from the dump to the dive

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left Main beach backpackers this morning, was collected by a guy from the Holiday Village who kindly dropped me at the door and carried my bag. I checked in and left my bag in the luggage storage...it was 7.30am so the room wasnt ready but they were so efficient they were all prepared for me checking in. I arrived at the dive centre on time, really excited for my first 2 ocean dives. My buddy, lucy, has been waiting to do this for ages and was so excited! we got our gear together, checked everything twice, and checked each others then on to the boats. The ocean was really choppy, with huge swell so the boat ride was a rollercoaster, but once in the water you barely felt the swell, there was some surge which moved you from side to side a bit but there was so much to look at and see that I barely cared. Maintaining bouancy was tricky, trying to avoid gettin too low and close to the ocean floor but without being so high up that you end up away from the group.
We saw Blue Gropers...very friendly blue fish about a foot long, and some tiny little electric blue shimmery fish called Neon Damsels...my personall favourite. Also some yellow and black striped ones called....well....called Stripeys!!!
anyone know the aboriginal for carpet? well its Wobbegong, and we saw Wobbegong sharks, laying flat on the rocks only visible because there fins flapped in the surge!
its an amazing feeling swimming around with fish, breathing under water!!!
We surfaced after 32mins and got back to the boat, thoroughly exhausted, and excited for the next dive later that morning. then the crushing news that because the swell was getting so big it owuldnt be safe to go out again that morning, and probably not the next day either. All a little deflater we returned to the dive centre for our final exam...50 multiple choice questions, all of which were common sense, or facts. except the maths one were you had to work out maximum depths or minimum time on the surface before a second dive. but i aced it. 47/50 i think is a pass! so now im just waiting to see if the weather improves enough to get the rest of my dives done before i have to move on!
Have to go to the dive centre tomorrow in the hope of getting a dive done, but it looks unlikely! :-(

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Comments

[Alex]

Lucky
Such a lucky girl i wanna go diving in sydney, sounds like lots of fun diving. ANy pictures coming?