or: Things I didn’t know I’d be giving up by becoming a scuba instructor

Most people that know me well, know that I like to plan.

It should be no surprise that in deciding to become a scuba instructor, I researched what was involved in that particular profession.

I learnt about the training I’d need, the costs involved, potential income, likely places to work and so on.

There were a few things I didn’t realise I’d be giving up though.

Would I have decided differently had I known?

No way!

They are just little funny things that I hadn’t considered.

This post is in no way to be taken seriously. 

1. Sleep-ins

The best dives are in the mornings or at night. Not the afternoon. Most dive centres then operate this way too.

We need to be at the dive centre before clients arrive to organise our own equipment, make sure there are enough full tanks and to help prepare client equipment, plan the dives and so on.

When we still had tourists, we were doing this seven days per week.

Lucky I’m not a grumpy morning person!

2. Long fingernails

I feel the cold.

Regardless of water temperature, I’m wearing some form of wetsuit. Sometimes even layering wetsuits.

Long neoprene (particularly of the 7mm or 5mm kind) is a struggle to put on as a wetsuit needs to be tight for it to work well. 

No matter how strong my nails are, they will always break, tear or chip off when pulling up a wetsuit.

I keep my nails short for this reason.

3. Even tan lines

As mentioned, wetsuits need to be tight.

Unfortunately not many wetsuit manufacturers can cater to everyones’ height to size ratios well, and even more of a challenge as a female.

For me, it means my wetsuits are tight (since this is the most important part) but they don’t cover all the way to the bottom of my arms or legs. There is a bit of exposed skin in both areas.

I wear booties and sometimes I also wear gloves.

I have either brown stripes leading to white on my feet and hands or my hands are brown from a bit higher up the wrist and down.

My face matches this.

No more sleeveless dresses or shirts – I look like I haven’t scrubbed dirt off this part of my body!

4. Good Hair Days

Good Hair Days are always celebrated. When your hair sits “just so” with absolutely no effort. Somehow the whole day just seems that little bit brighter.

Now, I’m not one to put much effort into my hair at the best of times partly because I’m lazy and partly because I’ve realised that curly hair seems to do it’s own thing regardless of what effort is put into it and weirdly, seems better if nothing is done.

Some mornings I wake up and my hair has just fallen into neat curls that I’m even surprised it can do.

It lasts until I’m tying my hair back to go diving.

After the dive, it needs a wash and who knows what it will turn out like then.

I may end up with a Good Hair Afternoon / Evening at times but never again will I have an entire Good Hair Day.

This week I’ve had a turtle visit me on a safety stop, I’ve seen two humpback whales while in the water and then on the boat, I’ve taken a person from Open Water though to Advanced plus another to her Advanced and quite a few others to some of my favourite dive sites including one I hadn’t been to since the lockdown here finished.

I’ve seen some of my favourite fish, seen a fish I’d never seen here before and taken some pretty good underwater photos this week and my videography is improving too – that’s a work in progress.

Would I trade any of this in for a Good Hair Day, even tan, sleep-in and long fingernails?

What kind of a question is that?

Yes, sometimes I’m tired however I don’t really think much about sleeveless tops or otherwise and I haven’t worried about my nails looking manicured since leaving my corporate roles.

And, as they say “Scuba hair – don’t care!”

It really is “no sacrifice at all” – thanks Elton!

 

Thanks to Elton John for the title to this post.