Our friend Bong contacted Carabao Dive Center for a schedule to dive. Considerations included the weather, the availability of a boat that will bring us to the diving spot or the number of people who will go for diving. Since we were very lucky, we got a schedule where there was enough people who would go and most of them were master divers.
The meet up in their office was 8 in the morning so we were up by 6am. We met Bong, bought some food for our lunch in the boat and directly headed to the center.
When we arrived there, the dive masters led us to the wharf where a small boat awaited us.
We rode a boat and in time, we were sailing off to the diving spot. There were only 5 intro divers which included me, Joy, Bong, another Filipina nurse and her foreigner husband. The rest were master divers and boat operators. We befriended our master divers and acquainted ourselves with the others.
I wasn't nervous at that time considering that I don't know how to swim and I was a lil hydrophobic. The beautiful sunny weather was just too inspiring so I didn't ruin my day.
When we reached the diving spot after about 40 minutes of boat travel, there was about 30 minutes time that the dive masters tested the water. That time, we busied ourselves with picture taking.
Our picture taking was short lived because it was time for some lessons. One master taught us how to breathe using our mouth and under the water signals like-- Okay, Problem, Up, Down, Danger. After which, we were all given our jumpsuits. Tuloy ang picture taking after!
Soon enough, it was our time to dive. I suddenly felt scared knowing this. Baka ikamatay ko na ito. Huhu.
The master divers assisted us in gearing up and some seconds away, somebody asked me to jump in the water. Totoo na ito, bawal na magback out!
Above the water, we had some practice on breathing using the mouth with my gears on. (One dive master for each intro diver). I thought I was hyperventilating. He asked me to look down the water with my goggles on. I was startled. I can't believe what I saw. I have tried flying with wires. I have seen a city through glass walls. I have seen Davao up Shrine Hills. But the best I have seen so far, is under the water.
I lingered looking at it for quite a while, lately did I realized that my dive master was manipulating everything and I was already under the water with all the coral reefs touching my feet and the fishes swimming around me.
In the process, I forgot that I was breathing with my mouth! When I realized, I became more conscious with my breathing. I signed my thumb up because I wanted to go up because I was scared that in less than a minute, I will die. Danger! Danger!The dive master brought me up and told me to relax and don't panic. After some time, we were down the water again.
My friends and I were reunited after some time underwater.
Soon, we were brought out of the water. I checked my time and we were under for more than 40 minutes and all I could say was, "Bitin! Hindi ko namalayan ang oras.Gusto ko pa."
I survived under the water. I conquered my fears!
After our dive, it was the master diver's leisure time to dive so we just stayed in the boat for more than hour or so. I grabbed my cellular phone to look for a signal. And tadah! Pwedeng magfacebook sa gitna ng dagat.
When all the divers were finished, it was time to eat and go back to the wharf. We spent our time taking pictures with our dive masters and new acquaintances.
Later, we set our feet on the land.
Thank you so much Carabao Dive Center for the great dive.
We survived!
Note: The dive package costed us Php 750 each which included the boat ride, the gears (jumpsuits, goggles, oxygen tank and all), dive master's fee and underwater pictures.
For those interested, their address is.
| D1 F. Hermanos Bldg. Sta. Ana Wharf, Monteverde St. | |||||||||||
| Davao City | |||||||||||
| Carabao Dive Center Website | |||||||||||
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