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February 18-24, 1999

After our hair-raising trip to Ko Tao things got a lot better. We did not know what to expect of scuba diving, breathing underwater, or PADI. We went in with open minds, crying "teach us!" On the way from the Sensi to our new bungalow which, incidentally, was almost identical, but had a ceiling fan and the power (unlike the Sensi) that was 23.33 hours a day, we stopped into the Master Diver’s. Bob handed us our Padi Text Books and told us we should have chapters 1 and 2 (107 pages) read by the next morning, and also to finish the quizzes at the end of each chapter. That was when that faint memory of homework or any work for that matter hit us like a great white shark on a surfer! The class was for fun but it still was hard work. That night we buckled down and found out about scuba gear and air pressure. We learned that if you hold your breath while ascending even from 10 meters underwater, your lungs will pop like a cat in a microwave - not a pretty thought, is it? The next day bright and early we showed up at the Master Diver’s for our first theory lecture. This is where we met the lovely Zoe! Zoe was our sage. Eight hours a day for the next 4 days we entrusted our lungs, lives, and sweet dreams to Zoe, she would turn us from mere mortal men to amphibious sea creatures. Zoe was a true bad-ass (especially when she wore her knife!). At 23 she was a Dive Master and certified PADI instructor who knew the intricacies of diving inside and out.

Later that afternoon, after a 3 hour theory instruction, we piled onto the Master Diver’s boat and suited up - wetsuits, fins, BCD's (buoyancy control device) regulators, masks, and snorkels. We jumped into the ocean, shallow enough to stand, popped in our regulators, and put our heads below the surface. It’s quite impossible to explain the feeling. At first you don't want to breathe but, as we all learned, not breathing is a good way to pop a lung. After a minute it is exhilarating, things come into focus: little fish everywhere, in the distance colorful coral reefs that look like a Hollywood set. It was like entering another world, with colors, sounds, and sights that we had never imagined. We practiced clearing the mask of water and equalizing our ears and moved deeper. At 10 meters we could look up and see the surface but, it was far above our heads. The fish got bigger and brighter. We tried to get control of our buoyancy but, instead, wound up flopping and flailing like a flounder upon shore.

As the days passed, we learned more and more about diving theory and practice. The lovely Zoe continued in her humorous way to teach us the seriousness and power of the ocean, while showing us the fun and excitement that can be found in diving. We met several of the Master Diver’s staff, many live on the island for long periods of time, teaching, underwater guiding and furthering their own knowledge and experience. All the while logging diving hours, so that one day they can become like Zoe.

We became friends with our bungalow neighbors, Sylvia and Tony, a married couple from England. Sylvia was the only other student in our class and suffered from excessive fear on almost every dive, but in the end dove like a champ and got her certification.

On our last day we took our Final Exam, Jeff got 90% and Mike got 100%!!!! This was the first time Zoe had ever had a student ace the test! (golf clap) Maybe if Mike's high school teachers were pretty, young blondes from England, Mike would be at Oxford right now studying marine biology. hmm???

We bought our bus and boat tickets on our second-to-last day on the island and felt semi-confident that getting back to Bangkok would be smoother then getting to Ko Tao. We were looking forward to reuniting with our travel mates - Josh and Rochelle.