Rachel De Diver: It's Started 我的潜水录 I

我和我的潜水好友Ｔｏｏｎ。My very best dive buddy Toon.

２００６年９月，我们决定尝试不一样的挑战。刚开始练习潜水时可以说是困难重重，除了要上潜水课以外最令我害怕的是要在１５尺深的游泳池实习以潜水装备跳水。这是因为我本身除了有惟高以外，对于比较深的水池也不太有安全感，更何况穿起了那身蛮重的潜水装备简直就是行动非常不便。虽然如此，我还是咬紧牙关服从教练的命令尽量把因该学习的部分练习及做好（当然少不了挨骂）。可是种种挫折并没有让我放弃，相反的我非常珍惜每一次的操练，那是因为我明白如果我没认真学习的话可能日后会导致不必要的危险，因为潜水是在几十尺，甚至几百尺的深海活动，危险性是高得不可忽略的。而且我也不希望到时在深海考取潜水执照时会落空，潜水不仅是具有极高挑战性的运动且消费也并不便宜。

September 2006, we decided to challenge something new in life. In the beginning of scuba diving course it's really full of obstacles to me. Besides the theory class, the challenging part is the practical training at 15 feet deep swimming pool. Myself have pretty much phobia to deeper water and as well as height cause it's quiet hard to make further steps with scuba equipment, thus I'm hesitate to step into the water during practicing "entering" the water in the beginning. However,i treasured each and every training sessions so that is why i have to grit my teeth and persevere till the trainings end. I knew it very well that scuba diving is an activity that involved high risk which might endanger a diver's life if the knowledge and skills required are not fully take into precaution. Scuba diving is also an activity that carry out under deep sea, thus i feel that a responsible diver should take it seriously towards self and buddy's safety apart from enjoying the dives. Furthermore, i don't allow myself to fail during the open water test, is an expensive hobby indeed.

２００７年３月３０日，终于出发到大马东海岸丁加奴准备隔天到Ｐｕｌａｕ　Ｐｅｒｈｅｎｔｉａｎ考取潜水执照。当时的心情七上八下的好紧张，心理负担还蛮重的。丰富的海鲜晚餐并没能舒暖我所承受的压力，唯有早些休息尽量不去想太多的无谓。
30th March 09, Finally departing to east coast Malaysia Terengganu state for our open water test, it was about 7 hours drive from Penang to the destination and we stayed a night at the mainland preparing for departing to Perhentian Island next day morning. We were pretty excited, curios and worried about the activities that we going to do tomorrow. This was the very first experience for few of us in the group of taking the Scuba School Internationl diving open water license. Without thinking too much unnecessary, i went to sleep a while after the seafood dinner.

２００７年３月３１日，清晨吃完早点后便开始迁移我们的装备和行李到船上出发到Perhentian 小岛。我们将会在到达目的地途中在 Rawa Reef 做第一个潜叫做 check out dive。Check Out Dive　通常不会太深也不会太难，那是给潜水员们调整水底浮力和适应。由于我们租用的渔船并不是设计给潜水活动的所以唯一能下水的地方就是它的船头，距离海面大约３－４尺高而正刚好是我最大的弱点，不过我还是不顾一切跳下去。

当每位团员聚在一起以后便开始潜下海底,当时的感觉实在难以言喻,七上八下的不知怎么办而且我们也忙着调理浮力,避免和珊瑚还有队员相撞.可是不管怎么努力我们还是像刚学走路的小孩一样在水中横冲直撞.而我也发生了一些小意外,起初原以为太紧张的关系才导致呼吸有些不顺畅,但当我检查氧气计量器时可真是吓得一大跳，因为计量器的针跳动不寻常而我又不明白是怎么一回事,所以只好赶快游到教练身边让他看我的计量器。原来是我的氧气并没完全开启，真是的，当然又免不了教练的训话因为这是不可犯的错误.

