Bethany - Attempt #1

Scuba like a Navy Seal. Attempt #1

​On the trip’s first actual day of Honduran adventure, Wes, McDowell, Dominik, and I all decided that we would be the first ones from our class to try and tackle the scuba diving opportunity. When we woke up that morning, the sky was dark and had the promising appearance of yet another torrential downpour. In spite of the potential storm that was brewing over the water, we all suctioned ourselves into our wetsuits, loaded our scuba masks and flippers into the long boat, and headed out into the ocean with our instructor, Leaf, and the boat help, Abel. After about a ten minute ride though the drizzling rain, my classmates and I were already freezing cold and were praying that perhaps underneath the water it would not be as cold. Despite our wishful thinking, as the boat pulled up to the small private island where we were supposed to perform our practice scuba skills, the wind and rain only picked up even more. Once we were all about waist high in the water, Leaf instructed all of us how to place our tanks on our back, how to inflate and deflate our suits to control for buoyancy, use our air mouthpiece, and clear our masks. The lesson was difficult for me. The tank was heavy on my back, and due to the wind and strong waves, I was continuously being dragged out to open water.

After about twenty minutes of practicing breathing underwater with our air hose, we loaded back into the boat to go out for our actual dive. By this time the rain was pounding down on us as we rode in the boat. I sat down in the bottom of the boat to avoid getting hit with the raindrops that hit sharp and cold against my face and body. I never could have pictured myself shivering in a boat while being pelted with raindrops as I was about to go scuba diving in the supposed warm and sunny Honduran waters. After what seemed like an hour boat ride into the deep ocean water, we finally stopped, and Leaf said that we were going to do falls off the side of the boat. After watching a few of the boys bravely put on their tanks and flippers and fall helplessly off the side of the boat and into the storm of water beneath us, I mustered enough courage to make the fall myself. I placed my fifty-pound tank on my back, put my flippers on my feet, slipped my mask over my face, then perched nervously on the side of the boat with my back facing the roaring water into which I was about to plunge helplessly. Leaf gave me a three second countdown. Before I knew what was happening I could feel the tank pulling me off the side of the boat and sinking my body into the water. I twisted and swerved my body to try to find the surface once I hit the water, and after a few moments of confusion I made my way up to the surface with my fellow scuba divers.

​The waves were enormous around us, and it was difficult to see but a foot ahead of myself due to the rainfall. When Leaf joined us in the water, it was easy to tell, despite my lack of clear vision from the rain and scuba mask, that he was uneasy about the dive. He instructed us to do a practice descent to about ten feet beneath the water and to wait for him there. One by one, my classmates began to sink down into the water. I was scared, but I decided it would be too cowardly to just bob on top of the water all afternoon while my classmates were on a fun scuba adventure. I slowly pushed the deflate button on my suit and watched as the scenery around me changed from the surface of the water to the depths of the ocean. At first I was excited that I was actually doing it, but after about five feet I began to freak out. I could not believe I was breathing underwater and quickly rose back to the surface to calm down. I continued to bob on the surface for a few moments before I gathered enough courage and calmness to do my descent again.

​When I actually made it down to the desired ten feet, I lost all fear and it was replaced instead with excitement. Unfortunately, as soon as I got there, Leaf gave us the signal to surface again. When we reached the surface, Leaf told us that the waters were too unsteady and dangerous for us to scuba through, and that it would be better for us to try this again another day. Heartbroken, and also a little relieved, we climbed back into the boat and made the boat ride back to the Mango Creek. By this time the rain was unbearably cold and falling down harder than anything I had ever experienced. Leaf said he had never experienced weather likeeither. The guys decided to join me at the bottom of the boat to escape the torture of the rain,and we huddled together in a little circle for warmth. Leaf told us that we looked like we were preparing for the Navy Seals with the kind of scuba training we received. We all could not help but laugh at the horrible conditions and were excited to try our fins again tomorrow in the scuba adventure.