My first night at sea

I suffer a little from seasickness; it’s a pain when you love diving, and a potential problem living at sea for a week. In an effort to control it I’d stocked up on tablets and ginger; it really does help with nausea, well for me anyway. My first nights sleep was not restful, I’m one of those people that spreads out in bed, and I can’t sleep being cuddled. Whilst the sea was quite calm and the bed comfortable and ample it was not my super-king size, therefore had no room to escape Alain – he’s a snugly sleeper you see! Fortunately we had two beds in our cabin, I’d sleep in the other one from then on! Very early the next morning, it was still dark and most of the guests still asleep, the engines started and we were heading to our first dive site. I of course was wide awake, willing myself to overcome the gentle rolling of the sea and to not be sick!

The breakfast bell rang and 11 bleary eyed guests made their way to the table for introductions and food. Not the first impression I normally like to give! The later arrivals turned out to be Wilts’ buddy Dick, another guy from the US; Blaine and John and Kate who like Alain and I were expats, though they lived in Hong Kong. We couldn’t have wished for a better group; in my opinion anyway. For Alain and me it was real luck as 4 of the guests were diving instructors themselves, and the others all very experienced. We ate a hearty breakfast, well everyone else did, I was still feeling a bit queasy and happily chatted getting to know each other. David introduced our dive guide Serena and gave us the rules of the boat and safety spiel.

Alain and Blaine not yet in the land of the living....