I would like to wrap up my adventures backpacking in Thailand in 2010, with an excursion that had perhaps the most impact on me of any in my adult life. My first Liveaboard dive experience. In writing this dive report the word count has crept well over three thousand words. So I have decided to publish it in three consecutive parts.
A journey to Dive Paradise 🐟
Having just passed my Padi Open Water certification in Koh Phi Phi, my instructor offered to sell me a four day liveaboard trip at a 30% discount. The catch, there was only a day to get from Phi Phi island to Phuket, then up the coast to Koh Lak where the boat was set to depart.
I jumped at the chance and dragged my weary, hungover (read more in A Picture Says... 592 Words!) ass on to the three hour ferry journey to Phuket. After eight hours travelling, I arrived at Koh Lak groggy and tired. By this point I just wanted to kick back on the boat and sleep off the remaining hangover.
The dive operators inspected my log book, and after seeing that I had only completed 4 open water dives, declared that I wasn’t experienced enough to make the trip. I was shocked to hear that they were considering not allowing me on board, apparently the shop in Phi Phi shouldn’t have sold me this advanced-level trip. My guide for the trip, Silvia, told me that a lot of the dives were below 18 meters which is the maximum depth for open water certification. I calmly let her know that I wasn't going anywhere without a refund. Things were getting a little heated with the manager of the outfit, but Silvia was an angel in a wetsuit. She promptly rang the dive shop on Phi Phi, spoke to my instructor, and confirmed that I had good buoyancy and had come from a decent referral in the UK. We agreed that I would pay an extra thousand Thai Baht to take my deep specialty which would allow me to dive to 30 meters and we were golden.
I boarded the boat all set for an over-night trip to the Similian Islands. As I introduced myself to my fellow divers I remember the captain saying there would be some choppy weather on the crossing. No problem, I thought, I'll sleep right through it.
Wrong!
I awoke at 1 am sick as a dog with the cabin rolling like the proverbial drunken sailor. This was my first experience with sea sickness. I sat in the toilette for hours completely failing to be sick, I am convinced that my body was acclimatizing to the cyclic rolling of the ocean. After 3 hours the intensity of the nausea receded and I managed to sleep until 7 am when we were all awoken by a call of 'diving'.
I emerged, hangover free, sea sickness gone and feeling floaty in the gentle rocking of the swell. We sat and ate breakfast while the Sylvia ran us through the dive plan.
N.B. I didn't own any type of underwater camera at the time but I do have my dive log book and memories to draw from. I will source a few creative commons pictures to highlight the more interesting creatures we encountered.
Day 1 - Dive Nirvana 🐠
The first days diving took place at two sites called 'East of Eden' and 'West of Eden'. These dive sites are on the east and west sides of Koh Pa-Yu Island. The first dive was relatively gentle, with huge coral boomies stretching down the gentle slope into the blue smudgy distance. I remember this being the first dive I ever experienced... dive nirvana.
I finned languidly in the light current, following my buddy through the winding paths between the boomies. The panicky feeling of constantly checking depth/air faded with my profound calm, there was nothing but red, purple and blue coral stretching along the seafloor. Speckled flights of glass fish reflected the defuse sunlight while psychedelic smears of yellow trumpet fish hung above barrel sponges. This picaso-esque landscape of life and living light left me in a place I can't quite explain adequately - dive nirvana ☯
As this first dive drew to a close and we reached the edge of the reef a shoal of adolescent tuna shot past, silver slicing the deep indigo of the Stygian depths. I remember thinking there might be sharks about and straining my eyes out into the distances away from the reef.
Credit: commons.wikimedia.orgMy first days diving ended in that peculiar bliss that descends when you first get your sea legs. When your body embraces the constant sway and salt spray.
A big part of the liveaboard experience is making new friends. Everyone is bonded in a common interest and there is never a quiet moment as people recount thier dive stories. After dinner, we sat with a beer and played poker in the warm breeze that swept the ocean from the lee of the north side of Koh Pa-Yu Island. I mainly listened to the stories from my more experienced dive buddies. All of these people were friendly and encouraging, full of praise for me taking on an open ocean liveaboard at such a beginner level.
I remember one of the Portuguese guys saying that I was better off jumping in at the deep end like this, never a truer word has been spoken. I learnt so much on that trip, not least because of the steep learning curve and the knowledge that we all held each others lives in our hands. There are no excuses with diving, if you make a mistake in a buddy pair it can mean life or death for both of you, this fosters a unique conscientious camaraderie among divers that I have experienced nowhere else.
To be continued...
awesome experience!! I never tried scuba diving, even though I live in scuba paradise lol. I'm too scared to breathe through a tube, i guess I feel claustrophobic. I really want to try it some day, because the under water world fascinates me! Great post Raj!
Thanks evecab. Yeah, maybe you should give a freedving course a go. I seem to remember seeing a yoga post from you once. Freediving employs yoga breath techniques and relaxation to empower people to hold there breath for longer. I can only manage about a 50 seconds at best but this is because I'm wildly unhealthy at the moment. Freediving is the most wonderful feeling, quiet and tranquil... well until your mind starts screaming at you for air lol. Really good freedivers get to the point beyond where everyone else would just give in to the physiological need to surface. I have managed it once, to just ignore the bodies urging to surface, and what all the books say is true. Once you get past that point, you have another 30 seconds or more of capacity without breath. Thanks for checking out my post :-)
Yoga wasn't me =) I don't like yoga...it's too slow for me. Although I know it's very good...
