Salt Water

[img]541|left|Carter Dewberry||no_popup[/img]I nearly joined Dennis when he started throwing up over the side of the boat. I must have ingested a liter of salt water in the last hour on that training dive, and my body was not happy.

Instead, I drank two bottles of fresh water (Costco’s Kirkland brand has never tasted so good). I sat shivering and reflecting on what I had just experienced.

My journey began at 3:30 a.m. when I awoke, already nervous for my first scuba experience. For a girl who grew up around Lake Michigan, who then migrated to the Pacific Ocean coast, I have become curiously adept at avoiding any and all water activities. My new husband, on the other hand, looks like he has found bliss every time he finds himself engulfed in waves, streams, or pools. And so, in the spirit of adventure – and love – I signed up for this ultimate of water adventures.

Here I found myself watching a nearby boat full of snorklers enviously. It must be nice to just paddle around the surface of the water looking down… but I wouldn’t know, having jumped straight from plugging my nose when jumping into a pool to putting on a full wet suit.

Turning It Around

I thought for a moment that I might be off the hook and get to head back to shore when Dennis announced he wouldn’t be able to do the next dive. He was still dizzy and nearly ready to throw up again an hour later. But, he insisted that we not go back and agreed to wait in the boat.

I, of course, wasn’t going to quit. So, I dug around in my brain for every ounce of stubbornness (I don’t know that I could call it courage) and started figuring out how to turn a terrifying start into an enjoyable experience.

I asked my guide some questions on operating the gear, adjusted the fit of my mask, requested that we move more quickly at times so that I wouldn’t get so cold, and learned some new hand signals so that I felt better able to communicate with him when I was cold, tired, or just ready to go back to the boat.

Then, with an encouraging smile from Dennis, I launched out into the open sea once again.

This time, everything – at least inside my head – had changed. I was able to tune out the Darth Vader-like hiss in my ears and open my eyes to long, iridescent bottom feeders, schools of cute little yellow fish with black masks, and intricate, endless reefs. I even found an eel peeping out from the corral at the bottom, mouth opening and closing slowly, eye sparkling in the reflection of the sunlight under the water.

While I am very happy to be sitting here a few hours later writing this with the taste of milk chocolate macadamia nuts on my tongue, wrapped in a warm blanket waiting for my sweetie to wake up from his much-needed rest, I feel a sense of accomplishment that compares to when I finished my first marathon, exhausted yet exhilarated.

Thank you to Dean, Jeff, and Mike at Big Island Divers for your patience and expertise. If we ever do decide to dive again in Hawaii, we will be back.

Ms. Dewberry, an accomplished cellist, completed her DMA in Chamber Music Performance from UCLA in December 2005. She received her MM in Cello Performance from UCLA in June 2002 and her B.M. in Cello Performance from Western Michigan University in April 1998. She also holds a B.A. in French with a minor in Women's Studies and Philosophy.

She may be contacted at carter@carterdewberry.com