(23/07/08) The baptism is the first experience in the submarine world; a great many of new sensations are possible for us. To get the title would be the next step.

    “And after this, I get the title, rent a tank, fill it with air in any petrol station and start to dive, don’t I?” With this unforgettable sentence a friend of mine finished her baptism.

    The truth is that our first experience in the ocean depths leaves no one indifferent. A mix of feelings, of fear and emotion, lead us to want a little more.

    The baptism, as we call the experience before the basic diving certification, allows us to come into contact with the underworld.

    Usually, the dive centre that offers us a baptism gives us some instructions on how we should act, they explain us the most common signs: go up, go down, OK, regular, without air, reserve…and then we go into the water, not very deep but enough to be able to experience all those feelings of the first dive.

    “I could not dive, the ears started to bother me and I got nervous. I saw the whole group over me and I tried to force it, but it bothered me even more. My first reaction was to think about getting on the boat and desisting, but I relaxed and thought what to do: I went up a little bit caught to a rope, waited for some time and tried to go down again. This time I was able to compensate without problem.”

    “I was so afraid of running out of air that I spent all the time diving reviewing the gauge and I didn’t see any fish! I didn’t even realize of the dive!”

    "My partner got nervous and grabbed my regulator. I panicked that he would take it off and since then I kept an eye on him! Imagine if he was going to leave me without my air!"

    “There was a moment I thought I could run out of air. I started hyperventilating, until I got relaxed and I realized that the air flows and I would keep breathing. The key is to stay calm.”

    Before going to the water for the first time we have a lot of doubts: Will be able to breathe through the regulator... What if I want to cough or laugh... What if I get water inside the glasses... What if I run out of air? What if I cannot compensate?

    We heard so many “urban legends” that we enter the water conditioned, and a bit later we discover with satisfaction that it is much easier than it seems: it is breathing and enjoying under the water.

    It is true that diving involves many risks, but if we follow the rules we will prevent a lot of them and control many others.

    “I do not like the beach nor swimming, so I thought that I would not like diving either. Surprisingly, it was the opposite: the feeling is very different to what I imagined.”

    “We did the baptism along with a large group of friends. When I got to the bottom I looked up and saw my friends, up and down, each of them fighting their buoyancy. I could not help laughing: we looked like the Circus of the Sun!”

    The baptism is for many the beginning of a great adventure, the gateway to the underwater world, an experience that confirms they will take the next step: becoming Open Water Diver.

    In these summer months it is easy that our destination during the holydays is a place near the sea. We have seen every year that dive centre with wetsuits and men dressed like frog-men. Maybe this year is time to approach and try it, why not try? Everything can start with a baptism.

Text and Photo: Loli Alcarria