Part 3 - Going back to my roots // Fifth Point Diving

Of course, it wouldn’t be a diving scholarship without taking a few breaths underwater! With being ill, breaking ribs, life adjustments and crossing the Pacific Ocean (see the last blog!); it had been 100 days since my last dive in the Netherlands! A crazy length of time for me, however this year has passed by so fast - that it really didn’t feel like it at all. When I first started diving, having a long surface interval would make me super scared about getting back in the water - I would be overthinking everything, would need longer time to sort out my gear, and my situational awareness would be highly reduced. However - this time was different! I never felt nervous at all, and my mental capacity was the same as always. 

In fact - I came out of the dives feeling like the last piece of my diving puzzle had fallen into place. When I applied for the NextGen scholarship - I wrote that my main personal diving goal was simply to change my mindset: to become a more competent and confident diver in any configuration, gear and situation. Due to my rigorous training program this year, the standardisation of pre-dive checks, and my new muscle memory for the GUE-appropriate dives: I have achieved this for sure! I could fall right back into diving with the knowledge of what to do, how to adjust accordingly for this specific day, and taking the steps beforehand to refresh skills. This was certainly not the case before this year - and is the evidence that indeed my mindset had shifted from conscious incompetence to unconscious competence (or my perception of it!). We were indeed happy :).

So - where exactly did I dive? For a few weekends I headed out with my very old dive club before this scholarship - in my first time exploring my local UK coastline in years! The Fifth Point is a PADI dive centre in the north-east of the UK, but actually takes most of its standards and dive gear configurations from RAID, GUE, FitToDive and the Human Diver. They focus on quality teaching, buoyancy, and also host clean ups on every dive. For myself - this was the best reunion and a chance to dive with my pals again right on my doorstep. Or for that matter - my parents’ doorstep, having been overseas / living nomadically for a number of years. Of course, we were meant to be diving around the Northumberland coast in places such as Eyemouth, Beadnell and St Marys lighthouse - but many a storm kept us glancing wistfully at the water from the sands of our local beaches. Instead, we went to a local site called Ellerton Lake - and were afforded amazing weather given the flood warning currently in place all over the UK.

With 3-4m vis and lots of small fish, navigating the maze of the lake via ropes, peeking into the sunken artefacts amongst the plants; and seeing the sunlight dappling down was marvellous. I have MISSED being underwater as it is truly my meditation time. The only thing I missed was having the stability of doubles on my back, and the fact that I could put my head between the manifolds to have better neck extension (I am way too small for any tank!). This was actually the first time I dove in a single tank and drysuit in my scholarship year; having completed my Doubles Primer before Drysuit (see here for courses!). So, it was definitely unusual, but easier when getting into it from sitting down (much to the amusement of the other divers as they watched). I also took the chance to get back in the Fifth Point’s training centre / pool in Blyth and practise a few skills. Thank you! :)