My rookie era: the shame of failing my scuba diving licence sticks to me like my wetsuit

"Would you rather go to space or the bottom of the ocean? I have always chosen the ocean, where beauty is bountiful. Under the sea are hundreds of mini-worlds unbothered by life on the surface. Which is one reason why my friend suggested I get my scuba diving licence. The other was that diving was on the itinerary for an upcoming holiday. I'd never thought about being a certified diver before, but I was excited to have the ability to explore the big blue."

"In order to do this, I needed to pass a theory and practical exam. As an alumna of Zoom university, my eyes glazed over upon opening the e-learning platform. But the words decompression sickness, oxygen poisoning and death had me sitting up. Who knew breathing underwater would involve more than just swimming with a tank of air on my back? High on fear, I passed the theory exam with flying colours."

"Learning about the gear was one thing, putting it on was another. Although I struggled to keep myself upright on land, my first practice session in the pool helped me adjust to having 20kg of equipment strapped to myself in the water, and helped quell fears raised by the online exam. It also didn't hurt that I naturally took to a lot of the skills that many new divers struggle with, such as achieving neutral buoyancy staying in one place without sinking or rising."

Preference for the ocean over space motivated pursuit of a scuba licence to explore abundant underwater mini-worlds. A friend recommended certification and scheduled diving on a holiday. Training required theory and practical exams; safety topics like decompression sickness and oxygen poisoning prompted focused study. Pool sessions built comfort with 20kg of gear and neutral buoyancy skills. Ocean practical provoked panic due to lack of footing and perceived endlessness. The underwater mask-removal exercise became overwhelming when water filled the mask, causing cessation of mouth breathing and failure of that practical component.

Read at www.theguardian.com