Scuba Diving

Over the last two years SCUBA diving has taken me to places I never thought I would see; I have had experiences that I never could imagine and my passion for it has led me to travel the world, and it will continue to do so.  I began my journey into the sport whilst on the Aran Islands with a dive center called “Dive Academy”, I took my first breath underwater with them and I haven't looked back since. I continued with my training in Dublin to get my Open Water certification and later travelled back to the Aran Islands to get my Advanced Open Water certification with the same dive centre I took my first breath with.  

Since then, I have had the pleasure of visiting Egypt, more specifically Dahab and its famous ‘Blue Hole’ where I dived a site called “El Bells”. I have also travelled across Ireland to Cork and for a third time to the Aran Islands for the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean.  Whilst in Dahab I completed six dives where I got to experience the sprawling life of the Red Sea up close: with its vibrant corals and abundance of fish it was nothing like I had seen before. My favourite dive throughout the trip was “The Canyon”.  It begins on a shallow reef shelf which is covered in corals and fish life and slowly descends towards a break in the floor which drops to a maximum depth of 25m.  The walls of this canyon are covered in life and at the back of it is a small space where I witnessed a school of fish swim in unison as the light broke through the cracks in the ceiling and glimmered off their scales.  

Another dive site that I remember fondly is “El Bells”, which is the main dive site at the Dahab Blue Hole.  It begins at the elevator shaft which drops to a maximum depth of 26m.  You exit through an arch into the open ocean where on the right is the wall which from the surface down is covered with all sorts of coral and fish. Almost the entirety of the dive is along this reef wall where you can experience the unrivalled beauty of underwater life, the dive ends with an ascent to 7 metres, and you pass over the saddle of the Blue Hole. As you enter the Blue Hole, you have a full view of the circumference of it and all the life that lies along its inner wall.  The dive ends with a traverse along this wall and an exit onto the shelf.  

Diving is an experience I think everyone should try at least once; you are away from the chaos of everyday life while weightless and surrounded by underwater life.  The only noise you can hear being your own breathing. To say the least it is a very peaceful experience. It might seem daunting at first, but the diving community is the most welcoming group of people I have ever had the pleasure to be around.  They are all there to enjoy the peace of diving and help others to experience the beauty of the sport.  
Anthony Leonard