Diving into the World of Scuba Diving

This is the story of how I ended up in Sardinia, immersed in the world of scuba diving, and what I learned along the way.

So when my carefully laid-out summer plans crumbled and I found myself traveling the Balkans with my bestie, I was left wondering what to do with the rest of my summer. What would evolve, challenge, and entice me? What would make for a good story?

I stumbled upon a post in one of the Facebook groups that a scuba diving center was looking for volunteers this summer in exchange for Divemaster certification. This checked all the boxes on my mental checklist of the ideal place I was searching for. So, I got in touch, and before I knew it, I was on a ferry from Genoa to Olbia on my 32nd birthday!

A little about scuba diving—unlike free-diving, where no air tank is necessary, and you solely rely on your breath, diving with scuba allows you to stay underwater longer because the system you use includes an air tank, BCD (Buoyancy Compensator Device)—a jacket that holds the air tank and that you can inflate and deflate to control your buoyancy, regulator, weight belt, wetsuit or drysuit, mask, and fins. So, there’s a lot of gear involved to safely enter this underwater world and explore its wonders!

In my first weeks, I realized that this would include a lot of carrying of the said gear—in and out of the boat, up and down the rocky beach, and so on! Thus, my "getting buff" camp had begun! I was told it would be hard work, but I did not comprehend how hard at the time.

I remember that my first dive was in a wavy sea, and I kept floating up, finding the whole thing fascinating, if not a little stressful—first times are never the easiest! 😄 With time, I got better and better, managing my buoyancy, my breathing and movements, and observing fish and the occasional cuttlefish, moray eel, or octopus.

I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of floating in this vastness of the deep blue, with light rays piercing through the waves like light daggers! It is this full embrace of the water and the promise of discovery that truly captured my heart!

And seeing the colors of various sponges, corals, shells, and creatures like nudibranchs in their natural habitat has opened my eyes even more to the wondrous world we live in! Water covers around 71% of this planet. We come from water—so connecting with this element on a deeper level, with its beauty and danger, in its saltiness and scorching sun, has been challenging, and with this challenge, many lessons and teachings have emerged.

So here are some points on what I learned throughout this experience:

1.     You can also burn out working on a paradise island.

Honestly, you look at the blue sea and the sun and think, "I shouldn’t be complaining; people pay to come and spend time here," but the reality of mental and physical exhaustion after working 13 hours hits differently. I was on the verge of tears almost every day until I found myself at the compressor machine at the end of the day, waiting for the air tanks to fill up, and bawling my eyes out for an hour straight. I was so tired—from carrying 18kg tanks starting from 7 am, to trying to remember everything that needs to be taken and adjusted for customers who come diving, to rushing to pack everything for the next dive, to then washing everything up—all while being exposed to the sun, the 30-degree heat, and 84% humidity, which also resulted in a lack of sleep and proper rest. I was exhausted like I had never been in my life! And in this exhaustion, all your pretences, judgments, and patience crumble until you are in this raw, open state, ready to bite, scream, rage, and disappear into self-pity.

2.     How to draw your boundaries, have courage, and communicate.

For something to change, I needed to have an open and honest conversation with the boss. I usually shy away from confrontations, where I might become emotional or where I am at the mercy of someone else’s judgment. But luckily, he was understanding and open to listen, so we could express our grievances. Even if nothing much could change, being heard, seen, and received was healing in itself. To step over that fear and stand up for yourself, to articulate and express your truth constructively, and to sit and listen with an open mind is the art of peaceful co-living.

3.     The people who can handle you at your worst deserve your best too!

Going through tough times with others really tests you. People who have been there for me, with me, in these early mornings and late evenings, and who stuck through with a kind word, a hug, or a cooked meal—are truly golden. The bond you carve with the team you thread through adversity and everyday challenges, through sweat and tears—is something special. I am not sure many of my friends have seen me as I was during these two months. Sometimes you argue, and sometimes you just go through the motions in silence. It is an art to be there in acceptance of others you are stuck with and to find ways for the team to work, for this temporary family to function together well.

4.     Discomfort really pushes you to overcome fears!

As days got hotter and more humid, my sleep deteriorated more and more until one evening, when someone had just cooked fish, and my windowless chamber was nothing more than a little pocket of hell filled with mosquitoes and ants, I packed my hammock and got in the car to brave sleeping by the beach. I am usually a little scared to sleep outside in nature and have never done it on my own, so this was a massive step in overcoming my fears. I did it brilliantly! I found out that by the beach, in the hammock, there are no mosquitoes, there is air, and the sound of waves lulls you to sleep. And how glorious it was to wake up with the sun popping out from the horizon over the sea, to do sun salutations, and have a peaceful morning to myself—which I found out is essential for better mental equanimity throughout the day. Starting the morning centered and grateful, with a smile on my face, was a game changer in how I could deal with the rest of the day! So, I began to go to the beach every other night, to stargaze, to meditate, and to have time wholly to myself. And I can check off another fear I had from my list.

5.     You have to be brave to be happy, and you have to be vulnerable to be brave!

I believe this sentence encapsulates much of what I learned in these two months. To be happy, you have to actively choose it, and bravely confront what makes you unhappy, so you can face it and move past it. But to truly be brave, in the words of Brené Brown, who has studied courage and bravery, you have to get uncomfortable and vulnerable; otherwise, the happiness you feel is just a temporary illusion that is not based on any sacrifice. And by sacrifice, I mean letting go of the illusion you’ve built of yourself for others. To be seen and heard in all your truth, undiluted, raw, and messy—only from there can your bravery grow, and therefore, your happiness!

6.     To DIVE!

Amidst it all, I did learn how to dive! First, after a month, I got my Open Water Diver certification, and after the second month—Advanced Diver certification, which means now I can dive to depths up to 30m, which, for recreational diving, means I can go to any dive site and dive! I finished these two months with around 40 dives in my arsenal and gained a lot of experience diving from the shore and from boats, in different conditions, with waves and currents, and I believe at this point I can assemble diving gear in my sleep with my eyes closed! I am not sure I want to pursue a career in diving just yet, but I am beyond glad I did it because now my exploration is not only limited to the land. I have gained a skill to go deeper and opened my horizon to so much more life and beauty!

This experience makes for an interesting story, an adventure, and the building of character and strength—so much so that when I lifted my overweight suitcase, I thought it was the same as before, when in reality, it had gained 5kg—my arm strength had grown so much that I didn’t realize the difference! I have also gained an amazing tan, calluses on my fingers and new friends—or rather, comrades—from all over the world! I am grateful for how it all aligned in the end; if it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth it!

Thank you, Sardegna!

Thank you, sea!

Thank you, friends and dive partners!

And thank you Agnese, for being one strong and brave cookie!