Why I Dive

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A Mauritian, a Trini and  a Bahamian find themselves in front of one of the most beautiful ocean features of the world, a crystal clear, turquoise-blue ocean trench in Samoa under the glorious sun. They walk cautiously to the edge of the deck. What do you think they do next?

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They sit down. Too scared to jump into the inviting water, even as people frolick and splash about them. (A few minutes later two kind Kiwi guys agree to push the Mauritian in the water. And that's how she discovers it's actually fun to do a bombshell into the water).

 

So that's a true story. I found myself at To Sua Ocean Trench in Samoa three years ago and look back with embarrassment when I think of how I was hesitating to jump into the water... This said, it's a reflection of the average Mauritian: we are nervous about the water.

 

A few years back, a friend introduced me to the underwater world. This changed my life. Forever.

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You see, as the average Mauritian, I was brought up with injectives such as 'you'll drown, don't go too far!'; 'you'll fall sick!', 'you'll hurt yourself!', 'sharks are dangerous!', 'eels will zap you then eat you', etc etc. The result? A lack of confidence in the water. To date, I panic about putting my head below the water. Ironic.

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The scuba diving experience changed my perception about the sea, and about myself. So you start with an 'initiation', which I thought sounded grand in and of itself. You are taught the theory of diving - about your equipment, about pressure, buoyancy etc. You are then taken to shallow waters where you practice a few exercises: breathing with your mouthpiece, purging a mask of water, equalising your ears, retrieving your mouthpiece if it gets knocked off etc. Once you've completed this satisfactorily, you hop on the boat and off you go to explore one of the numerous gorgeous dive sites that pepper the waters of Mauritius.

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Then comes the time to let go. Literally, let go. Let yourself fall overboard; trusting physics and your inflated jacket and wetsuit to bring you gently back up. I face a contradiction: once I've overcome the fear of letting go, the experience of rolling into the water, of leaving your worries behind and letting yourself fall, of entering the water amid bubbles, then of gently rising to the surface (I feel I'm a bubble in a glass of champagne) is sheer ecstasy. It is literally the abandonment of yourself to the infinite joy of the ocean. But I panic before I roll over. I grab the skipper and beg not to be pushed. I hyperventilate. I think I'm such a stressed out person that letting go is not something I fully comprehend. I'm working on this. My last few roll-overs have been great. 

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Once you're in the water and bobbing at the surface, and your fellow divers have joined you, it's time to sink. You purge your jacket of air and slowly the skyline vanishes, replaced by the water. For me, a moment of panic, again. I can't breathe I'm going to die OMG WTF I need to go back up for oxyg- oh wait, my oxygen is flowing correctly and this panic is all in my head. Calm down. Breathe. That's the most important thing you can do. Breathe. That's all you need to do. 

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Then you spot a blue surgeonfish darting below you. DORY! Slowly the underwater landscape starts to emerge. Vibrant reefs and colourful schools of fish start to emerge. You realise you're floating, weightless, as hundreds of fish - blue, yellow, silver, striped - swarm around you. It's magical.

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As your breath steadies, deep and calm, you experience a profound sense of peace and wonderment. The current carries you along. If you're lucky, you'll spot some of the charismatic fauna - rays, turtles, sharks, eels, nudibranchs. There's always something new to see.

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By the time you have to go back to the surface, you're convinced that Sebastian the crab had it right and it truly is better under the sea. I always experience a tug of regret, as if a special connection has been broken when you emerge from the vastness of the sea into the open air.

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I haven't been diving long enough to have a splendid collection of underwater pictures, but I thoroughly recommend everyone to give it a go. If only for the following benefits:

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• Stress relief: as I've mentioned earlier, diving is one of the best ways to squeeze out every inch of negativity and stress from your body. The physical experience of being in the water combined with the breathing and the beauty you see around you calms you down. I've tried things like meditation and yoga but they just don't cut it for me. My face becomes itchy or I fail to see the point of downward dog. If you're like me, try diving. Breatheeeeee
   

• Connection: diving has helped me become truly aware of the state of our marine resources. When you dive, you feel profoundly connected to nature in its raw state. It's the second easiest way to connect with the universe (the first being star-gazing).
   

