8th-11th day 23rd-26th day Skydive + diving course

Sunday 23.09.

So, today is the first time I'm going skydiving. I'm excited, but not nervous or worried. We took the shuttle bus to the airport, got on a smaller plane, and off we went into the sky. 

There were about 20 people on the plane, including Justin, me, my guide Shay, and many Chinese people. Shay has done over 6000 skydives, which was a huge relief for me. The moment of being the last one to leave the plane, sitting on the edge, and seeing only clouds and a bit of earth when bending forward. Simply indescribably beautiful!! Pure adrenaline rush!!

Once the parachute was open, I even got to hold the steering lines and make some turns. 

All in all, I have to say, one of the best experiences you can have. Around noon, Justin and I went to a fancy restaurant at the pier to celebrate, and we had a great meal. Meanwhile, I got a call from Alisa, who wanted to call me from the hospital. Although I don't like ignoring someone, in this case it was a good thing. Afterwards, it turned out that she wanted my help because we "know and understand each other so well".

From 4pm, I was in my room and a bit shocked. The diving course includes a lot of theory, to say the least. Until 10pm, I was in bed reading, studying, answering questions and reviewing. After that, I was even more excited.

Monday 24.09.

Today's the day, off to the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world. I woke up at 6am because the "Reef Experience" ship was leaving the harbor at 7:30 and heading out to sea. On the way there, about 20 people sat on the back stairs with vomit bags in hand because they were getting seasick. I felt a bit queasy all day, but I managed it well. 

When we arrived at our destination, the "Reef Encounter" ship, we were warmly welcomed, in good spirits, and had several safety briefings. That's where I met Hitomi Takagi, my diving instructor for the Open Water Diver course. She's a lovely Japanese woman and very knowledgeable. 

The first water activity for the newcomers was a snorkel dive, it was beautiful to see the reef from above.

 After that, I had two dives with about a 2-hour break in between. During the first dive, I got familiar with all the equipment, and I have to say, it's like wearing firefighting gear. Everything is pretty much the same, except that instead of hot air, you jump into colder water. 

Because of my prior knowledge and all the theory, Hitomi was very surprised and impressed with me. That was also one of the reasons why we performed several skills, exercises, and tasks during the second dive. For example, taking off the diving mask at a depth of 5m, putting it back on, getting rid of the saltwater in the mask, and continuing the dive. I also successfully learned how to control the buoyancy using a slightly inflatable vest. It's such a great feeling to swim effortlessly along the reef and feel comfortable.

Today I met Patrick & Melissa (USA, living in Sydney) and Sebastian & Amanda (Switzerland & Brazil, living in Sydney), with whom I had a lot of fun, good and interesting conversations, and played several board games in the evening since there is no cell phone reception at sea. 

On the first day, we also had lunch and dinner, and I can say, it's better than in some restaurants. Then it was time for bed, and I also got to know Ant, an Australian girl who was doing her Stress & Rescue Diver course.

Tuesday 25.09.

At 5:50, a wake-up service knocked on the door and I was wide awake. I slept very well, despite the rather strong sea motion. Into the water for snorkeling, because early in the morning is the best time to observe the sea and the reef. Today, I had a total of 3 dives, and in each one, I learned new skills, such as taking off the scuba tank or sharing the breathing air with another diver in case of problems. I also successfully practiced taking off and putting on the buoyancy vest. After about 10 minutes of dive exercises, we swam freely, and I saw squids and even two sharks, among other things. 

At lunchtime, I had a lot of fun with the little Belgian girl Josie, who called me "funny and crazy man". Before dinner, I had to take my theoretical exam, which I passed very well with only 2 mistakes. In the evening, there was the opportunity for a night dive with just a flashlight, but I decided against it because I had some minor ear problems. However, I watched the many sharks and divers with flashlights from the deck, which was truly fascinating. Unfortunately, Ant, my roommate, had to end her diving course because of severe ear pain, which was really sad for her, but safety always comes first. The dive team also offers the opportunity for guests who would like to come back to stay on board as "crew" for as long as they want. They have to do small tasks, such as cleaning rooms or helping in the kitchen, and get two guaranteed dives. This offer sounded very interesting to me, who knows, maybe I'll come back.

Wednesday, 26.09.

Today I woke up early again and went straight into the sea for diving. This is my last training dive, and as soon as I came out of the water, it was like: yay, Open Water Diver!!

In the morning, I had another dive, and I saw Frank and a beautiful shark, which was a great way to end for me. 

Then it was time to relax in the jacuzzi on deck and enjoy the sun before we headed back.

The return journey was very relaxed, and there was champagne, wine, and crackers.

When we arrived at the harbor, I said goodbye to the two couples and walked along the city to my new accommodation, the Mad Monkeys Calypso Hostel. When I arrived there, I took a bed in a 4-bed room, but the beds were old, squeaky, and creaked with every small movement. In my room, I met Christian Volk, a painter from Freiburg, with whom I got along well. But now, off to bed.