Scuba......

(Last night's Sunset.)

I went scuba diving yesterday.... well not really diving I think the deepest we went was 8 feet, but that's because I am training. My last dive will be in open water around some reefs!

My instructors name is Joyce, she is very, very sweet. She is from holland and is only here for about 4 days. I am very glad I got her as an instructor.

If you have never been diving, it is an experience like no other.

(The place I was diving at..as viewed from the back porch, the big brown roof is it.)

First you have to gear up with your bcd (what helps you float.) Your weight system (what helps weigh you down so that you can actually sink.) your mask, snorkel, fins, body suit, gauge, and of course your air tank and 2 regulators (what you breath out of.) One is back up for you or your buddy. So..... Once we were all geared up, we got in the water right of the coast (it was just high enough so the water was just above my head when I was on my knees... not scary at all. Until its time to go under water for the first time. I wasn't really scared, I had tried breathing out of the regulator above water and had no idea how easy it was, but the first time I went under I didn't have my mask on, so my body atamatically tried to breath through my nose, and I didn't last very long in the water, it kind of freaked me out, I mean after all I was trusting my life and air to this little black thing. But when I went down again I got to put on my mask. That was SO much better. It was an amazing feeling to stay underwater for like 3 minutes, just watching the life around us. At first I was breathing real quick breaths because it just did not feel natural, but after a little I got used to it. We spent about 2 1/2 hours total in the water. I learned to do all sorts of things. I practiced breathing when my mask filled with water, and even when I took my mask off and breathed for over 1 minute. (This I was scared of at first, and it was hard, but after a little bit it was easy.) I think the scarriest thing I did all day was breathe for about 30 seconds from air bubbles. When you turn your regulator upside down, you can breath from the stream of air that comes out. It is hard, and you do take in some water, so at first I almost put it back in my mouth because I thought I couldn't breathe but I lived :). I also practiced changing from regulator to snorkel, and back again. And changing from my regulator to my buddies back up one (sometimes called an octopus.) We did get to swim around a little, which was great fun, there was all sorts of fish and coral I got to see. Over all it was an exsperience I am not sure I can really describe!

(Some good clouds in between the rain.)

We are baking bread right now.... honey oatmeal, my favorite! And having a relaxing day because it was raining eariler, I am not sure if the sky will stay clear, but we will see.

Rebekah