I’ve had a complicated relationship with water most of my life. My parents tried to give us opportunities to learn to swim as best they could, but in my family, half were swimmers and half were not. For the most part, I didn’t see this as having a major impact on my life. We spent little time in or near water, so it didn’t really matter.
When I met Jason, we were young and broke, and vacations abroad weren’t possible. But over time, winter began to feel unbearable to me, and we were able to afford a few trips to hot destinations. And Jason loves the ocean. He wanted nothing more than to spend all day diving down to discover what beautiful creatures he could find. Watching him move in the water with such ease was amazing. He introduced me to this magical underwater world, and the first time I saw a fish, my idea of the ocean changed. But the first time I saw a turtle, I was in love. I was still scared to death of the water, but the turtles made me want to figure it out.
Years of swim lessons and multiple trips to the ocean later, I was only marginally less afraid. I still wanted to wear something to keep me afloat, and the deep water really frightened me. But slowly, I started to push myself and felt a little less apprehensive.
But last year, I was committed to getting past it, so I could dive down like Jason and look into the eyes of a turtle, not just from above. I knew the only way to get there was to commit more time and energy. And have a water guru.
I had met Paty in Cozumel a few years back on a snorkel trip, and on a particularly rough day out, she kept me calm in the water. From that moment on, I knew she understood me, and she would be the perfect mentor. I asked her if she’d be willing to do some private lessons, to get me comfortable in deep water, and to teach me the basics of diving from the surface. I knew this wouldn’t be a quick fix, so I booked three weeks in Mexico and many, many hours with Paty. Day after day, hour after hour, I was in the ocean, slowly improving. My breakthrough happened when I was trying to dive below the surface and just kept bobbing back up. I had a weight belt, yet still I couldn’t get down. I finally realized just how buoyant I was in the water. Once my brain truly understood this, it all became much less frightening.
It took hundreds of attempts before I finally figured out the physics of getting down, but my body now understands the mechanics of it. Still, I struggled, so I decided to spend even more time in Mexico, this time getting additional lessons with a certified freediving instructor.
Aurelio is a freediving master. I had originally booked a class, but he had to cancel at the last minute. He had organized a freediving competition on the island and promised to take some of the competitors out for a fun shipwreck dive. He invited me along. I mean, I’ve never met the man, and these people were way above my pay grade. But I really wanted to go. He asked me if I was a strong swimmer. Now that was a complicated question. So, I answered with a vague, “Well, I am comfortable in a strong current with my snorkel and fins”, and he said, “Great, see you tomorrow!”
I had no idea what I was in for, but I was excited and panicked all at the same time. These people were pros, and I can barely function in the water. The next morning, I met Aurelio and the others. They had all the gear, and I showed up with some nice fins, but everything else I had with me screamed I had no idea what I was doing. We set off swimming along the shore north against the current, then turned out toward the shipwreck and let it take us there. The current on the north end of the island is notoriously strong, and it was no joke. When we arrived at the first shipwreck, Aurelio went down and secured the buoy to the wreck. Everyone took turns diving, while someone was always watching to ensure they were OK. The current was so intense that it was hard work just holding on to the buoy. It was amazing to watch these divers and to just be in the water with them. I took a few attempts down the line, but I didn’t want to hold them up or ruin their fun day out. After several dives (by the others), finally, we turned back and had to swim like crazy against the current to get back. It ended up being an incredible workout and an honour to be invited out with this group.
A few days later, I met Aurelio at the pool, and we began with breath-hold work, safety drills, and finally some attempts at swimming the length of the pool on one breath. It was more intense than I imagined and super informative. He, like Paty, kept telling me that it’s my head holding me back, not my ability. My goal is not to become a competitive freediver, simply to increase my confidence and skills in the water.
And now that I am back, I am missing my daily outings in the ocean, the gorgeous sunshine, the colours, and the people of Mexico, and I wish I could magically find an excuse to go back this very minute. When I think about this personal transformation, I feel so grateful for having a completely different world opened up to me. It’s a reminder that it’s never too late to learn something. Curiosity is what keeps our minds sharp and our bodies moving. The ocean has become a place where I feel joy and peace. I now love the movement of the water, the feeling of floating. But I’m far from done learning. I feel like this is just the beginning, and I can’t wait for what’s next.
