First Time Free Diving - Salaman Camp and Sea

First Time Always Last!

That statement above is kinda double meaning... but it will be explained in the photo that I made and posted here.

[WARNING: Do not read this very LONG post! You will not find any worth reading for your life, as this is just my recorded first time experiences, nothing interesting nor educational about this article. So GO ON and get busy with your life ok! (^_^)]

I never imagine that today will happen the most awaited moment I have been dreaming of, to swim in more than 10-ft deep, and to do "free diving". I also didn't know that our good friend Davey (husband of Phoebe a midwife from Mercy Clinic, she is from the UK, we met at the church) is like a dolphin (excellent swimmer)...

At first, Davey ask me to swim alone where I can still touch my feet at the bottom of the sea... since the swimming stroke I am confident with is freestyle so that is what I performed. He said that not all Filipinos he met while he was here in Philippines knows freestyle. Swimming lessons really helps! (^_^)

Davey taught me how to use the snorkel tube and learned to get used to it while swimming in less than 10mins. (I'm only using google (without nose cover), nose clip and that tube for snorkelling)...
And, he suggested that I can make it to that deeper part in the sea cause I'm a floater...
yeah! I actually want to experience swimming that far, but I'm afraid to swim that far now, cause it's has been a long time since I last swam 25-meters continuous freestyle...
Phoebe suggested well you don't need to really swim with an effort I think Davey can take you there just hold on to his back... and right away Davey agreed!

This was so exciting for me, so we are both kicking but both of my hands were holding on to Davey's back, I help with the kicking, then less than 1-min. we were in 20-ft. high and I saw a big black and white fish with fins like lion fish, man! that was awesome!!! it's my first time to really see something like that LIVE swimming below us, and we also saw that species Davey said that eats the corals, color orange with white polka dots and look like a huge snail without a shell, then all of the sudden I saw a yellow big fin! it was so huge and I was surprise it wasn't a fish but it was Ptr. Edging swimming in front of us (LOL) it was his flippers!

We talked a bit, Ptr. went back to shoreline and me and Davey decided to go much deeper, around 30-ft... I feel like flying now cause the corals are huge like mountains and with all the black school of fishes swimming along whew! COOL...

Then after awhile, Davey asked me to slowly let go, He is confident I can swim alone, at first I was quite afraid, and I remember what my swimming instructor told me "never entertain fear and stay relaxed as possible so you will stay floating above the water, streamline in water level, remember the first lesson, STREAMLINE FLOAT ABOVE THE WATER, neck straight looking downward, relax.." then little by little I didn't realize I was actually letting go of Davey, and he signed to me if I'm ok, I gave him two thumbs signal to reply "I'm ok!" and this time, I am actually swimming on my own, it was like flying seeing all those corals and fishes, and so relaxing.

After lunch, Davey showed me the much wonderful part of Salaman sea area, this time, he let me use a google from a snorkel (with the nose covered) and the tube with valve... He gave me an orientation for that snorkel, when I blow the water it went out down on that valve instead on top.

And, on that beautiful sea area the current was more stronger than where we explored in the morning, and the huge stones, lets me think of sea urchins! (they love the stones) I remembered when I was young, my grandparents house were near Pacific Ocean, me and my cousins will go out there for a swim and I often see red sea urchins ok that's another story so read it on that link (^_^)

To continue with free diving, yes we did saw a huge black sea urchins with very long spines, I can't believe my eyes, that was really tremendous! First time to see that kind of sea urchins!

We swam to up to more than 50 ft. deep, on that area I felt kinda lost actually, but I wasn't afraid, although there was a moment where I tried to explore swimming alone, and couldn't see Davey at all, and expecting to see a big fish! then again I wasn't scared as God is always with us.

I was mesmerize by the view, deep blue, mountain of corals, I can't view much of the sea bed anymore, there were all like mountains of corals below me, and all you can hear is the sound of the wave of the deep sea and my breathing at the snorkel, and I was relax...

Then I felt something, like my instinct is telling me something is coming up, I sense my jaw is hurting, I do want to dive deeper, but something is stopping me, I don't sense the peace, that still small voice is telling me to go back at the shoreline "always trust instinct!".

I still kept myself relax but my jaw was aching and the valve is gargling and I can't breath well in the tube, still I'm keeping it cool cause I trust God will keep my body floating, I tried to blow it out, but still the gargle was there, and when I inhale in my mouth I feel the water is inside the tube, I gave signal to Davey, he help me to keep my head up, (I can't still do the threading) he asked me what's wrong... I quickly removed my mouth piece to remove the water, then got it in again, suddenly my jaw felt cramps (that was the first time I experience that too! LOL)

Pain and numb feeling both sides of my jaw... so I went to hold Davey at his back and told him let's go home... I remove my mouth piece but I realize I can't do the swimming breathe (inhale at mouth, exhale at nose) without using the snorkel tube, because I was using a google with my nose covered (LOLz) and we are like in 60-ft. part of the sea... Now that gave me the shiver!
My heart was beating fast this time... I kept myself relax, so it won't feel like Davey is dragging me... And, I remember the meditation exercise of keeping yourself calm in order not to put pressure in the muscles (muscle pressure can remove the buoyancy of our body and sink us).

I did have my swimming google (without nose covered) around my neck but, somehow my instinct is telling me it will be more difficult to do the swimming breathes than using the snorkel... So I decided not to tell anything to Davey and to use the snorkel tube...

Again, I felt the presence of God telling me to relax so that my body will be much buoyant in floating and Davey will not have a hard time swimming too, I calmly just close my eyes and breathe through the tube even though it is still gargling, and just kick my legs for support to help us both with the strong current of the sea.

Anyway, I'm thankful for all these wonderful first time experiences, well this was one of the reason why I enrolled myself in swimming lessons, I never expected or even imagine that it will happen anytime soon.

God sent an angels to make one of my dream come true!
I haven't bought any snorkel set yet, but God is truly amazing He provides!

It's totally unexpected, and definitely NOT expecting at all that it will be Davey!
I thought before I might be able to go with Kuya Dick, cause I am aware he likes free diving... I didn't know that Davey loves it too.

Thank you Lord God for again making one of my dreams come true! You are always full of surprises (^_^)