Sport Diver Editors Recall Their First Dive Trip

Mexico

By Mary Frances Emmons

Riviera Maya. I peered at my itinerary, trying to conjure the destination from the unfamiliar phrase. The only Riviera I knew anything about was 5,000 miles and half a world away.

Little did I know my first dive trip after certification would be the start of a love affair with Mexico — both coasts, above and below — that continues to this day, almost a decade later.

The trip was full of firsts: my first back roll off a panga — easy as falling off a log! — my first night dive (Dive no. 9), my first cenote (Chac Mool, Nos. 10 and 11, unreal), and an unforgettable dawn snorkel on Akumal’s fringing reef that remains one of my loveliest moments underwater.

We started with a few boat dives from a dive shop right on the shore at Akumal. Even after years’ worth of dives executed all over the globe, the massive size and number of green sea turtles we encountered still astounds me — and sounds suspiciously like a fish tale when I describe the scene to nondivers.

I was nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs when it came time for the night dive. The briefing — technically in English — was presented by a German expat who had lived for many years in Mexico; I barely understood a word. But in I plunged. I could never have imagined how colors would pop in our lights, compared to the dominant blue-green of our daytime dives — I felt like Dorothy when the Wizard of Oz flips to Technicolor. I laughed the next day when I realized that what seemed like a marathon had taken place along just a tiny portion of the reef, teaching me that diving is less about covering ground and more about ways of seeing.

What else did I learn from these experiences? First, that I wanted to be underwater as often as possible. Second, that, although in my mid-40s, I wasn’t too old to learn a new trick, and to thoroughly enjoy my growing mastery of the skill sets those experiences demanded.

Water Temperature: High 70s to mid-80s offshore; cenotes are springs with a constant temperature in the mid-70s.
Average Visibility: Up to 100 feet offshore; limited in cenotes only by haloclines
When to Go: Year-round; inland cenotes are a good bet when ocean conditions are unfavorable
Signature Moment: Chac Mool is full of drama, from its stalactite-filled dome to curtains of light and jungle vegetation descending into its more-open cavern, a profoundly beautiful moment that borders on a religious experience.

Belize

By Andy Zunz

Shortly after giant-striding in at Half Moon Caye Wall, my dive buddy pointed behind me, eyes wide with excitement and reg full of the muffled word “shark!” My first dive trip post-certification paid off big time with another first: sighting a shark in its natural habitat.

Seeing the graceful 7-foot Caribbean reef shark make its way around the reef while the busy reef denizens paid due respect was a special moment, but the thought that crossed my mind was even more noteworthy: This shark wants nothing to do with me.

And neither did the next dozen or so reef and nurse sharks we spotted at sites in Belize’s Lighthouse Reef, one of its three major atolls in the Caribbean Sea and home to the famous Great Blue Hole. It’s hard to cancel out years of preconceived notions about these supposed man-eaters, but a few interactions did just that, establishing the appreciation I have for sharks today.

After getting certified in one of Florida’s freshwater springs, the lively coral reefs of Belize opened my eyes to a new world. I was delighted with green moray eels peeking out of crevices at Black Coral Wall, disappearing into the wall for a moment, only to pop out at another lookout point 10 feet down. Flashy stoplight parrotfish buzzed around the reef while lobster cautiously patrolled from their concealed homes. A spotted eagle ray apparated from the deep blue, instilling the belief in me that truly anything can pop in from that magical world.

Belize provided me with a true list of firsts and marks checked on my scuba wish list. But, most of all, those dives fueled my curiosity about the underwater world, a place where sharks are disinterested passers-by, colors are redefined and anything can happen.

Water Temperature: Low 80s F year-round
Average Visibility: 50 to 80 feet, depending on weather and location
When to Go: Year-round; visit March through June during the full moon for the chance to see whale sharks in southern Belize. Signature Moment: It’s nearly guaranteed to be your least lively dive, but there’s something special about descending into one of the world’s most famous sites, the Great Blue Hole. Beginners will have the chance to take a lap around the World Heritage Site where Jacques Cousteau explored, while advanced divers can see stalactites and sharks past 100 feet.

Maui

By Becca Hurley

At 65 feet below the waves, I looked up to see all the way to the surface through the crystal-clear Pacific waters. Sun rays shined down through the water column, and I felt comfortably warm in a shorty wetsuit. It was my first big dive trip outside of Florida, where I earned my open-water certification, and the first trip to Hawaii for me and my dad, also known as my original dive buddy.

Fifteen-year-old me should have pinched myself, but instead, I flooded my mask from grinning ear-to-ear at the ideal conditions and abundant marine creatures. An endemic frogfish, two whitetip reef sharks and a green sea turtle glided past as we followed our dive guide at Molokini Crater in Maui. I’ve seen my fair share of sea turtles since then, but I can still picture that first perfect green turtle. Maybe that’s why I still get excited to see them underwater, even after more than 12 years of diving.

That first trip to Maui cemented my love for the underwater world, something I always knew was there, having grown up an avid snorkeler exploring the Florida Keys. Since then, I’ve dived on six of the major Hawaiian Islands and in 10 different countries. As I reflect back on that dive trip, I realize it was a catalyst not only for my diving career but also for my everlasting desire to travel and experience new places.

Water Temperature: Averages between 75 degrees F and 82 degrees F, with the warmest ocean temperature in August and September
Average Visibility: 100-plus feet
When to Go: Year-round. There is always something to see below the surface in Maui. It’s hard not to spot a sea turtle or endemic critter. Humpback whales migrate to Maui’s warm waters during the winter months, and if you are really lucky, you might even see one below the surface.
Signature Moment: Diving with my dad and seeing a beautiful green sea turtle.

Grand Cayman

By Robby Myers

You never forget your first, and for me, Grand Cayman was a lot of firsts.

This trip was a big one for me, and not just because of the diving. It was my first major trip that wasn’t part of a family vacation and was my first time traveling out of the country. On top of all of my scuba-related anxieties — such as remembering my skills and how to correctly assemble my dive gear — I also had to learn the ins and outs of international travel and constantly force myself out of my comfort zone.

During my first ocean dive, I was mesmerized by the colorful coral and sun-dappled sand patches. Everywhere I turned, I encountered some new underwater life form.

I couldn’t believe my luck when, 10 minutes into the dive, I encountered my first (and second) shark as two blacktips cruised across the reef. By the time the dive was over, I was hooked.

The next day I dived Stingray City. The up-close encounter yielded my first stingray, but also my second, third and 20th. The uninvited green moray that brushed up against my leg as it snuck into our circle of divers was another first, and cemented the species as a personal favorite of mine.

This dive was also the first time I used a camera underwater, which felt like a graduation of sorts — I had moved beyond the basics and was now trying out new underwater skills.

Another first was my wreck dive on the Kittiwake. At the time, I didn’t know that it is one of the most popular, well-known wreck dives in the world, but after diving it, I definitely wouldn’t have been surprised to hear it. I was awed by the huge, intact ship — not just because of the impressive underwater tableau, but by the sense of history that accompanied it. The fact that the ship is so easily accessible to new divers like myself was just icing on the cake.

By the end of the week, setting up my gear and swimming through the ocean felt second nature.

I had come through my first trip and learned that any reservations I had about diving were only in my head. I had arrived with a newly minted certification card and a couple of doubts, and left with confidence and a passion for diving that will follow me for the rest of my life.

Water Temperature: High 70s in the winter and low to mid-80s in the summer
Average Visibility: 100-foot viz is typical
When to Go: Year-round, with schooling silversides in the summer and coral spawning in the fall
Signature Moment: Diving the ex-USS Kittiwake