到达Perhentian岛，分配好房间后便是午餐和小休时刻，大约２点钟又继续第２和第３个潜水在 Sail Rocks　和　Sebelia Rocks。大致上也没什么意外只是浮力还不是控制得很好，所以我和好友尽量与其他团员保持一点距离，因为当中也有好几个也是和我们一样没有经验，不是我们去撞他们就是给他们踢到，真狼狈.我们的考试除了要控制浮力以外，还有就是要在水里脱掉潜水镜又穿回后将里面的水清除，拿开呼吸器又带上等等，而我也庆辛自己没再出错。晚餐后的自由活动时间，我只想静静的躺在白细的沙滩上欣赏漂亮的满天星空，聆听海浪涌向沙滩的声音，在人烟稀少的地方寻找一点宁静。
难得能脱离繁忙的工作岗位，当然是要好好的享受这偷来的休闲。耗不了多久就得上床休息因为明早又是一个劳碌天，我们必须很早起床再出海潜水。

31st March 2009, Early morning after breakfast, we started to transfer our stuff to our "dive boat", well it doesn't really considered as a dive boat but more like a fishing boat. On the way to Perhentian Island, we're going to do a check out dive at Rawa reef. Check out dive is normally the first dive, for divers to adjust their buoyancy, getting used in underwater and it's usually not deep (around 60 feet) at dive sites with less challenges.
Again,i found it scary to entering water from the front cause it was like 3-4 feet from the surface but i still managed to do it without hesitation (yeah, i did it!). We went down together once everyone entered the water,i was really nervous during descending to the bottom, we were busy adjusting our buoyancy and the skill. Nevertheless, we were banging each other and the hard corals though we tried not to and avoid it. It's really funny when we recap the moments, other than that i encountered a minor accident whereby my breathing through the regulator is abnormal, at first i thought it might be due to too nervous and panic but when i checked out my air gauge, the needle was moving irregularly that i don't understand what's happening. I therefor swim towards my instructor and showed him my air gauge, he stare at me for a second then he helped me to twist my air opener, alright it's because my air didn't completely open and this is such an unacceptable mistake for a diver during buddy check before go diving.
After the dive, we had lunch in Perhentian Island and rest for a while after settle down our stuff in the room,we went for 2nd and 3rd dives again at Sail Rocks & Sebelia Rocks around 2pm. We getting used to entering water and a bit organized during the dives, me and Toon tried to stay a distance from other divers as not only us that banging other people but others also kicking us sometimes unintentionally. The open water test not only on our self buoyancy control, we need to do mask clearing underwater, remove and put back our regulator and i'm glad i did it ok. At night after dinner, me and my buddy were laying on the crystal clear sands beach watching stars, beers, and chatting while enjoying the silent night with only the melody of the waves pushing sands. It was such a great moment when we stay apart not to thinking of how hectic at work and steal the time just relaxing at the beach. We went to rest after a few beers and preparing for tomorrow dives.

2007年4月1日，清晨早餐后便收拾行李准备出发。我们将在回去陆地途中在Twin Rocks 和 Susu Dara Pinnacles完成最后两个潜水才算合格。虽然我的浮力还不算称得上很好，但至少我已经能够欣赏海底世界的美。第一次看见镇真正的活珊瑚，第一次接触电影"Finding Nemo"里的小丑鱼,第一次看见鱼儿交配，第一次看见小鲨鱼，第一次体会到原来能随心所欲的在海地遨游是件多么快乐的事。我们考试里的最后一个项目便是我们将会经过海底里的一个小山洞，在穿越过去时必须顺利通过，如果任何一个潜水员的氧气筒不小心被卡住的话那考试便会宣告失败.
还好，我并没让自己失望，当能够成功穿越过去时真的好有满足感，活了那么多年终于感觉到我真的是没有白活了。然后教练便在船上宣布每位考员过关经,过了这一次，我更下定决心要继续追求我的潜水梦想，永不放弃！

1st April 2009, Early morning after breakfast, we packed our luggage and get everything transferred to the boat. While sailing back to the mainland, we will be doing last 2 dives at Twin Rocks and Susu Dara Pinnacles in order to complete total 5 dives to pass the practical test. Although my buoyancy is not considered good, but at least I’m able to start enjoying the scene and beauty of underwater world.
My first time seeing life corals, my first time touching the clown fish as in "Finding Nemo" movie, my first time watching fishes mating underwater, my first time seeing a baby nurse sharkm and first time i realized that how amazing it is to swim underwater freely. The last part to be done in our practical is that every diver will have to pass through a small cave at Susu Dara Pinnacles and if anyone's tank get stuck when passing through, he will considered to fail the test. I'm glad that i made it and didn't disappoint myself in any cause. It was very satisfying when we all can successfully go through and thus when we all get back to the boat after the last dive, our instructor announced that everyone of us has passed in our open water test. Yes! We are a qualified Open Water diver now :). I will never give up in scuba diving and will pursuing my hobby until the end of my life.