Some ten years ago on my second dive after being certified, and sadly my last dive as well. It was at Similan Islands before that tsunami wiped out all those gorgeous reefs. Gorgeous, gorgeous reefs. What a surreal and other worldly experience. It was breath taking. The water was so clear, from the ship, I could see fish going about their business at the bottom, and we were in the middle of the Andaman sea.
First time in open water was a bit scary. A couple of days before the Similan trip, our instructor took us wayyy down to a ship wreck in Gulf of Thailand where water was/is murky. Having that damn ship suddenly appeared less than ten meters below me like that was not cool. Then we made our way to this small door and I made sure to peer in to see how dark...blackness. Anyway, I waited for my turn and when everyone that was in front disappeared inside the mouth of man eating blackness, I made my way in but was stopped. So, I tried to enter again and I was stopped. It was then I realized someone must have been tugging on me. Perhaps danger? Perhaps to give me a flashlight? Hmmm. I turned back and saw nothing. You bet I realized I was the last one. Meaning I was alone out there..on my first dive. Weeee.. Yes, yes, then it dawned on me it was my tank hitting the top of the door that stopped me twice!
I looked around. Nope no one hurried back to me because he had to pee. Definitely alone. Yes, it occurred to me I should go around to meet them on the other side. I only know they'd all poured out the other side because my awesome instructor told me as much. "We'd go in one side then come out the other." But that meant I'd have to swim around the creepy looking behemoth with weird living things clinging all over it alone. Perhaps even be greeted by two dead crew when I rounded the front to the other side. Breww...so stupid, stupid me went in after them without flashlight or experience diving a ship. I made my way out the other side following couple beams of light that had already put a bit of a distance from me.
There were two dive masters with us, and neither thought to get behind me. Moral is pick your dive master very carefully. Asked around, check with people who dove with that person. Read diving magazines. There was one I subscribed to back when I was in the States. Can't remember the name but it has a column of lesson learned from subscribers where they talked about horrid experiences with dive masters, boat operators, danger and deaths. There was one story I never forget from that mag. Know the dangers. Like never go into a ship alone...:P Last but not least, Zeagle Ranger BCD makes you look totally badass. :D
All in all, it's probably one of the best things you did in this life.