Central America - Spring 2021

Our Scuba Diving Journey!

By Katherine Tilson

If your child has not been checking in often, here is your confirmation that they are alive and well! The first week of activities has been fun and rewarding for everyone.

We were split into group A and group B for scuba diving and have had a great time getting to know each other in these small groups.

Each day, one group had an early wake up for diving while the other slept in and could explore Cozumel. On day one of diving, group A rode their bikes to the dive school and spent 8 hours in a full wetsuit and diving equipment being trained in a cold pool! Luckily for us, the pool had a beautiful view of the ocean and spirits were high as we all left our comfort zone and learned diving skills. Group B had a relaxing morning and rested up at the beach to prepare for their time in the pool the next day. The groups swapped places and everyone was now able to discuss scuba together over dinner.

On Monday, it was time to try out the skills we had learned in the open ocean! Group A was picked up by a boat and taken out to a beautiful dive spot. The instructors were endlessly patient in helping us put on our gear and feel confident doing all the skills in the water before we were able to swim around the coral and look at all the beautiful fish. My two dive buddies and I saw a huge starfish and an Eagle ray! Group B spent the day at a new beach they found which had a floating dock to play on and lots of sun to soak in (with sunscreen, of course.) The groups were reunited with their long lost friends back at the house to catch up on our days and explore new restaurants for dinner. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and we fully agree!

Group B had a very successful first dive the next day and saw a giant turtle and even a shark. When group A went out again for their second day of diving, group B had a fun day together at another new beach they discovered in a different part of Cozumel! Group A completed two dives and by the end were fully PADI certified open water divers! On our dives, we saw a green sea turtle and a huge grouper fish (the largest fish I have ever seen in my life.) We were able to go down to a depth of 60ft and swim through the larger than life coral formations. Everyone smiled big with their pronounced mask lines for the certification card pictures back on the boat. Group B finished their certification the next day through pouring rain and we all celebrated with a big pasta dinner at the house and a walk to an ice cream shop! It was a great way to wrap up our time in Cozumel before we move on to Tulum on Saturday. We have had an amazing time learning about this place and each other but are excited to begin our next stop on this great adventure!