Well, we did it! Anna and I completed our open water dive certifications this weekend on a live aboard dive trip.
Before I left for Australia, I had been planning my trip for months. Since I knew that I would be living in the country's "reef town," Cairns, I realized there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to become a certified diver. After all, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most well-known natural wonders on earth. So, why not get certified there?
So that's exactly what I did! Before my arrival, I did all of my certification book work - believe it or not, you have to read, and do homework, before you can actually dive. That way, all I had to do in Australia were the certification dives themselves (aka the fun part). After four test dives, I was certified! Anna and I then went exploring. We found Christmas tree worms, reef sharks, starfish, stingrays, and tons of different fish - including a Maori Wrasse fish named Wally. Wally's quite famous for his love for divers; if he sees you, he swims straight over and demands a nose scratch (seriously, he's famous - google "Maori Wrasse" and "Wally" comes up as his own search).
All in all, Anna and I completed five dives in less than a day. Each one was amazing. A whole other world exists below the surface, and my open water dive certification allows me to explore it!
Before I left for Australia, I had been planning my trip for months. Since I knew that I would be living in the country's "reef town," Cairns, I realized there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to become a certified diver. After all, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most well-known natural wonders on earth. So, why not get certified there?
So that's exactly what I did! Before my arrival, I did all of my certification book work - believe it or not, you have to read, and do homework, before you can actually dive. That way, all I had to do in Australia were the certification dives themselves (aka the fun part). After four test dives, I was certified! Anna and I then went exploring. We found Christmas tree worms, reef sharks, starfish, stingrays, and tons of different fish - including a Maori Wrasse fish named Wally. Wally's quite famous for his love for divers; if he sees you, he swims straight over and demands a nose scratch (seriously, he's famous - google "Maori Wrasse" and "Wally" comes up as his own search).
All in all, Anna and I completed five dives in less than a day. Each one was amazing. A whole other world exists below the surface, and my open water dive certification allows me to explore it!