Today my husband John and I joined the ranks as Rebreather Divers! There was no fanfare, no parade, just big smiles and a couple of high fives in the water at the end of the dive and then it was on to the business of packing up the gear in preparation for our return home tomorrow. But just because there was no huge celebration does not mean that we are not extremely excited and definitely feel a sense of achievement.
It was not easy, and there were moments (at least for me) of serious doubt and questioning “what have I gotten myself into?”, but I really believe this is just the beginning for us and we are about to enter a whole new realm. The issue I have is that this week created a conflict for me. Let me explain – I absolutely love my diving. I have never been a physical person, was never good at sports and am terribly uncoordinated. Just becoming an open water diver took a tremendous amount of work on my part in both mind and body. But it grabbed me and took hold somewhere deep inside and literally changed my life. I truly love everything about it and 16-17 years later, being in the water is now my haven and my home. The problem is, the past few days I have tasted an entirely new aspect to the world I know and love and I am afraid going back will never be quite the same. It is so hard to explain but the animals really are as different as every CCR diver said they were. Time is a precious commodity none of us can usually buy in any element, and yet it was mine this week. The chatter of marine life as opposed to the sound of my bubbles elevated the entire experience for me and exiting the water after a 2-hour plus dive warm and energized was also a fantastic bonus.
Regardless, I will be back on my open circuit gear next time I am in the water. With two teens in or about to head to college, I frankly do not have the funds sitting around for two quality rebreathers of my own right now (and the hubby won’t let me get away with ordering just one). And don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means casting aside my beloved gear or open circuit diving in general. But just as when we first became divers and knew we wanted our own equipment, to go on with our education and to make this a regular part of our lives, so it is now again on another level. But all good things in time. Now we have seen for ourselves what all the hoopla is about, we are believers and therefore both committed to continue our education as Closed Circuit Divers, make our purchases as soon as we can and “play” on them as much as possible at our local dive sites as well as more exotic locales.
I also see this being something we again pass down to the “kids” at a later stage too. With both of them studying Marine Biology, I see them benefiting from a rebreather more than anyone. The freedom of time, depth and the ability to see and hear creatures underwater in a way we have not before I imagine would seriously aid in their field studies. But those thoughts are for another day. While we may not be able to justify any kind of need for them, Mom and Dad deserve spoiling once in a while, and at this point in my life I can’t imagine a more perfect gift to ourselves!
Footnote: John is not happy about me sharing his pics as he doesn’t think they are that great. Considering he was taking photos after only 4 hours on CCR with a big rig, I think they are pretty cool!
