#aquaholic
Almost 11 years ago I got into Scuba diving and since then I’ve logged about 60 dives. My dad, who also was a diver back then, tried to put me on a diving course in one of those stuffy swimming pools when I was only 12 years old. This didn't last very long, because this course lasted until late in the evening which resulted in a sleepy Rebecca during classes at school ;-)
The second time I went diving I was on a holiday with my family in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. This was about 10 years later and it was an amazing experience! The amount of fish and the beautiful colours of the coral really fascinated me. From this moment I instantly knew that really I wanted to dive more often.
When I graduated in 2004, my parents got me my first tattoo and I had chosen a Mermaid. Back then, something inside me was already telling me that I prefer being underwater over living on the land ;-)
Other countries and cultures always have interested me, and so I decided to quit my job so I could do something completely outside my comfort zone. That’s why I left the Netherlands on my own and started working as a volunteer in the currently most violent city of Honduras; San Pedro Sula. I will never forget the devastating look in my mother's eyes on the day I left.
For this trip I bought myself only one book and this was a Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Honduras’ Bay Islands guide. As soon as the moment was right, I left to Utila to get my Padi Open Water. Unfortunately, on the second day of this course I got sick by an aggressive parasite. Therefore I was forced to stay in my non-air conditioned room, with a lot of ORS and penicillin. I hardly couldn’t have anything in my stomach for over two days and I really felt terrible. But, after two days I realized that I was here on a mission, so I decided to finish this Open Water course.
The moment I went back into the Ocean, was the first moment I found out that being underwater literally takes away the pain.
Nowadays diving is like a sort of meditation for me. The beauty of the underwater world always makes me forget life’s everyday hassles. And diving forces me to live in the moment. That is why I’m so extremely grateful that I have the privilege to practise this beautiful sport and I sincerely hope I still can dive many years from now.
I really am convinced about the fact that Scuba diving brings you peace of mind and therefore I think that every girl should start diving.
See you below sea level ladies!
#oceanlover #mermaid #aquaholic... More
Why every girl should dive
Everywoman should scuba because it’s a perfect first step into that intimate encounter with the ocean that we all yearn for deep in our soul.
I feel that us women have a lot to deal with – mansplaining and slutshaming and catcalls and bodyshaming and rape and the list goes on forever. But the sea washes all that away.
Everytime I’m underwater - finning through a huge school of bannerfish, blowing vortex rings at triggerfish, turtlewhispering, or drowning in the shrill whistles and clicks of a hundred dolphins – I feel my soul sing.
All thoughts fade away. I leave the world of men behind. Bright fish dart around me, and sunlight falls through the water in shafts that shimmer all 57 shades of blue. There is no past or future – I am in the moment and fully present. And of course, there is that raw, feminine essence of the sea. The sea calls out to something primitive and primal in me. When I return to the ocean, I feel a deep contentment. I cant quite explain it in words, but I feel such happiness when a turtle swims up to me in curiosity, or when an eagle ray wheels about to regard me. And I wish that every woman could feel this too, because it resonates so deeply in the feminine soul.
With scuba, they can. The amazing thing about scuba is that it is so accessible. Almost anyone can dive. It isn’t physically demanding, nor unreasonably expensive, and with so many dive destinations you don’t have to travel. far The OWD course is straightforward and simple. You choose how deep (heh heh) you want to get into diving. I did my OWD course in 2008 and worked my way up to PADI instructor in 2015.
Personally, I enjoy a combination of scuba, freediving and mermaiding for my ocean fix. While freediving is really cool, I think scuba is a better gateway to the ocean for beginners. With a tank, we have more time to stop and smell the roses (or spot the shrimp rather). And there's nothing quite like the hiss and bubble of breathing compressed air <3
***
About me: I’m a professional mermaid in Maldives (IG:@azuramermaid). I wear a 15kg (33lb) silicone prosthetic that binds my legs together tightly and perform at an underwater restaurant 6m (18ft) under the sea while holding my breath. As anyone who has dived in Maldives can appreciate, the sea is fickle and unpredictable and I often find myself struggling furiously against currents and swells.
No matter the sea condition, I feel safe in the ocean, and a huge part of that is thanks to my diving career. My dive training taught me to keep myself safe in the sea, and taught me about my limits and inculcated a healthy respect for the ocean and its denizens.
Ps. Check out my other post for my #originstory (:
#scuba #girlswhoscuba #maldives #mermaid #promermaid #aquaholic #oceanlover #originstory... More
How I got into scuba diving, or #originstory
Like most of the women here, I grew up around the sea. My childhood was filled with island snorkeling adventures and fishing trips in Malaysia, so it was only natural that I picked up diving at the age of 19. But I didn’t take my first step into becoming a dive professional until 2013.
It all began with a trip to SEA Aquarium in Singapore. I saw a manta in a tank. It was my first time seeing a manta, and I was shocked at how huge and graceful it was. And then I felt sorrow. I felt sorrow that this beautiful, humongous creature was trapped here forever, that it had lost all hope of ever seeing its ocean home. And I felt shame, for paying for the privilege. I vowed to never again step foot in an aquarium and resolved to observe mantas in their natural habitat. I recalled my foray into diving and started looking into diving careers.
I joined Asia Dive Academy in Singapore, and spent the next three years learning all I could about dive centre operations, crew management, customer service, actual diving, etc. We had a large stable of crew and over a hundred full sets of equipment. We had large dive trips running every weekend, leaving Singapore by coach on Friday night, crossing the border to Malaysia, travelling another 3 hours to the jetty before boarding a 3 hour boat to Tioman Island. The logistics were extremely complex but well designed and our trips ran smoothly. It was a great environment to grow in, with colleagues who were each brilliant in their own specialized ways, and bosses who were accessible and fair. I was an intern, then a dive centre manager, then I joined the marketing team. I learned more about the business of diving. In the midst of all this, my dive training continued. I did my rescue course, my divemaster and eventually became an instructor in 2015. Later that year, I taught my dad and sister to dive on our liveaboard, MV Nautica. Eventually, I left my job and moved to Malaysia to live with my family.
Since then, I’ve been through some ups and downs, but the sea has always been my one constant passion. Throughout my dive career, I’ve logged hundreds of dives but I never had the chance to dive with mantas.
Until a month ago. In South Male Atoll, Maldives, I saw my first wild manta ray underwater. I cried.
***
About me: I’m a professional mermaid in Maldives (IG:@azuramermaid). I wear a 15kg (33lb) silicone prosthetic that binds my legs together tightly and perform at an underwater restaurant 6m (18ft) under the sea while holding my breath. As anyone who has dived in Maldives can appreciate, the sea is fickle and unpredictable and I often find myself struggling furiously against currents and swells.
No matter the sea condition, I feel safe in the ocean, and a huge part of that is thanks to my diving career. My dive training taught me to keep myself safe in the sea, and taught me about my limits and inculcated a healthy respect for the ocean and its denizens.
Ps. Check out my other post for why I think all women should dive (:
#scuba #girlswhoscuba #maldives #manta #mantaray #oceanlover #aquaholic #originstory... More