Freediving is awesome! That I would love to try actually.
Sorry about that. I have a really bad memory Eve. I don't know who the yoga post was from then but it is duly noted. Definitely give freediving a try, but do a course as it is more complicated than it looks :-)
oh nah.... full refund bitches, i may be hungover...but i aint getting rinsed. haha... glad you got ornery. sounds a great adventure thus far!!
Yes, I got my moneys worth in the end the next part of this trip is where I really got my money's worth. I'm not sure if they were just making it all up at the time to make me pay the 1000 bht for the deep specialty dive ;-)
I can relate. I took my open water, advanced and nitrox in 6 days on Malapascua - Philippines, took a domestic flight to Coron and went wreckdiving.
Was a -35 in the machine room of a Japanese freighter sunk in WW 2 only 1 week after my first dives :-D. Talking about an adrenaline kick :-).
Looking back now when more experienced it was reckless and I wasn't ready in case of an issue but still it was a great memory and a good way to learn diving fast.
Wow @pieter87, that is crazy man. Lol, it's pretty scary to be honest. Just shows that money rules the roost and I'm guessing cause the Philippines is quite poor the dive guides were more inclined to bend the rules, should we say ;-) As you say though, it was a quick learning gradient but I think the fact that there was wreck penetration, at such an early stage of dive training was reckless of the dive operation. Same with me in Thailand tho, there were drift dives involved in this trip that were way above my level at the time.
Yep, the money has a lot more power over there then in EU dive centers. And you can abuse the system, if you have an advanced certificate you are good while they should put more attention to the number and type of dives.
When diving in Indonesia a couple months ago I heard from my (German) buddy who's and instructor on the Philippines that a guy died just that week in the same wreck. Someone hit the dust and sand while paddling and the viability went almost to zero. He panicked and didn't find the exit.
If something like that would happen to me now, it still would be risky and dangerous but at least I got used to diving with very bad viability here in Belgium and I wouldn't panic.
If the same happened when I was in there it would have been a disaster. The dive center only allowed small groups and there was always a dive master in front and behind the group but still....
And indeed that's why I'm relating to your story. Drift dives can be very tricky, done lots of them now with a couple of heavy ones on the Maldives but last December in Egypt on my 99'th dive it went wrong when swimming from the reef to the boat. I missed the boat by 50 meters and in a matter of minutes I drifted into open sea and the zodiac had tome come pick me up. It was a good reality check that every dive needs your full attention and concentration.
Finally finished the concluding part. Lol, only 5 days late. Check it out if you're up for more diving tales @pieter87 :-)
https://steemit.com/travel/@raj808/scuba-scribe-diving-the-similian-islands-concluding-part
Great post bro!!!
Now I want to go to south east asia to do something similar!!! :)
Next month in mexico Im gonna take my girlfriend to get her open water and I'll refresh my diving skills... havent done any diving in about 2 years...
Mexico diving is awesome @lavidaesunviaje. I dived Cozumel my last dive trip about 2 years ago now. It is weighing on me quite heavily that I haven't got out more recently than that. This is why I'm writing these dive posts, it's a way to re-live it all. Thanks for stopping by, I'm glad you enjoyed the post m8 :-)
Reading this has genuinely made me want to try diving when before I never thought to. Belize next year perhaps.
That is really gratifying to hear @hami. A big part of why I write these scuba scribe posts is to inspire people to try diving. Glad to hear it's working ;-) Thanks for checking out this post. Glad you enjoyed it m8
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Excellent tale! I Can only imagine the beauty. I hope to learn to dive this year. I enjoyed your wonderful episode.
Thanks @wandrnrose. You should definitely learn to dive, as soon as possible. Lol, if I got paid on commission from the scuba industry I'd be rich by now ;-) I have just finished the concluding part of this trip if you fancy another dive tale ;-)
https://steemit.com/travel/@raj808/scuba-scribe-diving-the-similian-islands-concluding-part
As much as I can't even swim... You took my mind on a very engaging journey. I am sure I will never dive my entire life (aquaphobia)but this to me is as close as one can get. Great post!
Glad to have taken you on the journey @tezmel. It is part of why I write these diving trip travel posts. I want them to be as close to being there as possible for people who may never dive. Cheers for checking out my post :-)
This is beautiful! I've never been scuba diving... I finally managed to work up to snorkeling in shallow water after NINE months of living on a boat in the Bahamas! I'm fairly terrified of water, but it is SO gorgeous. I love your story and the photos!
wow, take a dive off the steep end did you ever! what a cool journey! i'm glad the angel instructor was there to smooth things out for you. maybe you mentioned it, but how long were you on this boat? reminds me of mountaineering trips where you are literally relying on one another for your life. definitely creates a very strong glue holding everyone together. :D
Yes, I was lucky both to have a good instructor as a buddy & to have a natural affinity/knack for the procedural nature a of scuba.
This liveaboard was a 4 day trip with 3 full days diving and two night dives 🙂 part 2 in this series has a description of one of the most amazing things I've seen diving to date. Small hint, it happened on a night dive.
ok i'm off to read pt 2!!