Salt Water Scuba
A Time to Live
Melody Hendrix
I have always been an adventurer, even as a child. I had so many questions, Oh how I would have loved the Internet then to ask a million questions.
Whenever I am by a body of water, I am always intrigued by so many questions. What lives in it? What is under the surface? What is in the depths? What treasures live there?
The element of water has always intrigued me. I am mesmerized by it’s reflections, movements, sparkle, the feel of it on your skin, the pleasure of weightlessness and the quenching of my thirst. It is the most important life force on this planet.
When I was in my thirties I decided to take scuba diving lessons. Since I live in Florida, it is a must for exploring our diverse water systems. The classes were hard and it was a rugged adventure going for all my diving certifications. It took bravery, strength and will. It wasn’t easy, but the drive of wanting to explore the earth took over and gave me the necessary skills. Scuba diving is like exploring another planet. It is not for everyone, but I would like to share my experience and awe with you.
There are two kinds of diving. Fresh water and salt water. After the basic dive certification, I was ready for a salty reef dive. The main mode of transportation to get to a reef is on a dive boat. It is a fast and enjoyable ride out to the reef. However, I must take motion sickness med’s beforehand. I have a sensitive stomach and I end up feeding the fish my breakfast when the boat stops if I don’t put on a Dramamine patch. Not fun. Once at our destination, when the captain says ready to dive, we sit on the edge of the boat and fall backwards into the clear, blue green water. As soon as the bubbles move out of the way, we turn tail and head to the bottom. As soon as I look down, I am in awe when I get my first look at the most incredible world below. A salt water reef is a magical place of colors, shapes, textures, movement, sizes and it’s all alive. Your eyes can’t take in all that is there. There is not only beautiful fish, but amazing corals, crustaceans and mystery creatures. It is another living blessing from God.
Sometimes you will even see things that make you stop breathing. Scary things that are part of this life, their life. Barracuda with their big teeth, big eyes and daunting behavior of staring and following you. I remember one scare in particular when I was snorkeling in the sunshine and swam through the shadow casts by a bridge. My eyes couldn’t adjust for the light right away, but when It did, I was face to face with a barracuda looking right at me. Fortunately I didn’t have anything shiny on, which they are attracted to. They are just curious. It was a great experience.
Next week we go fresh water diving!
Welcome! I’m so glad you stopped in to visit. I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
Old Things R New 
Your pictures are fantastic.
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wonderful
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