The duration of the programme is four days long. It is held in the beautiful and sunny island of Tioman which is located on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Tioman Island is well-known for its numerous species of coral reefs and marine life, making it a hot spot for scuba diving and other types of water activities.
As someone who is usually confident in water, I would not think that learning how to scuba dive in open waters would be challenging. I was utterly wrong.My over-confidence has truly been humbled by the sea. There are many take away lessons which could be drawn out from this experience but I would place great emphasis on a few.
During this trip I was taught to stay calm and compose and to think clearly in any and every situation. It is a matter of life and death. Unlike being on land, one can easily drown to his/her death simply because they panic in a situation and not because of the danger imposed by situation itself. This was a monumental task as it was not my second nature to be able to detach my emotions from a stressful situation and at the same time maintaining composure to resolve the matter. Secondly, to listen to yourself and to know your limits. It is amazing how just by learning a seemingly trivial skill would lead me into learning a relevant yet unexplored side about myself. It is a lesson which is vital for my development to prepare me for the world out there yet cannot be acquired in a typical classroom setting. Thirdly, I have learn to appreciate life and not to take things for granted. It made me reflect on all the subtle blessings in life like the very fact that I can breathe and breathe easily and effortlessly. Being underwater at 18 meters, you must be constantly conscious of the way you breathe. This is key as the breathing technique has a direct reciprocal relationship with your dive performance underwater. Breathing wrongly would result in the disability to sink or float appropriately . Diving is only fun when you are doing it right. However mastering this technique takes dedication and time which brings me to the last and most imperative lesson of them all, that is to be patient. Without patience, almost nothing can be achieved.
In sum, after a four-day holiday trip I came back as a transformed person with a more fresh and positive outlook on life and the pursue of learning as a whole. An experience which has build my character and open my mind. Learning how to dive in open waters has left a great impact in my life. An impact so great, I would account it as one of the best things I have ever experienced thus far.
