As of last week, I finally am a certified PADI Open Water Diver! I took the course at Mc Divers, a local dive center with really nice - and very competent - instructors.
So... why learn to dive? If you read my aquarium vs. nature post, you already know why I wanted to learn diving.
For me, it is much more fascinating to observe animals in their natural habitat than viewing them in an aquarium or zoo. It is true that you get a much closer look at them in a confined environment. But what exactly do you get to look at? Depressed, imprisoned animals who don't exhibit any of their natural behavior because their living space is much too small and there's no need to hunt for food. That's why I'll always prefer observing animals in the wild.
In addition to that, underwater is a great environment. Compared to our usual surroundings, it is a very slow and tranquil environment. There is less noise, no chatter, no hustle and bustle, and everything is dominated by the reassuring sound of your own breathing.
And on top of all that, you get to participate in all three dimensions - without the need to resort to stairs to change your perspective ;-).
So I'm really looking forward to lots of diving during my trip. I'm taking a camera that is waterproof up until 12 meters, so maybe there will be some underwater shots too :-)
