Because it should always matter. And when it doesn’t then it’s time to do something else.

Hello

I would like to send a huge thank you to all of the staff of Seaflight on Monday 30th May who went to so much effort to make sure we all had a great time.

I boarded the boat with no intention of scuba diving in my life, let alone that day! But the crew knew that most of that fear comes from misunderstanding what is involved. I had never successfully used snorkel gear before and didn’t like being in the sea much. I was curious though when I saw the staff members demonstrating diving equipment about what it would feel like to wear diving gear and stick my head under the water so when I found out I could get my money back if I didn’t like it, I was ready to consider it as I figured I had nothing to lose. I have problems with anxiety so I thought I’d never find anybody willing to take me diving. But I explained this to Gareth who was understanding and said he’d take me diving himself at my own pace.

I was amazed at how quickly they got us into the water, but I didn’t feel the pressure of having to pretend not to be scared, which was great. The crew laughed and joked, which put me at ease. Gareth was happy to hold my hand the whole time which helped because I didn’t have to worry about getting lost. When I felt confident enough to swim on my own, he showed me interesting fish and stayed close by. When I left the water half an hour later, I felt completely different about the ocean. I love watching fish in aquariums so it was great to get to meet them up close and I got to be part of a world I never thought I would see. I don’t think I’m going to dive on a regular basis but just knowing that I can do it if I want to is amazing. I felt my confidence boosted massively.

Later in the day I had a go at snorkelling, which seemed simple after scuba diving. I did have some problems with using the mask but the crew were quick to help and one of them even got into the water to help me use it properly. I saw amazing fish. I snorkelled on the Camira trip today and now feel confident enough to snorkel more in future.

I boarded the boat knowing nobody and left it knowing pretty much everybody and with some new friends.

I’m a pretty sceptical person usually and I don’t tend to believe all the clicheed quotes in brochures but you can take this from me: it was a life-changing and life affirming experience that I will remember for the rest of my life and probably the best day of my 3 month trip.

Please pass on my thanks to Gareth and the rest of the team.

And we’re still Facebook friends :)