22 of 31 - SOLSC 2022
Walking down the jetty on our way in from the boat we talk about our morning.
"That wasn't very fun." says the tween.
"Tell me more." I say, trying to not think about the expensive outing we took that she is grumbling about.
"I would rather have been diving. I didn't like getting water in my snorkel or having people pushing me or having to work so hard. A regulator makes it easier and there is more space when you can be under the water."
Well, that makes it clear. She has fully become a diver. (At this very moment she is out on her Open Water certification dives.)
Contrast this with my experience a couple of days ago when her Dive Master wanted to take me snorkeling with dive gear to prove that I would want to dive. I knew that there was no chance that I would rather dive than snorkel, but I was willing to give his experiment a go.
He was surprised at how comfortable I was in the water. I wasn't surprised. The surface was just above my head, even when he submerged me it was only enough to have my tank under the surface and I knew I could still stand up at any moment. The opportunity to pop my head above the surface at any moment I choose is what keeps snorkeling accessible to me, even when plopped in the middle of an ocean. The claustrophobic opportunity does not exist when the openness of the sky is accessible anytime you want it.
To each their own!
"That wasn't very fun." says the tween.
"Tell me more." I say, trying to not think about the expensive outing we took that she is grumbling about.
"I would rather have been diving. I didn't like getting water in my snorkel or having people pushing me or having to work so hard. A regulator makes it easier and there is more space when you can be under the water."
Well, that makes it clear. She has fully become a diver. (At this very moment she is out on her Open Water certification dives.)
Contrast this with my experience a couple of days ago when her Dive Master wanted to take me snorkeling with dive gear to prove that I would want to dive. I knew that there was no chance that I would rather dive than snorkel, but I was willing to give his experiment a go.
He was surprised at how comfortable I was in the water. I wasn't surprised. The surface was just above my head, even when he submerged me it was only enough to have my tank under the surface and I knew I could still stand up at any moment. The opportunity to pop my head above the surface at any moment I choose is what keeps snorkeling accessible to me, even when plopped in the middle of an ocean. The claustrophobic opportunity does not exist when the openness of the sky is accessible anytime you want it.
To each their own!
I love the metaphorical last statement!
ReplyDeleteIt's clear you are having a whale of a time, I hope no puns!
I am glad you are having an amazing time at the sea. Thanks for sharing your experience diving.
ReplyDeleteLove how G has become "the tween." That's awesome!
ReplyDeleteBTW: I know how to swim well, but was never able to feel comfortable snorkeling in the ocean unless I wore a life vest. Pathetic, huh?
Not pathetic. It makes sense to me in that the ocean is humongous! A pool is contained; you can see the parameters of your water world.
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