surfing vs. scuba diving

On this trip, we both had the opportunity to scuba dive in Cozumel, Mexico, and courtesy of Santa, we also had the opportunity to surf in Burleigh Heads, Australia. We enjoyed both so much, and we can barely pick our favorite activity! In this post, Harper wrote about surfing, and Sadie wrote about scuba diving, evaluating our experiences using these criteria: instructors, weather and water conditions, and the lesson itself. 

Instructors

In Cozumel, we had the absolute best instructor you could ever have for scuba diving. His name was Israel and he was kind, encouraging, and compassionate. He would also say “You’re doing great!" and “That’s it! Keep going!” He would also always call us chicas, as a little nickname. I don’t think any instructor could compare to him in my mind. 

Tony, on the other hand, was not the warmest. He would teach us exactly how he wanted us to do it, and if we did something wrong, he would yell at us. He was super strict! Within minutes of meeting him, Tony told us his entire life story, which included being a NASCAR driver and running from the Australian officials in Bondi. It was also ridiculous how much Tony resembled our grandfather! Babbo, I think we have found your long-lost Australian surfer dude brother. 

📸: Aquabumps

Weather and Water Conditions

When we went scuba diving in Mexico, it was a tropical paradise! The skies were bright blue, with no clouds in sight. The water was over 80℉ and crystal clear. Although it was warm, there were very big waves and a strong current. At points, it was hard to get in and out of the water because of those strong waves and currents, but underwater we would just drift along with the current, which made it easier and delightful. 

When we went surfing on the Gold Coast, the water was really rough. The waves were strong, and towering above us. When we were just at our knees, we were being knocked over. Sand was everywhere and it was really windy and cold. Storm clouds were gathering above our heads and it looked like it was going to rain. These weren’t the best conditions for our first time, but we made it work.

The Actual Lesson 

To get scuba certified, we had to complete two different types of lessons: online and with a teacher in Cozumel. Our online lessons were very academic. We downloaded an app that had videos, articles, and quizzes about scuba diving safety and the ocean. We had to do these online lessons for months before we even got to Cozumel! When we got to Cozumel, we first took a test about everything we learned online and then we actually got in the water. We learned how to assemble our gear properly and we learned different drills in and out of the water. At the end of two full days, we finally got our certification and in the end, all of the hard work definitely paid off! 

During our surfing lessons, most of our instructions were in the sand. First, we learned about safety in the water and what to do if we got caught in a rip current. We also learned about the parts of a surfboard, how to paddle, stand, turn and carry the board in the water.

When we finally got to the water, we started by body surfing. We had to learn about how the board would carry us in, and what to do. Then, we rode the waves in on our boards a couple times without standing. When we finally got to the standing part, I loved it. It was so much fun and I really want to do it again.

Both scuba diving and surfing are amazing experiences, and if we have the opportunity to do either or both again, we will definitely say yes. But, in the end, we like having positive reinforcement and maybe if our instructor for surfing had been a little bit more compassionate, we would have a totally different experience. But all in all, we are definitely more experienced divers and we had a much better time, so… So far, scuba is winning!