I entered the enchanting underwater world just off Jan Thiel Beach on the 6th of September in the afternoon. This is an experience that is most difficult to describe but at the same time, it was one of the best experiences of my life, my first time Diving in Curaçao. Before arriving at the Dive Center Scuba Do, I first entered Jan Thiel Curaçao, which is one of my favorite beaches on Curaçao. Walking in I can see the restaurants busy with guests, swimmers in the ocean, guests lounging on beach chairs, I feel the wind blowing through the palm trees, and the sun warm on my skin. The atmosphere at Jan Thiel is, to me, relaxed and calm. As I was early I went and had a small lunch at the restaurants right on the beach, which allowed me to enjoy the nice fresh breeze. By 12:30 I went to change into my swimsuit and took a very quick walk to Scuba Do for my lesson at 1 pm. It was less than a two-minute walk and it is just next to the Tino Restaurant.
Jan Thiel, Curaçao
The Dive Center is an open area right by the water and around the center, diving gear was hanging out to dry. Sitting at this wooden table I handed my signed medical waiver and signed the diving forms. The paperwork was for the PADI certificate, as this Introduction Dive is considered the first lesson in getting certified. With a cold cup of water, my lesson started on the intricate nature of going underwater. For the next hour I was taught by the PADI Instructor Chris about what happens to the body when going underwater, as well, deep underwater, how to deal or clear with the pressure on the ears, hand signals we would use to communicate underwater, we went over the gear I would be wearing, how the gear worked, and what the exercises later would cover. Be ready for a short quiz so your PADI instructor knows you are ready to dive. It was time to suit up and head to the water.
The most important point of this lesson was the importance of breathing. It’s a simple concept but underwater, breathing through your mouth with a regulator, it takes time to adjust. Therefore, the exercises before diving are so important as they give you a chance to get used to the regulator, learn some of the techniques needed to dive, how to cope with water coming into your goggles, and what to do when you drop your regulator.
Diving in Curaçao – Scuba Do
After these lessons, which you are doing in the water, it is time to enter the enchanting underwater world hidden off the coast of Curaçao. As I said before it is hard to describe what it is like to dive so bear with me as I try my best to do so. Being underwater was exhilarating, relaxing, fascinating, enchanting, and breathtaking. It was exhilarating since you are entering part of the world you don’t get the chance to see every day. There is nothing similar to being underwater as there is to land, and it is exciting to experience something new. Diving in Curaçao, for me, was relaxing for many reasons. Being underwater means you are weightless or floating in the water. With diving, you can just float or twirl underwater and take in this enchanting sight. There is also the silence, the only thing you can hear is your breathing or more specifically the air passing through the regulator. After a while, you barely notice the sound and you can enjoy the utter silence of being underwater. The underwater just off Jan Tiel was full of reefs covered in corrals that had all manner of life on them, which was fascinating to see. There was so much life in the reefs it was breathtaking and just unimaginable. I saw several, different, schools or these vibrant fish in every color possible. I mostly saw fish that were all shades of blue but then out of nowhere there would be this rainbow or shining fish. It was amazing, enchanting, and truly otherworldly. I was even lucky enough to see three different sea turtles on the reef. Two which seem to be resting on the ocean floor and in between corrals. The third was swimming around the reef and in between the school of fish. As I was taught before I knew better than to try to touch them.
