keralucu
Senior Member
Hi everyone. I'm so glad I found this site - it looks like exactly what I need to express the joy I've just discovered on getting OW Certified.
I'm in Thailand, where we have some of the best dive spots around (I believe) and after being on this planet for almost 33 years, AND spending 4 of those in Bali - another great place for diving, where I never did the course - I have finally gone and done it... I'm certified!
I'm sure you guys will appreciate my first certified diving experience. I was with friends who are all advanced or above who all agreed that the conditions we had were absolutely perfect. We dived off a small island in the south of Thailand (eastern seaboard) called Koh Larn Ped. The water was absolutely flat when we got there, visibility crystal clear at 20m, the rock face was teeming with beautiful anemones and millions of fish. Saw a huge garoupa and lots of tuna chasing each other around, moray eels, gorgeous nudibranchs and a zillion other things that I can't even remember. The most thrilling thing was the whale shark - yep.... there was one right there with us.... only thing was, none of us in the water saw it! We were so awed by the marine life swarming around the walls of the cliff that we didn't notice the 6m beauty swimming virtually right behind us! Our dive instructor who was sitting that dive out due to lack of equipment was on the surface snorkelling and tried to attract our attention but we couldn't hear her. Never mind, as my friends told me - if I'd seen a whale shark on my very first dive I would have been spoiled for life! Our divemaster, who has many years diving experience under his weightbelt has never seen one yet either so that made me feel better.
We dived that spot twice in the hope that the whale shark would come round again, and the second time we were all paying more attention to the blue than to the rock! Regardless, I am now hooked and am doing little but eating, sleeping and dreaming about my next dive trip which will be in two weeks. I think I was born to do this.
Anyway, I hope to hear something back from some of you and hope you'll bear with any questions I might have. Cheers.
I'm in Thailand, where we have some of the best dive spots around (I believe) and after being on this planet for almost 33 years, AND spending 4 of those in Bali - another great place for diving, where I never did the course - I have finally gone and done it... I'm certified!
I'm sure you guys will appreciate my first certified diving experience. I was with friends who are all advanced or above who all agreed that the conditions we had were absolutely perfect. We dived off a small island in the south of Thailand (eastern seaboard) called Koh Larn Ped. The water was absolutely flat when we got there, visibility crystal clear at 20m, the rock face was teeming with beautiful anemones and millions of fish. Saw a huge garoupa and lots of tuna chasing each other around, moray eels, gorgeous nudibranchs and a zillion other things that I can't even remember. The most thrilling thing was the whale shark - yep.... there was one right there with us.... only thing was, none of us in the water saw it! We were so awed by the marine life swarming around the walls of the cliff that we didn't notice the 6m beauty swimming virtually right behind us! Our dive instructor who was sitting that dive out due to lack of equipment was on the surface snorkelling and tried to attract our attention but we couldn't hear her. Never mind, as my friends told me - if I'd seen a whale shark on my very first dive I would have been spoiled for life! Our divemaster, who has many years diving experience under his weightbelt has never seen one yet either so that made me feel better.
We dived that spot twice in the hope that the whale shark would come round again, and the second time we were all paying more attention to the blue than to the rock! Regardless, I am now hooked and am doing little but eating, sleeping and dreaming about my next dive trip which will be in two weeks. I think I was born to do this.
Anyway, I hope to hear something back from some of you and hope you'll bear with any questions I might have. Cheers.