Embracing the Darkside...

Last night I faced a challenge and overcame... You see I don't often tell people this, but I have a small discomfort or for lack of a better word fear of the dark....lol.  Now it's nothing where I need lights on in the house or a night light or can't walk somewhere on my own, it is more that I have a VERY vivid imagination, as a child this is a great thing, even as an author this is a useful tool, but as an adult who has spent many a night walking alone, often through dark places, this is not often helpful.  While most people see a dumpster, I imagine all of the horrible things that could potentially jump out or be inside.  People see trees, I see locations to hide my body...lol.  So the thought of the ocean, an already interesting enough environment, in the dark... gets the imagination flowing.  I mean we all grew up with the woman out for the cool evening swim, whose body parts they found washed up a few days later to kick off the first of the Jaws trilogy of movies.  Anyone who has seen a National Geographic has seen the horrors caused by Jelly Fish (who are attracted to light by the way...)  We have Octupus, Squid, Seals, Sea Lions and Killer Whales... HELLO... Lions and Killers....I can't wait!  Now, just so that you can't see them coming, lets go in the water at night! 

So now you can see what my imagination was doing to me the few nights leading up to actually getting into the water.  By the time last night arrived, I was pretty sure I was gonna get eaten, but i was bound and determined to enjoy the dive for as long as it lasted....lol.  After arriving and gearing up, it was a quick briefing, equipment check, and a short walk to the edge of the water (down a really steep hill... in the dark...).  Once in the water, fins on, and a short surface swim along the rocks of Whytecliff Park, it was the moment of truth.. time to descend.  For tonight's dive, Denis (our fearless leader and instructor) accompanied by a soon to be Dive Master, lead the way towards the bottom and along the rocks for our first dive, a short tour and familiarization of the deep dark.  Prawn everywhere with their glow-in-the-dark eyes, and hermit crabs darting in and out of shells.  Fish of all shapes and sizes sleeping in the drift and massive schools of other tiny fish out for their evening swim.  I soon found myself more comfortable under the water than I feel above it... funny how that happens sometimes. After a quick 26 minutes I had consumed my air so it was ascent time and a slow surface swim back to shore discussing my need to get bigger tanks...lol.  Looks like I'll be needing to look at buying tanks sooner than I had planned if I want to extend my dives...lol.  Well, that's it for now, time to grab a quick nap before I head off to do it all over again tonight.  This time two dives, the final of which I get to spend the last three minutes of, lights off, sitting still.. in the dark!