With training over it was back on holiday and this time
Waller was with me! First stop Full Moon party in Ko Phangan!! I had left Krabi
without David as he wasn't up for the bus and I couldn't locate him. Needless
to say I was in pretty poor condition from the previous night’s entertainment!!
When I got there I ended up on the wrong side of the Island
so took a break in a cafe and used the WiFi. I eventually found my hostel and
since I once again didn't have a phone it took a considerable amount of time to
locate the other groups and meet David.
It was some sight to see that many people on the beach with
fire skipping and buckets everywhere. There was some scary drinking going on
for the ext 2/3 days that pushed me past my limits!! On day three we went to
Masons Pub for what was meant to be a drink or two but ended up being a full
session with lunch and dinner there!! I also bought a cheap phone and many
people drew pirate related things on their face as there was a pirate show on
that night in a very remote location. At that show two of my friends came
running over to me saying “they had just slapped the barman because he slapped
them and that they were going to be shot”, me “wonderful well let’s get a move
on than!!” The following day Dave and I missed the ferry to Ko Tao Island as it
was booked up so we just took it easy and watched some films in a bar.
Ko Tao is a pretty small Island renowned for its large
amount of diving schools. Before this I had said I would do some diving without
any research or consideration and after some debate David, myself, Sarah, Max
and Charlie decided we would do the 4 day SSI Open Water certified course!! It
was great that Sarah and Max had the same plan as David and myself. Max and
Fran are going back to the UK which is a pity because they are a great couple
and I enjoy hanging out with them.
Day one of the course consisted of three short videos and a
study guide sheet we had to fill in.
Day two was more videos and another study guide sheet
followed by practice in the pool. In the pool we had to swim 8 lengths and
thread water to prove we could actually swim!! At this point I knew I had
damaged my body at Full Moon because I was struggling more than I should have
been. Next up was the kit (tank, regulator, fins, bc and mask) tutorial which
was fine. It’s pretty simple to assemble and dissemble the kit. In the pool we
had the full kit on!! We got use to breathing and did some skills such as half
mask full, mask full, mask removal, buoyancy, kit off and on while under water,
hand signals and some others. The mask skills were challenging at first but got
easier. We had great banter with our instructor Nat although I think she would
have liked us to talk less and stop asking silly questions!!
Day three was the first two dives after a written exam which
I passed (everyone does). I was getting worried as it was something totally new
and I didn't know how my ears and myself would react to the situation. We got
on the boat which was packed, the instructors each had 5 or 6 students, kits
were everywhere and we were preparing our kits in cramped conditions for the
first time!! I was partnered up with Max as we both had ear concerns. The kit
was on and bang I did the long stride entry into the sea. We gathered on the
line with David first to go down, he goes below and seconds later pops up a
little panicked due to a flashback of him being forced under water as a child
(David got over his fear and went on to complete the advanced diving course).
Max and I as predicted were having terrible ear pain on the
way down, having to stop numerous times and move back up a little in order to
equalise. I was very conscious of breathing in water or my mask filling up to a
point were I felt very uncomfortable and close to throwing in the towel. We did
some skills on top of the water (kit off/kit on, two rescue techniques). The
second dive we had skills on our knee’s under the water and this was scary. We
did the easy stuff, regulator retrieval, sharing your air, buddy emergency
accent but worst of all was the half mask and full mask clear. That's when you
fill your mask with water and then have to clear it by blowing out your nose.
It’s an easy technique made harder due to being down 10m and having fish bite
an open wound on my leg!! My turn, instructor in front of me, half clear goes
okay not great, full clear I didn't use the right technique, swallowed some
water, grabbed the instructor as I was very close to panicking and going for
the surface. I did it and calmed down, thankfully. A lot of the credit has to
go to Nat because when I grabbed her I was looking right at her and she gave me
a look I can’t describe other than it was calming, serious, intense and
basically said "you’re going nowhere Jer, do it". I'm not being
dramatic, some people find this very easy, I didn't and I won't forget that
look.
Day 4 was two very early dives one of which was 18m with
full mask removal. I was bricking it after yesterdays mask skills not going so
well. I rehearsed on land and talked to the assistant instructor whose advice
was very helpful. The first dive was just fun, no skills, we saw some cool
fish. However there was many people diving and I couldn't see much at times due
to the storm above, currents, bubbles from divers and the fact I am visually
impaired anyway!! I got disorientated and had trouble with my mask. Thankfully
Kat grabbed me and got me back to the group! I wasn't having fun. The previous
day Sarah and Charlie had gotten lost causing everyone to surface and then
re-dive so it happens especially in poor visibility.
Skill time, on the bottom, very nervous, talking to myself,
instructor in front of me, I wait, go time, nailed it, relief, awesome. We did
a few more skills and than for the first time I actually enjoyed swimming
around down there. I think fun dives are the way I'll go from here, I've no
burning desire to go super deep right now!! My right ear is extremely itchy for
some reason and crackling despite not diving for two days!! But I can still hear!!
After a day of rest in Ko Tao it was time to start heading
back to my town, a journey I was not looking forward to at all. I said goodbye
to David and wished him all the best with the rest of his travels. Obviously it was great to see and talk to someone
from back home. I have no idea when I’ll be seeing Mr. Waller again but I sure
will enjoy a pint with him back home.
I decided to break up my journey with a stop in Bangkok for
one or two days rather than do it all in one go. I did some shopping and
purchased my 5th phone in Thailand. It is not a known brand name but
it is just as good as my old Samsung phone and a lot cheaper. I went to the
cinema which is a novelty for me as I do not have a cinema in my town or one
near me that is in English!
The end to another great holiday!!
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