Now that it has all gone smoothly, I am finally allowed to tell you that Perry joined me in scuba diving. That's right, our "beginner swimmer" is now PADI open water certified! (Thanks in no small part to our super relaxed and patient dive instructor Dan.) It was a perfect situation really, as I needed a bit of a refresher as well. It turned out to be just Perry and I diving with Dan, so we had a lot of personal attention. And, when Perry decided that four dives a day for four days might be a little much for his first time diving, I essentially had my own personal guide. It was fabulous! We saw so much amazing marine life. I also completed my advanced diver course on the boat, which allows me to dive deeper, at night, etc.
We had an absolutely fantastic time on the liveaboard (Manta Queen II). I believe we have now been officially spoiled however. I.e. Why would I carry my own equipment, when on our liveaboard it was just nicely set up for me with a full tank 4 times a day? Why would I dive in poor visibility, when I am used to the gorgeous clear waters near Similan and Surin, which were also teeming with marine life? Needless to say, it was incredible. The boat itself was great too. All we did was sleep, eat and dive, literally. (We ate about 5 amazing meals per day!) Everyone on the boat was super friendly as well - it was just a great atmosphere.
Highlights included:
-> seeing Manta Ray (so massive and graceful), leopard shark, octopus, and other crazy stuff
-> braving the current at the "Dome of Doom", hanging on the ascent line for my life and flapping like a flag in the wind (don't worry, our beginner swimmer sat that one out)
-> learning about all of the fish and other marine life we saw each dive (which, sadly, I already cannot recall all of the names - as you can probably tell from the photos)
-> night diving and seeing the phosphoresent plankton (at least I think that is what it was) glowing when you move your hand back and forth
-> assuring Perry it was ok that he used up 200 bar of air in a 30 minute dive . . . ;-)
-> And of course, just enjoying the completely relaxing boat life
For photos of diving, taken by us (on the surface), and our instructor Dan (below the surface) check out http://gallery.me.com/adamschen
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