Finally, Open Water Certified!
My forearms burn, like they have rashes and now I know what sunburn means. The end, having completed my OWD requirements and now waiting for certification, feels anticlimactic. So, it had to be said a couple of times in the form of ‘congratulations!’ to let it sink in (haha). I’d been saying it in half serious words that I wanted to get OWD ever since my first dive in 2014. So, it took some real courage, manifested in relatively simple actions - booking a train to go, withdrawing money to pay, sitting with myself poring through the manual, encountering the examination-me emerge from forgotten depths (must get full marks). None of the puns in this post are intended, mostly because so much of talk on land and life is seeped in the metaphors of the sea and navigation. Point is, there was a lot of pressure, mostly internal, much like how the body feels when under water. The liquids inside decompress well but the air cavities need equalizing to release pressure. For those who haven’t dived before, equalizing is a thing you do every few meters as you descend into the water, pop your ears by gulping. The metaphors of pressure are literal in water.
I always liked how the sea or ocean is a force way mightier than any man, so in swimming or diving, the golden rule is to respect your limits and never go beyond them. In a guided recreational dive where they pack and suit you up and as long as you breathe alright, you’ll quickly forget the force of water. Heck, you won’t know what to make of the seriousness of an 18 meter descent or how nitrogen bubbles can fuck you up. Like a child who doesn’t know what fire means. OWD is different, the fishies become secondary. The precise marvel of the silence and, the paradigmatic shift that undersea offers to creatures of land habits and territorial transactions - there’s not so much of that. It’s business. In fact our dives happened in really low visibility and we hardly saw any fish or corals :)
Before I wrap up my emotional “debrief” (:P), partly as a way of appreciating my own recreational choices, I was wondering if any and all sport that requires deep engagement, understanding and respect of natural forces, also makes its practitioner better people - more mindful, considerate and humble🤷🏽♀
I’m sure there are awful people who make for great divers technically but the whole concept of buddy-work, the constant awareness of your limits underwater, the amount of backups that a diving system involves - the values designed into diving, I’m full of grateful and kind vibes that make me smile while the certificate is on its way :)
My amazing teacher Mr Praveen BK is wholly responsible for how positive and confident my experience was. I’m so glad I was his first student! If you ever decide to dive or get certified, find him at West Coast Adventures in Kaup, Karnataka!
My forearms burn, like they have rashes and now I know what sunburn means. The end, having completed my OWD requirements and now waiting for certification, feels anticlimactic. So, it had to be said a couple of times in the form of ‘congratulations!’ to let it sink in (haha). I’d been saying it in half serious words that I wanted to get OWD ever since my first dive in 2014. So, it took some real courage, manifested in relatively simple actions - booking a train to go, withdrawing money to pay, sitting with myself poring through the manual, encountering the examination-me emerge from forgotten depths (must get full marks). None of the puns in this post are intended, mostly because so much of talk on land and life is seeped in the metaphors of the sea and navigation. Point is, there was a lot of pressure, mostly internal, much like how the body feels when under water. The liquids inside decompress well but the air cavities need equalizing to release pressure. For those who haven’t dived before, equalizing is a thing you do every few meters as you descend into the water, pop your ears by gulping. The metaphors of pressure are literal in water.
I always liked how the sea or ocean is a force way mightier than any man, so in swimming or diving, the golden rule is to respect your limits and never go beyond them. In a guided recreational dive where they pack and suit you up and as long as you breathe alright, you’ll quickly forget the force of water. Heck, you won’t know what to make of the seriousness of an 18 meter descent or how nitrogen bubbles can fuck you up. Like a child who doesn’t know what fire means. OWD is different, the fishies become secondary. The precise marvel of the silence and, the paradigmatic shift that undersea offers to creatures of land habits and territorial transactions - there’s not so much of that. It’s business. In fact our dives happened in really low visibility and we hardly saw any fish or corals :)
Before I wrap up my emotional “debrief” (:P), partly as a way of appreciating my own recreational choices, I was wondering if any and all sport that requires deep engagement, understanding and respect of natural forces, also makes its practitioner better people - more mindful, considerate and humble🤷🏽♀
I’m sure there are awful people who make for great divers technically but the whole concept of buddy-work, the constant awareness of your limits underwater, the amount of backups that a diving system involves - the values designed into diving, I’m full of grateful and kind vibes that make me smile while the certificate is on its way :)
My amazing teacher Mr Praveen BK is wholly responsible for how positive and confident my experience was. I’m so glad I was his first student! If you ever decide to dive or get certified, find him at West Coast Adventures in Kaup, Karnataka!
1 comment:
Many congratulations! Onward and forward.
Now I get the full context of what you asked about sport making someone a better person. While I generally concur, I think being deep down in the ocean must be a truly unique experience.. running mostly on city streets probably doesn't compare to that kind of feeling in any meaningful way.
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