Why I dive

Whenever a person starts a new hobby, there is an underlying passion or driver to do so. However I may be the first to take up a new sport simply because I got extremely drunk one night and had nothing better to do.

Whilst traveling along Mexico’s East Coast (Yucatan Peninsula) I had worked my way down to Tulum; a small backpacker town famous for its seaside ruins. However after nearly 3 months on the road I was in no mood to be social, I tried my best, head buried in my laptop trying to look as anti-social as possible. However, as is the nature of backpackers, I was soon approached by a roommate, joined shortly by his friends.

As the night went on, one of my new friends asked me what I had planned for the next day. When I replied with “Dunno, might go to the beach’, she whipped out a colourful brocheure and attempted to find some company to snorkel with sea turtles and in freshwater caves (cenotes). Seeing as my only other attempt at snorkelling had been in New Zealand over a decade ago and comprised of me walking into the ocean with gear in hand only to have it washed away when struck by a wave, I thought; why not.

Whilst the snorkelling was an amazing experience in itself, I was more amazed by the divers swimming beneath me, thinking to myself, I have to try that.

Fast forward to the end of the snorkelling day trip and one thing leading to another led our group of snorkelers to the private beach house of the resident dive master. All the while thinking about the ticket I had already bought to catch a bus that night to the next city of Palenque, I couldn’t help but enjoy where I was with a home-made caprinha whilst with new friends in crystal clear waters.

Of course, as anyone may have been able to foretell (aside from my naïve optimism; “I’ll still make it”) that bus to Palenque was never to be. So back at the hostel that night, I put forward my dilemma to the other travellers and the decision was made to head North with 2 new friends instead of South the next day and start my PADI Open Water Scuba Diving course in Playa Del Carmen.

I forfeited a pricey bus ticket and missed out on seeing some more ruins down South but for the memories I have, it’s hardly a regret.