A Sea of Difficulties

Location:
Spain

scubadiving, spain, beach

By Nadia Stadnycki

Winding up mountains in a van brimming with eight twelfth grade German students, I started to wish I had become a postcard photographer instead of an assistant English teacher. A point and click of the terrain in any direction in Cadaques, Spain would have deserved a stamp and a note home. The valley that sprawled below our gravel road was a thick tumbling of greens that ended in the crystal blue of the Mediterranean Sea. I stared it down from miles away, knowing I would be a part of it the next day in a way I had never been. We came to scuba dive.

The sixteen German seniors I was accompanying on their year-end class trip did not seem to share my skepticism for strapping on a tank and diving twenty meters into the unknown. They were a barrage of bobbing heads and flailing limbs in the water as I took a seeming eternity to wriggle into my suit.

The water was salty and so clear that the rocks and swaying plants were lit green and grey by strobing sunrays. Mouthpiece clamped between my teeth, we sunk lower and lower until we were a communed circle kneed on the sandy sea floor. The whirring of bubbles broke a liquid silence. The water was thick with sediment kicked up by the floundering of fins and cumbersome gear. My heart beat fast. My breath quickened. My partner was just out of reach. Five meters under turquoise water, I suffered my first panic attack.

I was guided to the surface by our instructor. My breaths in were quick and the outs forced.

“I have seen burly, big-mouthed men turn into bug-eyed ninnies under water,” he told me in German. “You will have a different experience tomorrow.”

I spent several hours the next morning meditating on the jutting cliffs. I was horrified of a second attack.

Back in the water, I worked one-on-one with a two-star diver. We snorkeled. We swam at one meter, then two. We practiced breathing through the tank. My chest was tight. It was humbling to feel so overwhelmed. I stuck my face back in the water. Nearby, a tiny yellow fish with black fins observed me through googily eyes. For a few seconds, my thoughts were in the moment. He flitted deeper and I followed, forgetting the panic and the weight of the water. My fears took a few minutes off – long enough for me to explore an endless expanse of coral, sea creatures and vegetation.

In the rest of the week, I learned how exist underwater, rescued divers, swam great distances with only one fin, and passed a lengthy exam in German, my second language. The “ceremonial” awarding of a scuba diving license included vowing to honor the water and being doused with a snorkel full of salt water. The sea is something to be let into, not to be conquered, and that was true for me, even if my journey in wasn’t smooth sailing.

Further Information

Other helpful information: If you are driving, beware of the winding roads and steep hills.

Must see/do at this place: This is the easternmost point of Spain. There is a lighthouse on the cliff and excellent hiking. It is famous - ask anyone in the town. Try local delicacies, especially seafood. Also, the ice cream is great for warm days.

You should avoid here: Avoid stray animals, as there are many, and if you go scuba diving or swimming, have on shoes or gloves as the terrain is sharp and rocky.