My first and only Scuba Dive .( PART TWO )

FROM PART ONE :

It was here , when told to practice breathing under water, that, so far as I was concerned the whole project and my scuba dive went totally bust and almost did not happen ..............................

Before I go any further a bit about the diving goggles and the mouthpiece .

Having done snorkelling in 2007 I had some idea about the goggles and the mouth piece and their use. But there was a bit of difference between those used for snorkelling and scuba diving . 

Goggles.

Once the goggles are on , the goggle bridge fits snuggly and presses the nosestrills so that breathing through the nose is not possible.

Mouthpiece

Oxygen tube to be firmly gripped between the teeth . Fleng is to be kept firmly in place by exerting pressure by cheeks & lips . If both of these are not done properly sea water will enter mouth . Emergency action of purging   will have to be done.

There was another big change in the circumstances between 2007 snorkelling and 2015 scuba diving . Now I was fitted with full dentures . As current dentures were fitted about 4 years back the gums had wornout a bit and the dentures were a bit loose . They were almost ejected out couple of times when I had coughed or sneezed suddenly :-) . So I had to be extra careful while pressing down the teeth on oxygen tube. 

The dive master with you  adjusts the goggles , mouthpiece etc.He keeps repeating that you have to remember to breath through the mouth as normal breathing through the nose is not possible under water, 

When my goggle was being put , I was holding my breath , As soon as Dive Master (DM) had finished putting on the goggles I needed to  breath , as nose was blocked by goggle bridge  I just could not breath . For a second I did not understand what was happening and jerked out the goggles . DM understood and kept repeating that I should breath only through the mouth . Next time when goggles were put I remembered to breath through the mouth .

Then came the turn of regulator and the mouth piece . Gripping the oxygen tube between the dentures and maintaining cheeks & lips pressure on the mouthpiece flenge  also proved a bit tricky and sea water was entering  the mouth chocking and drowning me .

In those moments I felt that we do not fear death itself . What we fear is the choking , the gasping , the pain and the suffering that finally leads to death .

Before proceeding to the dive we were supposed to demonstrate for a minium of two minutes that we could breath under water without any problem.

 Iinitially with Goggles and  regulator mouthpiece  combination I just could not get  hang of breathing ( inhaleing & exaling ) through the MOUTH , As one can imagine I was either getting asphyxiated as I could not breath through the nose or getting choked by swollowing sea water when breathing through the mouth with mask & regulator . Leave alone two minutes I could not manage under water breathing through mouth for  even 30 seconds.

 I  gave up after three attempts . I told the DM , as I was not able to breath under water and I had decided against the Dive.It is to the credit of my handler who persuaded & cajoled me & Ajeet who really tried every thing to  keep my morale up , to encourage me in every which way  . 

When all this was going on my brain was over active , My intro to the group  about myself being fighter pilot and all , flashed through my mind . WHAT WILL THE GROUP PEOPLE THINK ? When ten  people from our group had done it yesterday and except me , other nine were doing it now . When  ninteen from the group including children , ladies and gents of all shapes and sizes could do it ,  what was happening to this fighter pilot How could he not do it ?. I was bringing shame to myself and  the IAF community just because I could not breath through mouth .

When all others could do it why not  I. 

 Will I be able to look myself in the mirror next day ? Will I loose confidence in myself for the rest of my days ? Thoughts and thoughts ,  hundreds of them thousands of them on similar lines were flashing through my mind .  It is said that human brain works faster than the fastest computers . At that moment I believed it to be so :-)

By now all from our group had proceeded for the actual dive . Only one more person was still around being given final instructions . He was a witness to all that was happening . I could see his face mirrorring various emotions in quick succession
Surprise - that I could not do it ,
Astonishment - that I could not do it ,
Disbelief - that I could not do it ,
Pity - that I could not do it ,
He was witness to my predicment and I was witness to his emotions .
I could handle - Surprise .
I could handle - Astonishment . 
I could handle - Disbelief .
I COULD NOT HANDLE LOOK OF PITY ON HIS FACE.
I turned to DM took the goggles , the regulator , mouthpiece . Put them on and ducked my head under water. It was as if magic had happened . I was breathing through mouth !!!!!

For the first 30 to 40 seconds the airbubbles escaping through regulator exhaust valve were erratic but in the later one minute the escaping air bubbles were smooth and at regular intervals.My DM was surprised and happy and so was I .

Any way I had decided that during the dive I will keep the mouthpiece firmly in place not by lips & cheek pressure alone but also hold it in place with my hand.

Having got the hag of it I did dive and was taken all of 10 meters deep , where they take everyone doing diving.

Visibility under water was too good and we could see almost 20 to 30 feet . The corals , the varities of them the colours the shapes the sizes most amazing and captivating sights . The fishes again the varities the colours the whole experience was out of this world . Just can not find words for it .

Ajeet , Thumbs up . Stone coral in back ground.

Priti enjoying her dive .

Finally yours trully . Feeling comfortable & enjoying , BUT......

still keeping mouthpiece firmly in place with right hand !!! 

I do not know if we ever visit Haveloc again but if we ever do , I will go diving again because now I can breath through the MOUTH :-) :-)   

 ALL IS WELL THAT ENDS WELL.:-) 

My first and only Scuba Dive .( PART ONE )

In the 1990s and early 2000s , Anuj , along with his friend had taken up scuba diving as a hobby . He had reached " Instructor " level competence as prescribed by PADI .He had done day diving , night diving , shallow water , deep water and in fact all sorts of diving . Had done hundreds of dives in diving areas all over the world. 

