Under the sea - Tioman

After hiatus for over a month, I'm back with new experiences to share on my virgin experience breathing underwater from 18m below the sea! Been quite a rush journey as Lnr & I embarked on our Third trip together to Tioman the very morning after I've ended my internship, concurrent with Lnr's end of his first post-graduate job a day before.  It has been a whole new encounter underwater for me, a amusing albeit weary one. We took a 4 hours Coach from Flyers @ 630am and reached the Tg Gomek ferry terminal, followed by a 2 hours ferry to Tioman. Was greeted by the clear seawater upon reaching our lil Kampong for the next 5D4N, feeling rather fortunate to be able to see such cloudless seawater again. Our Kampong happens to be a much less developed one compared to the Dive resort Lnr went previously, there was no tourist souvenir shop at all in sight, just villagers and some Caucasians walking along the only road available. In fact we find it a lil difficult to believe that very few restaurants open during dinner times.  In general I felt the place feels rather peaceful and the locals are living their own life, in comparison with the well-developed Krabi and Pattaya where vendors sells almost identical souvenirs along the stretch of road,  negotiating for prices. I don't know how the places might change years down the road but I am glad I had a piece of its native state, or perhaps semi natives since most vendors are able to converse in simple english for ordering of food items.   

Right, so anyway that's where I began my 4D3N Open water dive course together with three others, and that was many first-times within that few days, while Lnr and some others been told me that the first breathe I take underwater will be amazing, I think I was overly focused on breathing itself that I didn't savour the moment. Spent the first day sitting in the aircon room watching videos since there were approximately 5 hours of video to watch to complete the theory test. Second day was followed by Pool dives where we had a long list of drills to run through, felt pretty thankful that the drills didn't appear as terrifying underwater as I imagine it to be, like removing the regulator and putting back underwater, to which I imagined water will gush into my mouth and I will choke uncontrollably underwater. With sufficient pool drills we had our first dive from the Shore to about 8m deep. Always find myself taking several deep breaths before submerging in the water though I had the regulators on. Oh well, in the meanwhile the certified open water diver Lnr has been sitting by the beach watching over me as I dip into the pool / shore, thought I felt this immerse happiness whenever I rise to the surface and saw Lnr watching over me and beaming. To which we discussed that it felt like the daddy sending his daughter for the first swimming lesson kekeke.  Alas, Lnr waited for three days for me before I could finally do our open water dive together. :') 

And there we go! Sky was bright and sunny on our dive day, hence explains our three shades darker skin after the trip. To which I probably have to wait for half a year for my face to recover from it. Going down to 18m wasn't as nerve-racking as I imagined once again, I think I have been quite a pessimist when it comes to new experiences and always think for the worst Oh nooo such a scardy cat Hahahah. Though to be honest we didn't went as deep since according to my meter watch the highest it recorded was approx 15m deep. Was warned about the shaking of the dive boat to which I was once again worried for, and things turn out fine with my frantically stuffing plums in my mouth all the time. Thought that I might have enjoyed the time with Lnr on the top of the boat with wind blowing against us watching the sea water splash against the boat rather than underwater Hahahaha. 

With a leap of faith and we were all descending into the water, breathing underwater has been a unique experience, while it also evokes me into thinking that we humans are better living off as terrestrial animals. For one I was having a  mild headache after some times as my eye mask was tight, and I felt like my throat were sticking together as the compressed air we breath in felt dry. So yeah, point taken is that as much as it's intriguing, it is also discomfortable as the same time. To which Lnr mentioned that it could also very likely that I was being too tensed up and things will get better with more dives, well no disagreement on that definitely. Right, guess I was pretty lucky to spot some stingrays, clown fishes, dory, puffer fish and sea turtle! Wootz the sea turtle swam past me leisurely with its peaceful face, kekek feeling so happy to spot it on the very last dive. Wished that Lnr was my buddy but I guess it's good enough to be diving together. It's a fanciful enormous world underwater, leave alone the unknown marine organisms in the deep ocean. While I'm thankful for the opportunity and availability of dive equipment to take a peak at the corals seascape, the underwater world will remain as a mysterious world to me and I will only learn the tips of it from books and videos. :)   

 And here is to my very best guardian angel of the trip! Couldn't have pulled through this without these two, one being my pillar of support who has been pushing me on to not forgo my own ego ( Yes Ego has largely pull me through this physically draining experience, can't imagine coming back from Tioman and tell people Oh I gave up halfway cause too shag HAHAHA. ) and secondly my very own fun French Divemaster sneaking behind us. Thank you for watching over me all the time throughout the courses, for the words of encouragement and affirmation and acts of massage after the long day has ended. It's a blessing to embark on the trip with you though you must have been rather bored doing nothing.  But all the time spent with you taking long bus rides, eating breakfast together by the sea, picking stones along the rocky beach, all the laughters and joy we shared will always be remembered and appreciated. :) 

Just a continuation, I felt that breathing underwater was a little like I were to be in space alone, when all you hear is your own breathing. It's a bewildering feeling.