Beyond the Surface-to-Braving the Depths: My dive into the unknown

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?       

With each breath, I could feel my fear slipping away. The marine life around me—the butterflyfish, the yellow tang, the delicate sponges, the vibrant barrier reefs—they pulled me in completely. Every direction I turned offered something new with the sandy floor below. I was so captivated by the world unfolding before me that I forgot I was even underwater, the very place I had once feared. It was as if my mind had been rewired to appreciate every detail, every color, every creature.

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.

Emerging back to the surface was like waking from a dream. The horizon stretched endlessly, and as I pulled off my mask and regulator, the cool breeze on my face was a reminder that I’d just witnessed something extraordinary. Suddenly, the sky above seemed less fascinating, and the land beneath my feet felt… ordinary. I found myself shouting in triumph, like a warrior who had just won her greatest battle. Maybe I wasn’t just a diver anymore—I was a queen, having conquered both the ocean and my own fears.

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.