Our boat swayed on the turquoise ocean. I grabbed for its rails to keep my balance and tried to recall why this had seemed like such a good idea a few hours before. I tried to concentrate on the melody of the waves slapping the boat’s sides and the rich salt smell of the air, but couldn’t quite wipe the grimace off my face.

“Once you step off the boat, it will be more peaceful,” Drew said. “You’ll love it.”  

He plunged in first; then, it was my turn. My mask half-blinded me, my fins threatened to trip me, and my weight belt and tank made me understand what sporting fifty extra pounds would feel like. I remembered to stare at the horizon and clutch one hand over my belt and the other over my mask as I made my “giant stride” into the ocean.

Islamorada is located in the upper Keys, and benefits from its proximity to the 120 mile long reef that runs along the Florida Keys Island chain, the only North American living coral reef.

My step was more hamster-sized than giant, and I had all the grace of a New Year’s Eve drunk as I crashed into the waves – but I did it. Drew gave me an “okay” signal, and our adventure began.

It all started when I enrolled in the Discover Scuba program with Holiday Isle Dive Shop in Islamorada. If you want to try scuba diving, but you don’t have any experience, and you’re not sure you want to make the commitment to get certified, this is the program for you.

A rank beginner, I’d spent an hour with Drew, one of Holiday Isle’s instructors, learning basic hand signals and diving safety. Next, we progressed to the pool, where I got to test my knowledge in the water. I practiced tasks like clearing my regulator and emergency procedures. After that, I had half an hour to nibble on some lunch – not too much, I was warned – before we rocked off into the sea on the Captain Scuba, to go on two for-real dives.

We stopped at a place called Pleasure Reef. One of the beasts I saw there was gun-metal-grey, over six feet long, and shaped like, well, Jaws. I would have had to have had a brain smaller than a peanut to miss the fact that I was eye to eye with a real live shark.

Foolishly – since I can swim approximately as fast as a turtle can run on a good day – I reached a hand in his direction, entranced. He flicked his tail and glided away. I saw several of what turned out to be nurse sharks. They eat mainly fish and crustaceans because they have small mouths, which limit the size of their prey. (I like that part about them.)

It was like touring another planet. Stingrays used their bodies to wing their way across the ocean floor. Drew often indicated a creature hiding in the reef, using his hands to describe what it was. He cupped his fingers into an imaginary halo when a pair of impossibly blue fish passed by – Angelfish—and played an imaginary instrument when a tubular animal floated underneath us – Trumpetfish.

Once he pointed at the head of a black, viper-like thing, with its body hidden in a crevice. Its jaws opened when we came close. Drew told me later that it was an eel, not threatening to bite, just drawing oxygen into its gills.

We found an enormous lobster lurking under a rock, complete with bumps and knobs decorating him, and a tiny crab, colored a vivid purple, no bigger than a silver dollar, clinging to a swaying plant. I loved the Parrotfish, shaped like cartoon characters and painted in hues that would make heaven envious.

Islamorada is located in the upper Keys, and benefits from its proximity to the 120 mile long reef that runs along the Florida Keys Island chain, the only North American living coral reef.  It is a premier diving site due to the clear water, and its uncrowded location. It has 12 sites to choose from on any given day. On the day I tried scuba, Drew and I were the only divers in the water. Holiday Isle has been serving divers since 1972. In 2006, it was voted one of the best dive shops in the Florida Keys by WFKZ’s "The People's Choice Awards.” (WFKZ, 103.1 FM, is the radio station that serves the Florida Keys.)


If you get hooked on scuba and decide to get certified:

With the help of Holiday Isle Dive Shop, snagging your Open Water Certification will take three to four days, depending on how quickly you progress. The process includes two to three classroom sessions, two to three confined water sessions, two boat trips with four open water dives, and the final exam. Your text book, log book, dive tables, certification card and instruction are included. Generally, this course is taught one-on-one.

 

If you’re already certified:

The Dive Shop is happy to boat you out to one of their spectacular locations. After they give you a site briefing, you can explore on your own, or a guide can lead the way – whatever you prefer.


Insider’s Tips

  • If you have a sensitive stomach, consider using motion sickness medicine. Bonine causes less drowsiness than Dramamine (consult with your doctor before taking any medication).
  • Consider buying over-the-counter antiseptic eardrops for when you are finished with your dives.
  • Don’t overindulge in alcohol the night before, and eat lightly on the day of the dive. 
  • If you have a mustache, you may have to shave the top of it to get your mask to seal properly.


Physical Requirements

Children as young as 10 may dive in the ocean and are eligible for certification; children as young as 8 may try scuba in the pool. You should be able to swim. Check with the dive shop to make sure you don’t have a condition which would make diving unsafe for you.


Other Things to do in Islamorada

Theatre of the Sea is located nearby, where you can try a dolphin wade, or meet a sea lion. You can snorkel, parasail, windsurf, kiteboard, jetski, kayak, or visit the History of Diving Museum. If you like to fish, this is the spot to be, since Islamorada is widely known as the sports fishing capital of the world.

However, I’m sold on scuba. It is truly a sport that could change your life. Scuba’s not a ride, or a show you watch. It is a chance to be transported to a different world. And, as Drew says, every dive is different. Definitely add this experience to your “bucket list!”