It’d been a while since I devoted all my energy into one thing, forgetting my worries and frustrations in the reality of life. Taking the PADI Open Water Course was a tough and exhausting experience, nevertheless, the joy and satisfaction it brought were immense and rewarding.

January isn’t the perfect season to dive in Liuqiu, a coral island in the Taiwan Strait. The average temperature fell between 18°C and 22°C, causing me to shiver every time I came out of the water. When deciding the destination, my friend and I gave some thoughts to the Philippines. We’re glad that we didn’t pick it as the eruption of Taal Volcano happened just the day before our departure.

Everything was booked before we arrived in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. The three-day Open Water Diver course by Meteor Diving Center cost 14000TWD (464USD) per person, including all the diving equipment, food and accommodation. From Kaohsiung city centre, we took a taxi to Donggang Wharf in the morning and hopped on a ferry heading to Liuqiu. I’m not prone to seasickness, but this 20-minute bumpy ride was no joke. It’d be wise to take some medicines for motion sickness beforehand.

Staggering onto the pier with our carry-ons, we’re greeted by the founder and instructor of Meteor Diving Centre. Dressed in the vibrant colors of blue and yellow, the center consists of a preparation area that keeps all the dive wear and equipment; a common area where students take their theory classes and relax; a swimming pool for training during summer; and a couple of rooms on the second floor as accommodation.

After filling up several documents and learning some diving fundamentals like hand signals and ear equalizing, we’re taken to Lobster Cave in search of sea turtles. With a 14kg scuba tank on my back and 6kg weight on the sides, walking down to the beach was torture. But once submerging into the ocean, I was consumed by the beauty and vitality of the underwater world. It’s astonishing to get close and personal with huge sea turtles that didn’t seem bothered by our existence. The rest of the day was pretty chill, completed with course video watching and theory lessons.

We suited up at 8 am in the next morning for hands-on experience. First of all, it’s important to know how to set up our diving equipment, like the buoyancy compensator (BCD), scuba tank and diving regulator. It may take a while to remember the assembling steps, but rest assured, you’d look like a professional after a few dives. Then, we went through the confined water training, ranging from the clearing of a flooded mask and deep-water entry, to weight removal and replacement. While practicing the snorkel to regulator exchange, you may choke on water accidentally. That’s normal, and it’s how we all learn. For me, the worst thing was to endure the cold water that made me tremble. The last thing I wanted was getting sick and forced to quit.

Checking off all the diving skills on the list, it’s time to delve into the open water. It’s much more fun out in the sea, but I still couldn’t enjoy when most of my energy was spent on buoyancy control. My friend and I kept moving up and down that our instructor had to pull us back on track all the time. There’re moments I almost burst out laughing at my stupidity, just to hold it back to prevent my regulator from dropping. We took the written exam on our phones after dinner. There’re 50 questions and most of them are multiple choices. The passing mark is only 75%. Even if you fail, you can have a second chance.

Practice makes perfect is an eternal truth. Our equipment set-up and buoyancy control got better each dive. We’d gained more confidence and the ocean looked more welcoming and amiable than before. The last day of the course culminated with a boat dive at Lobster Cave. The experience was even more wonderful than the first time we explored the site. This time we’re not an onlooker anymore; we’re a diver!