A kaleidoscope world to dive for

Summertime is coming again. It’s time to take a break, relax, get away from the old monotonous routine and do something different and new. What better way to spend summer than by being in the cool water? The beach and the sea are definitely the places to be. There are a million and one wonderful and exciting things that you can do there — especially here in the Philippines. We all know that we have some of the most beautiful beaches, exotic islands and fantastic coral reefs.

Start by bringing out your tanning paraphernalia, then unwind and lounge under the sun. Bring a book and get your mind off your city life woes. If you are the more energetic type, you can try playing some beach volleyball or American football with some friends. You can also run along the shore with your pet dog and make him fetch a frisbee. If you are with a loved one, you can walk along the coastline together and rekindle that romantic vibe.

Don’t miss out on having some refreshing cocktails while watching the gorgeous sunset. Then, depending on where you are, you can hit the sack for a most relaxing sleep or get ready for night of partying to begin. Before I forget, seafood galore, fresh and sumptuous! Yum! Now what could be better than this?

I have another suggestion that you just have to try. Ever tried scuba diving? Diving is a totally different world. Think of the many different things that you have never seen before or have only seen in pictures. Imagine getting to see them up close. A rainbow of color awaits you down there. Think of the majestic sea life, the millions of corals in different shapes and sizes, the fish that you can now swim with, the turtles and so much more.

Previously, I had only done an intro dive and it was unbelievable. We were on my friend’s wonderful boat which I will tell you more about after I tell you about what it was like to dive for the first time.

So we were docked off Sabang, in Mindoro. I was briefed thorougly for the whole dive. They told me what we where we were going and what we were going to do and see. All the precautions were given, and I was taught how to use my dive gear. Now that was cool — all those gadgets, serving all sorts of different purposes. Then we went down. My dive buddy who is also a friend of mine, guided me all the way.

As soon as we everything was okay and we reached the seafloor, we knelt down and took out of bag of bread to feed the fish with. All of us got some bread and kept it in our hands. After a minute, huge, beautiful fish started swimming around us and ate from our hands. It was amazing. I was even able to touch them and pet them! They were friendly and they seemed very happy to be fed. As soon as the food was gone, we started moving along. The blue starfish, sea anemones of different colors and the clown fish swimming around them — I couldn’t focus, the sights were all just so exhilarating! Watching underwater scenes on television, no matter how magnificent it all seems, cannot compare to the real experience. You really have to go down there and try it yourself to truly appreciate it.

I was slowly being guided by my friend and I felt like I was flying. Then my buddy pointed at a huge, marvelous, shipwreck. Obviously, I couldn’t really talk. But even if I could, I would have been at a loss for words.

I didn’t know how to react. The feeling I got when I saw it was indescribable. The weather was a bit overcast and so the water wasn’t so clear at that time, which made the experience so much better for me. It made everything seem eerie. I loved it. We swam around it and there was so much sea life there. But I have to say that the huge lionfish that I saw was what caught my eye. We continued our dive and I saw another wreck. I was so happy.

When we got up, my friend asked if I was okay. I seemed a bit quiet. Well, I really was because I have no words to describe my feeling, and I was in awe of everything.

The thing is, diving has so much to offer, and what I enjoy about diving, may be something different for you. But definitely you will enjoy it, for whatever reason. Also, you have to remember that what you see in the water isn’t something that stays in place and never changes. That’s why another great facet about diving is the fact every dive is different, there is always something new to see!

Now, as I mentioned earlier, I was going to tell you about my friend’s boat...