Some liberties with truth are always permitted to proud parents for slight exageration of  achievements of their children :-)

Hearing him talk , seeing his underwater photographs etc I also wanted to do , experience the  pleasures and feel the adventure of scuba diving . When we visited Haveloc Island in 2007 we wanted to fullfil our wish for scubs diving . We visited India Dives, an establishment with whom Anuj had done the diving . We were told that a single dive was never done . One had to do a proper prescribed course . The shortest and cheapest course was costing about  ₹ 40,000 /- plus and would need minium of 15 days duration . We neither had the time nor the money .The dream remained a dream.

We again visited Haveloc , this time with Kesari Tours on 6th & 7th January 2015.Our tour Manager told us that a single scuba dive was  possible for ₹ 3500/-per dive per head. Total time would also not exceed about an hour . This was heaven sent opportunity to fullfill our long cherished desire and dream This time around , we not only had more than one hour to spare but also ₹ 7500/- & more to spare for a single dive for Priti & self :-) 

It came as a surprise that about 20 from our group spread over ages of 12 to 72 and from various ehenic backgrounds ,  physical builds from portly to lean, from salaried to bussinessmen , all types had opted for the dive . As the diving establisment could cater for a group of 10 at a time first 10 people from our group did it on 6 Jan . Right across the group from young to old every one had glowing reports about how they enjoyed the dive. . Self Ajeet & Priti , we had opted with the second group  for dive on the 7 Jan15 , Day on which finally , after almot 20 odd years my desire ,  almost a dream , for scuba dive was to be fulfilled.

During the tour , in self introduction activity , I had told the group about my Air Force background beibg Gnat and Production Test Pilot , the VM  etc etc . After that there was perciptible change in group attitude towards me . Or so I would like to believe .
Despite being the oldest , no one had any doubts that I will have no problems and successfully do the dive.

So on 7 Jan 15 wake up call for us was at 0430 hours  on the diving day as we were to reach Ocean trbe ,the  diving school by 0500 hours..  We were right on time . At Ocean Tribe we were kitted out in wet suits , diving shoes .

Self , Ajeet and Priti , all kitted in wet suits and diving shoes.

Priti & self in scuba diving gear 

After being kitted out , initially five of us we were taken to the motor boats and set course for the place where we were to do the dives.

On the way to dive spot.

Balashri Jalgar and Dinkar Attarde with us..

On the way to dive spot.

I must say that crew from Ocen Tribe  behaved & performed as true professionals . They went through the whole exercise in a very well rehearsed manner , which may not be surprising as they were doing it day in and day out , every day, during the whole of  tourist season .

Once at the diving spot a professional diver from Ocean Tribe took charge of  each one of us , so every one of us had a professional diver looking after us .

On arrival at the diving spot function and use of diving equipment , goggles cum mask ,oxygen tank , regulator , controls on regulator , mouth piece etc were explained . Hand signals for communication while diving under water were demonstrated and explained .Some practice on under water breathing only through mouth after putting on goggles, mask , mouth piece and regulator with oxygen flowing was given .

At the diving spot . Ajeet trying out mouth piece.

All OK sign after getting all instructions.

Others being explained the equipment &; usage . 

It was now my turn to practice under water  through mouth breathing.

It was here , when told to practice breathing under water, that, so far as I was concerned the whole project and my scuba dive went totally bust and almost did not happen ..............................

State Bank Of India Branch at Howrah Railway Station.

State Bank of India, Howrah Station Branch.

On our way back from Andaman Trip, we again transited through Howrah Railway Station. As we had plenty of time in hand, to pass time Priti & I roamed all around the Station. In old Howrah Station complex saw this branch of State Bank Of India. It brought back floods of memories. I just could not resist taking photos of the Branch. The reason for that is that We remember this branch with great fondness and gratitude, and for a good reason.

The year 1988
We were posted from Secunderabad to Shillong. With the advance of pay, we had spending money in 100 rupee notes. Unfortunately, one of those notes was slightly torn. During the long journey from Secunderabad to Howrah, I tried to give it to every trader, vendor, cooli, Chaiwala, coffeewala etc without any success. Gradually notes from the slim wad of 100 Rs with which we had started was dwindling. All my, by now desperate, efforts to pass on that torn note were fruitless as even the fruit wallas refused to accept that note.
Finally, by the time we reached Howrah, we were left with only two hundred rupee notes, of which one, was torn and no one was willing to accept it. So effectively we had only 100 Rs at Howrah Station. With Ajeet & Anuj also with us and still more than 48 hours of the journey left, to say that we were in a hole and badly off would be putting it mildly.
When we saw this SBI branch at the railway station, desperate that we were, I marched into Managers Office. Explained our predicament and presented him with the torn 100 rupee note. He was a very good fellow & gave me a brand new crisp 100 Re note. I thanked him profusely and ran all the way to Sanik Aramgrah to give this very good news to Priti who was very very worried and close to tears.
Her smile on realising that we now had all of 200 Rs was worth all the gold in the world.
We reached Shillong with some change still jingling in my pocket.
Long live Howrah Stn SBI Branch.