Description: The small twin otter aircraft belonging to Caribbean Airlines lined up for the final descent into Tobago. The approach was nothing short of amazing, as we were flying only a few feet below the azure sparkling waters of the Caribbean Sea. The sea in which I hoped to explore via means of Scuba Diving. I was here in order to see what wonders lay underwater in the unspoilt tiny island, and the term excited didn't begin to express the emotion which was coursing through me.
After collecting my luggage, I took a small cab to Fish Tobago, my hostel for my weekend trip. I needed a good night's rest since the staff of R&Sea Divers were picking me up bright and early the following day. This was to be my first experience diving, but I knew I would love it, since I grew up being an avid snorkeller. I've long been fascinated with the wonders of the deep, and I considered Tobago a good place to delve into diving.
As promised, I was picked up at 7am and driven to the diving office. I had a Discover Scuba lesson reserved, and I found the company to be the best deal o the island at $70 USD. This involved a pool session, as well as a beach dive. The morning began with the signing of a number of documents, mostly health related, and a waiver form releasing the company of responsibility for any injuries incurred. This waiver form is the norm when engaging in all risky activities.
It turned out that three of us in total would be participating in the Discovery dive, and we were instructed to watch a film which illustrated everything we needed to know before heading into the water. It was greatly informative, and only served to spark my interest even further. After what felt like forever, the film ended and we were brought outside to the warehouse to be outfitted for our wetsuits and gear.
After we've gotten dressed for the occasion, we entered the private pool of the company and received one-on-one training for the basic skills we would need for our beach dive. I learned how to clear my mask of water, regulator recovery underwater using the arm swing technique and how to share oxygen using the buddy system.
Eventually, the three of us sufficiently passed the tests and we hopped into the company's pickup amd drove to the Mt Irvine Bay and set up for the dive. The first few minutes underwater was rather ackward as I tried to learn how to use my breathing patterns to rise and descend, but I soon got the hang of it and it was awesome afterwards!
At last, I was happily swimming under the waves, seeing the colourful reefs up close and personal. The diving instructors were exceptionally attentive, and constantly checked our guages to ensure that we weren't running low on air. The experience was utterly surreal as we breathed underwater, swam with the fishes and hovered over corals. I fell in love with the sport and decided immediately that this would not be my last dive.
All too soon, it was time to leave the cerulean depths and we stuggled back to shore with the heavy tanks on our backs. It was funny in itself, as we fought to keep our balance on the ever shifting sands. After removing all the gear, I snapped a photo in my wetsuit to keep as a reminder of the fantastic time I had.
Diving in Tobago is wonderful, and the staff at R&Sea Diving is nothing short of the same. I highly recommend to any interested individuals who are planning a trip to Tobago in the future. It's an otherworldly experience that you're not likely to ever forget!
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