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Intro to Scuba

As a 30-something-year-old woman, I’m not overly fond of swimwear. It’s not terribly forgiving, let’s just leave it at that.

While I may not love the wardrobe required, I do love the water. From the local swimming pool to Zeke’s parents’ hot tub to the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean, it’s my favorite element.

So it should come as no surprise that when we arrived at the Travel and Adventure Show in Washington, DC (March 17, 2012), we headed right for the pool. Beadiver.com had the four-foot-deep dive pool warmed to about 80 degrees, pretty much perfect in my book. I changed into my swimsuit in the changing tent, and then the helpful experts with beadiver.com got me ready for my first scuba experience. With fins, mask and dive tank in tow, I backed down the ladder into the warm water.

I’ll admit, I was a little nervous. I thought I might be claustrophobic or uncomfortable with the whole idea of breathing while under water. The guys with beadiver.com were excellent guides without making me feel like an idiot. They explained the basics of the equipment and the right way to use it, taught me a couple of hand signals, and told me to kneel or stand up if I had any trouble. Having that option was comforting and eased some of my nerves.

I took a deep breath through the regulator and eased down into the water. I was a little surprised how easy it was, how effortless. I don’t know why I would have expected it to be daunting or challenging, but now I know better.

I’ve been snorkeling before and thoroughly enjoyed it, but after experiencing how easy scuba diving can be (even under very controlled and simplified circumstances), I’m looking forward to looking into certification and a dive in my near future (look out, Frederick’s Brass Anchor Scuba Center)! If you are in Northern Virginia we sugget checking out Sterling Silver Scuba.

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About No Kids, Will Travel

In the eyes of their friends and family, Amanda and Zeke are a young jet setting couple without any real responsibility. In real life, the stress of work and raising a kitten push them to flee reality at every opportunity. The "lack of obligation" gives them the chance to explore the world.

4 comments on “Intro to Scuba

  1. Glad you enjoyed! So, are you hooked? Have you planned your next dive trip? 🙂

  2. […] the warm weather and the pool opening soon, I’ve been thinking back to the diving experience Amanda had at the travel show. I thought our post lacked some specifics, so we got in contact with […]

  3. […] I would first like to explain if you are just visiting Earth from a far-off planet (welcome!), the Italian city of Venice isn’t actually floating on the water. The ancient city was built by mainland Italians on a series of low-lying islands as a refuge from the constant barbarian invasions after the fall of the Roman Empire in the west. The structures are built upon pylons driven into the marsh and encased in a stone foundations.  The floating appearance comes from the Venetians’ habit of building right to the water’s edge and the fact that every piece of dry land is taken up by stone walkways and structures. Yes, the city is sinking at a rate of 2-3mm a year due to compaction and other factors, but that’s nothing compared to the 2-3 inch rise of sea level per decade causing more and more instances of “Alto Aqua” (high water) swamping the city. So, visit Venice now, while it doesn’t require SCUBA certification. […]

  4. […] del Carmen, we tossed around the idea of officially learning to SCUBA dive (something Amanda has tried at a convention, but we’ve never really done). After sending emails to a couple of area dive shops and […]

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