inside you, and that decision becomes
the first step in breaking free from that fear that has been gripping you. It's
that split second when determination outweighs doubt, and suddenly, the thing
that once paralyzed you starts to feel a little more manageable. One step at a
time.
Today as I am sitting here charting my experience, all I am feeling
is - Once your inner voice starts speaking, something remarkable
happens—everything else goes quiet. The noise of doubt, fear, and hesitation
fades into the background. That steady, determined voice inside becomes louder,
clearer, and more focused. It drowns out the chaos, silences the anxiety, and
reminds you why you’re here, pushing forward. In that moment, it’s just you and
your resolve—nothing else matters. It’s so true for all other phases of life.
As my trainer signalled, I took a deep breath through my
regulator. With one gentle push, I found myself sinking into an unseen world. The
world above was fading away. But instead of panic, there was a strange sense of
calm. The water embraced me in cool silence. For the first time, I wasn’t
fighting the water—I was flowing with it.
The water was an enchanting turquoise blue, so clear it felt like stepping into a dream. Small schools of fish danced around me, but one caught my eye—a beautiful white fish with a striking yellow streak. It moved with such grace, mesmerizing me completely. In that moment, I was captivated by the beauty around me, all while focusing on taking deep, steady breaths. The pressure in my ears grew uncomfortable, but I discovered something simple—a quick press of a button, and just like that, everything reset. It's funny how things that seem challenging at first can become easy when you're open to finding solutions.
The coral formations stretched out like underwater
gardens—branches of corals shaped like bushes, sponges with a soft, almost
tempting texture. I had to remind myself—respect the territory. My
trainer’s presence was reassuring, always checking on my comfort with the
water. I clung to his hand, a small anchor in this vast, unfamiliar world, and
every moment felt breathtaking. Nothing around me resembled life on land. How
could something be so otherworldly, so strikingly beautiful?
I started to wonder—if just a few meters of the ocean looked this vibrant, what mysteries and wonders must lie in the deep, unexplored waters?
At one point, the pressure in my ears broke my trance, but
it didn’t matter. I signalled to the diver with the camera, trying to express
with my hands what my words couldn’t convey—this was magnificent. My trainer
reassured me, and I knew everything was just fine. A thousand words wouldn’t do
justice to this experience. If this is only 5% of the ocean we’ve discovered,
what secrets must the other 95% hold? I couldn't stop thinking about it.
In that world, nothing else existed—just me, the water, and
its inhabitants. It felt like we were three musketeers—water, sea life, and me.
It sounds almost silly now, thinking back to how petrified I was before the
dive, and yet minutes later, I felt like we were the best of friends.
I had no sense of time down there. Every second felt
weightless, like I was suspended in a different world. I wanted to stay longer,
to immerse myself a little more in this surreal beauty. When something truly
captures your soul, time ceases to exist. It’s a sign that you’ve just lived an
unforgettable experience, where minutes dissolve into moments, and moments
become memories you’ll hold onto forever.
To those who don’t know how to swim—trust me, it doesn’t
matter.
To those still on the fence, wondering if you should try it—just close your
eyes and dive in.
To the adventurers out there—what are you waiting for?
And to my fellow aquaphobics—you must go for it. This isn’t just about
witnessing something new, it’s about reclaiming power over what once held you
back.
The greatest lesson the ocean taught me: Don’t fight the
water—flow with it. It’s a lesson not just for diving, but for life itself.
So, if you’re thinking of trying scuba diving, trust me,
it’s more than an adventure. It’s a doorway to a whole new perspective, a way
to experience the world in a way you never imagined.
