I have been diving with my husband for four years now. I don’t think I will ever stop diving with my
husband for as long as I can. I hope to
share this hobby with my kid/s. And I hope I can do so for so many more years
to come.
Our decision to get certified is one for the books.
After our wedding, we were looking at websites offering “honeymoon
packages.” The obscenely high prices
made it too unconscionable for us to even consider availing of these
offers. Then, I came across one of those
offers which included scuba diving sessions in the package. I then remembered I’ve always wanted to
dive. So I asked the hubby, “Wanna just
get ourselves certified?” The rationale was this: at least, whenever we dive,
it would be like we were on our honeymoon again. (Yeah, cheesy, I know.) I got a resounding “Yes!” from my hubby, and
thus our journey began.
But first, we needed to find ourselves an instructor. We checked websites and called up
friends. Some packages were priced so
ridiculously high (50k per person?!) that we made a real effort to hunt down a
good bargain. Finally, my best friend in
college, Ellen, told us about her instructor for Advanced Certification –a certain
Col. Ravina. Col. Ravina is a marine in
active duty who, incidentally, teaches people how to dive. With reasonable rates (Php 18,000 for the
both of us, including overnight accommodation for our check out dives) and
excellent recommendation from Ellen, we took a leap of faith and enrolled for Open
Water Diver (OWD) Certification –this is the most basic certification that will
allow you to dive unassisted for up to a certain feet.
Flying. That’s how it feels
whenever I’m diving. It is the best
feeling in the world next only to having my daughter, and passing the bar
exams.
I won’t lie. Diving privileges comes with a hefty-ish price tag. Aside from certification fees, you need to buy gears.
This can run from a few thousands to hundreds of thousands, depending on
whether you’re a “scu-barat” or a big spender who wants all the latest
gadgets. My take? I am a certified scu-barat who occasionally
indulges in big ticket items for safety.
Here’s a breakdown of the stuff I bought through the years:
Mask – OMS (branded but bought on a discount)
Full wetsuit – Bodyglove (branded but bought on a discount)
Weights and weight belt – generic
Fins (full-foot) – generic
BCD – Mares (branded, bought second hand)
Regulators – Mares (branded, bought second hand)
Dive computer – Suunto (branded, bought the basic one)
Dive crate and bag – Generic
Whew. Quite a lot. This prompted
me to ask Col. Ravina during one of our Starbucks study sessions: “Sir, is it
worth it to invest into diving?” His answer:
“Yes. Of course. Kasi nasa Pilipinas ka. And the waters here have the best dive
sites. You don’t have to travel half-way
across the globe just to dive. You can
just drive for two hours, and have a wonderful divetrip. That alone, makes it worth it.”
After 4 years, numerous dive destinations, and countless dives, I have
to agree. This is one of the best
investments I’ve made in my life. I have
not even tried diving outside the Philippines.
And I’m far from done.
Soon enough, we were already enrolling for the Advanced Open Water (AOWD)
Certification. This allowed us to hone our skills and to dive an even deeper
depths (some of the most beautiful sites in the Philippines is just beyond the
depth allowed for OWD).
I look back to the day we decided to take the plunge –literally. I remember all the memories that came with our
diving trips, the friends we have met, the beautiful underwater sites we have
visited, and every little thing in between.
I have to say, our honeymoon has been amazing so far… and will continue
to be for the rest of our diving lives. J
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