• Confidence: I won't deny that diving is a challenging activity - psychologically. Some of our fears are very well founded and going out in nature is always a risk. When you go hiking you know you can trip and get hurt or something; here you're literally submitting yourself to the gods by immersing yourself fully in water. But once you've conquered your fear, it's an achievement you can be proud of! With each dive, you grow in confidence.
   

• Community: what struck me when I started diving is how friendly, accepting and chilled out the diving community is. Think Crush the turtle in Nemo. I have a tendency to dislike many sports because I feel self-conscious and uncoordinated and everyone else seems to be a pro at it. However, when you go to a dive centre, everyone is either sharing their experience or encouraging the newbies. There's a fun pirate-y vibe going on and you end up feeling great about yourself. Even outside of dive centres, saying you're a diver is a great convo starter - I've been in many an awkward networking situation and this has been my fallback conversation. And it works!
   

• Lazy person's exercise: Ok, I admit. The aforementioned dislike of sports is because... I'm essentially lazy and can't be bothered. That's why diving is my preferred sport. You apparently burn between 300 and 600 calories over an hour... by watching cute fish and feeling awesome. Zero effort. 

 

I hope you've been persuaded. Not sure where to start? These are my personal opinions.

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How?

First, get down to your doctor and make sure you're fit enough to dive first. Most professional dive centres will ask for a medical certificate. Second, look up what you want to do. The most popular qualification is PADI, but you also have other schools of teaching such as CMAS and SSI. If, like me, you opt for the PADI route, you can start with a 'Discover Scuba Diving'(a 'DSD') which gives you a taste of the water (which is what I did). If you find you want more, you can choose to do an Open Water Course. 

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Where? 

For beginners, I would recommend the Grand Baie area purely because it feels more sheltered, the weather is generally good and the currents not as strong as on the West Coast. This said, there are gorgeous dive sites all around the islands - the site known as 'Cathedral' in Flic en Flac is my favourite. As for Dive Centres, Mauritius has some excellent ones. My personal favourite centre is Ocean Spirit in Peyreybere: very professional (though the coffee they serve is terrible *cough hear this Cedric*), good equipment, good track record of sustainability, and the owner, Cedric Fayolle, is a seasoned diver - I'd say he is one of the best in Mauritius but then again I'm biased. My personal favourite things are (a) the quality of the briefings that they'll give you pre-dive and (b)you can rinse off in a jungle-like shower after your dive. As I live on the opposite side of the island to Ocean Spirit, I've had the chance to complete my Open Water Course with an amazing instructor called Christophe based at the dive centre in Preskil Hotel. He's been patient and very professional with the instruction and I thoroughly recommend him if you're in the South of the island. Our project, #SeeingBlue, also benefited from the sponsorship of Abyss Dive Centre in Flic en Flac and the owner, Christophe Pelicier, is also considered to be one of the best divers in Mauritius. Finally, keep an eye for deals on marideal.mu for promotional diving initiations or courses.

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How much? 

Admittedly it's not cheap but it's an investment. I wouldn't recommend dive centres in hotels as they are often 2-3 times more expensive. A DSD or initiation should cost about Rs 1500, although there are deals for as low as Rs 900 on marideal.mu. An Open Water course should set you back approximately Rs 13,000 - Rs 14,000 although, again, you can check for deals.

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Important things to know!

As wonderful as diving is, it does have inherent risks. Make sure your doctor says you're good to go and do your research on the credibility of the dive centre and instructor before you take the plunge. Finally, divers become excellent ambassadors for the ocean. We thrive on one motto: 'leave nothing but bubbles, take nothing but pictures/memories'. Be very mindful of the marine environment when you dive, it's so fragile.

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So, did I convince you to finally take the plunge? If so, how did it go? Let me know in the comments section!

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