Diving In
Anushka here!
A major theme on our trip was opening ourselves up to new adventures. At this point, we had hiked the Andes, rafted amidst volcanoes, survived the Amazon and snorkeled with sharks. So…what else was left to do? Diving, of course.
I had always wanted to learn how to dive but I think that might be because I suffer from chronic FOMO and everyone else seemed to be doing it. However, I wanted more hobbies that Neal and I could do together and seeing the wonders under the sea seemed like an amazing experience to share.
Lucky for me, Thailand has incredible dive schools and warm, clear waters that make diving fun, easy(ish) and affordable. So, instead of partying on the beautiful Thai beaches, Neal and I opted for a week-long diving adventure in the dive-crazed island of Koh Tao.
Peaceful moments on the island of Koh Tao
Koh Tao is a slightly run-down but easy-going island that has been taken over by tourism (I barely saw a local Thai person). The waters are bright blue, the palm trees are plentiful, and the sand and waves are bathwater warm (just how I like it). People primarily come to Koh Tao for adventure. Dive dames and bros litter the streets on bikes and pickup trucks ready for their next underwater expedition. Coming from Colorado and NYC, I have to admit, the beach vibes made me feel very much out of my element. Nonetheless, we were here, and I was going to take it all in!
Ferry from the mainland to Koh Tao, full of mostly tourists. The few locals we did see ran restaurant huts cooking up amazing Thai food.
We chose to dive with Big Blue’s dive school, staying on the property to pacify the shock of a 5am dive time. The dive instructors at Big Blue were just as you would expect. Lovers of the ocean, painted with many tattoos, interesting backgrounds from all over the world, and funny but extremely crass. My most memorable instructor was a man named Mark who came from the UK and was discharged from the Army after losing his left forearm. Mark opened oxygen tanks faster with a single arm than I was able to using both hands. Oh, and he managed to, quite literally, save my life. More on that later.
Thank you Big Blue!
After a 12-hour bus and ferry journey from Bangkok, I immediately started Day 1 of my scuba certification. Neal is already certified so he got to sit this one out. Day 1 was in a classroom where we watched videos that all echoed the same thing but in different words. The biggest lesson learned was that scuba diving should be taken seriously. You are breathing under water for god’s sake, of course it should be taken seriously! Day 2 was pool training and Day 3 was our first dive in the ocean.
Getting in the ocean honestly scared me. I had visions of getting the bends and never being able to walk again. Sitting on the boat to our dive destinations would make my stomach churn. All I could think of was the possibility of running out of oxygen! That didn’t happen, of course, and our dives were actually easy-going and super fun. Floating in the middle of the ocean was probably the closest I was going to get to the sensation of flying - it was incredible. Once I relaxed and dove for fun, I really had the best time.
Smiling through the nerves and knots
On our fourth and final day of training we woke up at 5AM for two more dives where our skills would be tested in the ocean and Neal was able to join our dive from afar. Our first dive went as well as the day before and I found myself relaxed and enjoying the fish and coral. But our second dive was a disaster. In the middle of a skill, 25 feet under the sea, I took in a giant gulp of ocean water (come on Anushka - you can’t breathe water!) and immediately found myself in major panic mode. I couldn’t breath. At. All. My instructor came to my rescue and brought me to the surface but not after I successfully lost my mask and caused mass drama underwater for all the other divers to see. When I reached the surface I coughed up so much water and mucus (delicious) I thought for sure I was not going to be let back in the ocean again. I couldn’t believe I had come this far only to not get my certification.
Luckily, they let me wipe away my snot, put my mask back on and dive one more time where I successfully passed all of the skills and got my certification! Days later I would still have dreams about the underwater panic attack making me a bit weary for my next diving adventure. But, the very thick silver lining was that I did it and I got to enjoy the wonders of the Thai beaches in the process!
Dive certified! 🥳
The small bits of free time we had at Koh Tao was spent exploring, eating and dabbling a bit in the nightlife - or as we observed it, the “post-college-I-don’t-wanna-grow-up” clubs. The smaller surrounding islands were beautiful places to snorkel and lounge with a beer. The clubs were the perfect spot to grab your second beer and do some people watching. And the nightly walks along the calm beaches were some of our favorite moments on the island.
Exploring and lounging on the nearby island of Koh Nang Yuan with a well-earned beer on our last day
Overall, the Thai beaches are some of the best we’ve experienced and live up to their reputation. They’re well worth the trip but require a much longer visit than ours. I will definitely come back and, who knows, I may even dive again too 😊.
