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Published: December 9th 2008
The last week has been pretty cloudy, but still really warm. Me and steve have enrolled in a four day PADI open water course. The course includes both theory and practice. In the theory sessions we have watched videos and we have also been given a textbook to read in order to pass the exam. The practice part includes seven dives, four in open water. During the first couple of dives we had to learn different skills underwater, for example regulated recovery, what to do if you are out of air, how to clear your mask underwater and much more.
Me and Steve have a private teacher, he is a cool and very relaxed german guy. But he didn't stay relaxed for long with me in the class, during the first real dive, I think I gave him a heart attack (not really). I was swimming along with Steve and Peter and thought that I was bit too negatively boyount (diving word for too heavy in the water) I thought I would inflate the jacket a bit (like we had been taught) but managed to inflate it to the max..(ooops!) so I shot upfrom the bottom like a bullet. I
Nemo!
Clown fishwas on the surface trying to get down and could see Steve and Peter looking all over fror me on the bottom. In the end I found the right botton to get back down, I felt really stupid, dont think Peter was so pleased with his student! Otherthan that we have passed all tests with flying colours..Steve is top of the class with me close second.
Yesterdays dive was great, we finally found Nemo (and his family and friends), star fish, angel fish and loads of other colourfull fishes. Steve thought he would play a bit with Nemo but soon regretted this when Nemo's bigger brothers came to attack with an angry look! Steve quickley retreated haha!
The reefs are so colourful, they look like small villages with different coloured houses and with fish families swimming in and out everything seems to be alive even the saeweed and sea plants. During our second dive Peter the instructor saw a big sea turtle but we missed it! We tried to track it down but it had swam off into the blue yonder.
For both of the dives we took a boat out to the middle of the sea
with some other experienced divers. i felt like we were on a secret mission for the marines! One by one we put on all our gear and dropped backwards from the boat like you see on a film. It was like a meter to the water and big waves but we did it, it was even quite fun in the end!
Friday: We should have done our two last dives today and the final exam but a storm came over Bracay and I had a cold so we had to stay at home all day. Other than the diving course not much has happened, in the evenings we go for a meal then a drink or two and listen to live music. Some nights we have just hung out at the hotel with the great staff and their kids. Ray the chef has cooked us some lovely food..the best sweet and sour pork ever according to Steve, Jimmy you would love it!
On the last day in Boracay (Saturday) I was still suffering with a cold so we couldn't complete our final 2 dives. We did however both passed the final exam with flying colours so are officially
Star Fish
Didn't know they came in blue, we saw hundereds of these! quallified PADI Open Water Scuba Divers! We just have to do a further 2 dives under supervison, Peter has recommended a dive school in Panglao where we will be next Wednesday to Sunday.
We had a BBQ Steak dinner with Mammas Special Sauce (Kristinas Recepie) followed by a kareoke party with the staff and other guests which was great fun! We were sad to leave Frendz but looking forward to the next destination.
A 6 hour bus ride awaits us to the town of Iloilo where we will spend a night or two then fly to Cebu for a couple of days before heading to Bohol, the second most visited tourist Island after Boracay! Home of the Chocolate Hills and the worlds smallest monkeys, as well as some top dive sites....
Photo's to follow (the computer doesn't have a card slot, so we've pinched some temporary pics from the web!)
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