Sodwana Bay diving

(the beach the previous evening)
We decided to use our PADI scuba qualification by diving in the idyllic-sounding Sodwana Bay on the eastern coast of South Africa. This is Simon's account of the experience:
(the danger already apparent on the beach)
So in summary what happened was this...

We saw that the most southernly coral reef in africa was at this place in NE S Africa so we thought we'd give it a go and so be better prepared for when we get to Borneo next month.

We got into the hotel on Monday evening but the dive shop was closed. No probs, show up at 7.30 and they will explain everything.

7.30 we rock up and get issued with full kit, no time to try anything on but wet suit as need to get to beach for 8pm which is a 10 min drive away.

We get to beach and firstly there are huge waves and a very scary looking sea.

Not really sure what is going on but we are told to get in wetsuits so we do. Our name goes on a chalk board and we are on boat 2 with 7 other people plus the divemaster.

We have a helper who is getting our BCD and stuff all sorted.

Next thing we get in a huddle and divemaster introduces everyone and tells us the plan. Clearly we are thinking we need something pretty gentle. No no. He draws a picture in the sand of some reef tells us it is pretty wavy so expect some major drift, but should be less of a problem at 20m, shows us where we can expect to see some sharks in a cave, etc, etc.

Erin and I at this point look at each other in shock. We were expecting to walk out in to some flat pond warm water and drift about at 2-3m, maybe 5m max.

Anyway, before we can come to our senses and get the hell out of there, the divemaster (who by the way had a pretty strong African accent so we only getting every third word) wanted to give us the brief on the boat launch.

Boat launch?!? What the heck? Anyway there is this speedboat with rigid bottom and inflatable tube on the sides and a tractor pushes it down to the water and we all have to grab a bit as it hits the water and push it before the skipper yells at us to jump on.

I was at this point thinking this is far too much excitement for me. I forgot to mention we had all just donned lifejackets as it was so rough and dangerous just getting the boat in to the water.

Before we know it our lives are in the balance again as the boat revs up and the skipper takes his moment to run af full speed (scarily fast) along the braking waves, just behind the boat the thing is crashing down in an almighty Hawaiian surf-movie-like, ridiculous wave.

We make it out and then we are jetting out to sea to I-don't-care-where amongst giant waves, we are all grimly holding on to a rope between our legs and one on the side of the boat, with both feet firmly in footstraps.

10 mins later we are told to kit up which I thought was so absurd I did't really register it. It was hard enough to do in the basement with Erin and I with our instructor's help. Here we were going up and down 20 foot at a time, pitching all over the place. No way was this going to happen. One of the other divers who was an instructor saw we were hopeless and managed to squeeze our kit on to us. Weight belts on, then flippers (which mean we no longer had our feet in footstraps!), mask and snorkel.

Then, next up, we hold on to a different rope and the divemaster orders us to sit on the inflatable outsides and on the count of 3 all backflip into the water. Now, I didn't remember doing this on our PADI course but I had seen it on TV. So I had a chance, albeit a slim one, of pulling it off. Unfortunately, to complicate things, I put my mask on for the first time and realised it was too loose, so I am frantically trying to tighten it whilst pitching all over the sea, holding on to the boat by a peice of string with a huge heavy air tank on my back, simultaneously trying to see if I had all my gadgets in order, where the regulator should be, and of course making sure Erin was fine.

Too late, the "1-2-3-go!" was called out and I am in the raging sea. I have lost my wife by this point, not that it mattered as the signal to go down was given, and as I didn't want to be left on my own, so air out and down we went.

I look around and all the expert fellow divers had disappeared from view to the bottom, I quickly passed my new record depth just trying to stay with the group.

I do remember occasionally seeing incredible fish of all colours and shapes but mostly I was foccused on staying alive as we were wildly flung from side to side. I tried to keep track of my buddy wife but just trying to keep approximately level was causing me trouble.

In next to no time I was down to 50 bar of air and told the divemaster, he gave me a few signals that I don't remember from the textbook but I guess was something like follow the line up and do a safety stop at 5m for 3 mins.

Anyway, we survived and got assurances that Borneo would be much better!