SCUBA Rocks!

SCUBA diving was awesome! Although the complete jokers gave us homework of reading 3 chapters (230 odd pages) before we even started the course! That didn't really happen due to the beach party but we did at least make an effort. Main problem being it really guides you through by the hand step-by-step in a American spoon-fed way. Not to worry though - after our first day of videos we had a second morning of theory and then on to the exam.

Burger + Chips + Pancakes + Sun + Beach = Exam Conditions! Take your exams in Thailand!! Funnily enough we didn't finish on time as we were distracted by the pancake love!

Our first dive basically consisted of loads of drills. Concentration wasn't helped by women in bikinis swimming by overhead!! The worst part by far was having to take your mask off and breath underwater for a whole minute. That was the only part of the whole thing when I started to have doubts about whether I wanted to do it. I reckon it was the initial shock and panic of it though as when we had to do it again and swim without goggles later it was no problem.

Day 3 and we got on 2 proper dives! First one to 9m for 42 minutes and second to 7m for 46m. That's end pressure group M for Mutt's Nuts for anyone who's counting! Was great to get on with finally seeing stuff - Parrot Fish, Buttertfly Fish, and Christmas Tree Worms. Also figured out what the breathing exercises were all about an managed to glide up and down through the water effortlessly. We blatantly all looked great doing it too...well compared to the other groups of vagabonds all out of control.

Day 4 was our final two dives and we got to see a whole lot more...Dive 1 we saw Yellowtail Baracudas, Blue Spotted Stingray, Angel Fish. Dive 2 - Banner Fish, Seahorses, Angel Fish, Butterfly Fish. A spot of admin later and we were approved PADI Open Water Divers! Awesome...party time!