Denouement: Last Boat Dive

I went to the pool a few days ago to swim a few laps. First time back in the water since I came back from Cozumel, and it gave me the chance to savor my scuba memories a bit more.

Same pool I went to for that first scuba lab-- where I felt so out of place and so scared.

I put my bag in the same locker I used when I got myself tied up in my wetsuit. No such crisis this time.

I went just to swim laps, and no one looked at me with interest or amusement because there was no heavy equipment, no knobs or belts.

Yup, I missed it.

I jumped in and there was no BCD to make me float, no regulator to let me breath underwater.

I did the first lap and was disappointed at how slowly I swam without fins or current. I even missed my mask. Laps in the local pool are kind of a bummer after Cozumel.

That last boat dive in Mexico Ricky told me I was done with lessons; I was officially a diver. My euphoria was tempered because I was a bit dizzy and nauseous, and I had the sneaking suspicion that my ears were to blame. Stupid ears.

But I got to take my camera (shallower dive), and I so wanted that "official" dive, so I suited up and went in, dizziness and all.

This time we were at Yucab. Not as much reef as the Palancar Breaks, but still amazing. Ricky was my "buddy" this time and not my teacher, so I told him with a smile that he had to show me all the cool fish. He nodded gravely like I'd charged him with guarding the holy grail. Entering the water was easy; working my way down was slow but not bad. Ricky dutifully led me to all the rarest and coolest sights: a nurse shark, a splendid toadfish, barracuda, a HUGE lobster-- all of them hiding under rocks or in little caves. The shark was probably my favorite. I wasn't the least bit afraid (he wasn't so big and he was hiding anyway), and I swear to you the look on his face said, "For cryin' out loud people-- move along. Tryin' to nap here."

This time I was with the group more, and got a kick out of watching B___ float motionless in a standing position while the dads, son, and daughter played in every nook and cranny.

I was feeling like a pro, right up until I almost brushed the reef a few times and had to awkwardly overcorrect. I have to face it, I'm just not overly coordinated or graceful.

So the last dive was a lot of playing with my camera, fighting with my ears, basking in the amazing terrain, wishing I had a friend to share it with, and trying not to look incompetent.

On the way up I had a hard time staying at the medium depth for my safety stop, and I was ready to let my Eustachian tubes have a rest, but I also couldn't believe how fast it all went and wasn't anxious for it to end.

So I'm not quite Zen yet, afterall. I don't know what the sound of one hand clapping is-- but I know the sound of sucking air at 60 feet. I can't sit motionless in the lotus position, but I hung out with sharks and eels (okay, so I tried to but wasn't cool enough for them to come out from the rocks and play, apparently).

I do know one thing: I have SO gotta get back down there... and SOON!