11-03-2009, 07:06 PM
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New Traveler
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 4
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Snorkling & Surviving
I had my first snorkling experience back in 1994 at the Small Sunda islands of Indonesia and I loved it!!! Simply LOVED it...!
So when a travel-friend of mine suggested to go snorkling at the Maldives after I moved house to the other side of the country February 1997, I didn't hesitate for a second. A few days before we were leaving I fell of a little stage in the TV studio I was working in and hurt my shoulder terribly, but despite the fact I could hardly move my right arm, we set off.
The Maldives are a paradise to snorkle. Don't go their with "just" a friend, like I did, it's meant for people who are really close together, if you get my drift...
We did a lot of snorkling and all the while I stayed within the reef; I am not that good a swimmer and besides, I had this arm, and there was a lot to see within the reef. But all the people in the big lodge were so full of praise and enthusiastic about snorkling outside the reef, that I decided to go out there as well, just for once... Tomorrow we would leave anyway.
Here's where the surviving part starts: that very day there was a very strong undercurrent about which nobody had said anything. It was not too crowded just at the other side of the reef, some 3 feet away where I used to snorkle, and I had a great time. It was true, the snorkling there was better, much better... and I hardly had to peddle my feet... once I realized those last 4 words: "hardly peddle my feet", I knew instantly something was very wrong... I took my face out of the water: the beach was nowhere in sight!!! OMG... what to do now?!?
I told myself not to panic, to just swim back where I suspected the entrance and exit of the reef was and to STAY CALM... what a luck the water had a nice temperature, I told myself (not knowing then that you can get cooled down in nice water as well).
But however hard I tried to swim, with just the one arm, I never advanced an inch. I seemed to be glued above one and the same coral flower, a big yellow one, I remember, I did not move at all... My shoulder hurt like hell, the undertow dragged me back and I had to start all over again...
To cut a long story short: (for it took ages) it took me more than 2.5 hours to get back to the entrance/exit of the reef and into the safe inner sea. I could determine that when I got back to the cottage. My shoulder was sort of ripped apart. I finally broke through the pain to swim better, for this was about life or death. Nobody had missed me at all (darn #%*^% tourists) least of all my travel-friend who was just surprised to see me: what have you been doing? you look awful?!
Needless to say:
1. I never travelled with her again
2. I never snorkle anywhere no more if I cannot stand up right away
3. My shoulder took half a year to restore a bit, a year before I could properly use it again
But... I still LOVE snorkling! - just became more apprehensive...
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