Summer adventure: my first scuba dive

Before we jumped off the boat into the turquoise waters, Mariela reminded me: “Don’t forget the three main rules: breathe, communicate and have fun”. This phrase, which has since become a sort of mantra in my daily life, sums up what it meant to participate in one of Maré Expedições’ scuba diving trips: much more than exploring the underwater world, an experience like this can be full of life lessons.

I had been dreaming of scuba diving for the first time for years, but I was quite scared. I thought I would feel claustrophobic, maybe have an anxiety attack, or even mess it up and do something dangerous by mistake. I had already tried to do a discovery dive in two different destinations since I started traveling, but always had to cancel for some external reason, so I started to think that maybe it really wasn’t for me.

That was until I met Mariela Vasconcelos from Maré Expedições (“Tide Expeditions” in Portuguese). Actually, I already knew her, but only virtually. I had been speaking to her on Instagram for a few years, as we followed each other’s trips around the world.

A PhD in biology, PADI diving instructor and trip leader for National Geographic Student Travel, Mariela went on a dream trip around the world at the age of 28 and is now location independent like me.

On a diving trip to beautiful Abrolhos, in Bahia (Brazil), she met her business partner Juliana Starling, a DiveMaster and underwater photographer who has taken diving courses in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Together, they decided to start the company and offer scuba diving trips in paradisiacal locations in Brazil and abroad.

The courage to dive into your fears

I met Mariela in person by chance in Rio de Janeiro. While we sunbathed in Ipanema, she heard me talk about my fear of scuba diving and invited me to join the diving “expedition” she was going to do a couple of days later in Arraial do Cabo, a beach town a few hours away from Rio. She gave me the confidence I needed to say yes – and I’m so glad I did!

We spent a wonderful weekend in Arraial, and Mariela was kind enough to give me a sort of condensed version of a basic scuba diving course, instead of simply doing a traditional discovery dive.

At the hotel’s swimming pool, she explained the basic principles of scuba diving, gave me several safety instructions and we did some practical exercises. Afterwards, we went for a boat dive, along with the certified divers from Rio and other nearby cities who made up the expedition.

I couldn’t have wished for a better first dive. I was a little nervous and got somewhat confused and anxious at the beginning, so I asked to go up to the surface after a few minutes. But Mariela had explained everything so clearly and was so patient and empathetic that it wasn’t hard for me to calm down, take a deep breath and try again. And then everything just went smoothly.

Exploring the underwater world for the first time was amazing. I felt like crying when I saw sea turtles, huge schools of fish and other beautiful marine animals that I got to identify with the help of an illustrative chart on the boat later on. The dive itself was stunning, but the best part was the feeling of overcoming all those fears.

My favorite part of being location independent is being able to travel spontaneously like that, especially when it allows me to live unexpected adventures and get to know myself better. I went to meet this Instagram friend thinking I had another regular week ahead of me and ended up living an experience that I’ll never forget.

Balancing thrill with safety

I have some friends who did their discovery dive with professionals who were not attentive or patient enough. Instead of experiencing a magical moment like me, they wasted money or even had traumatic experiences and decided never to go scuba diving again. I’m glad I did it with such an experienced, thoughtful professional.

After all, Maré Expedições isn’t just about diving for fun. They claim that through this activity we can break down personal barriers, overcome fears, and get to know ourselves better – which was definitely true for me. They promote diving and adventure trips in groups of about 12 people, and I thoroughly recommend joining one if you get the chance.

It’s essential to care about your safety when choosing a company to scuba dive with, or to practice any other adventure sports/activities. Especially if you’re traveling outside your home country, if you love pushing your limits – whether it’s parasailing, skydiving, snowboarding, or whatever your heart desires –, don’t take unnecessary risks.

That’s why I also advise everyone who goes abroad to get a good travel insurance. After all, we always hope everything goes smoothly, but accidents can happen. And this is where SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance adventure sports add-on comes into play.

Now available worldwide, this optional add-on offers expanded coverage for over 30 thrilling activities, including scuba diving. Alongside their comprehensive coverage for all the essentials, this add-on is a must-have for any traveler looking to explore the world with confidence.

The list of adventure activities covered with the add-on includes American football, Aussie rules football, aviation, bobsleigh, boxing, cave diving, free-style skiing, hang gliding, high diving, ice hockey, karting, kite-surfing, martial arts, luge, motorbiking, motorized dirt bikes, mountaineering at elevations under 6000 meters altitude, parachuting, parasailing, paragliding, quad biking, rugby, ski/snowboard jumping, ski-flying, skiing/snowboard acrobatics, skydiving, skeleton, snow mobile, spelunking, scuba diving accompanied by an instructor certified by PADI/NAUI/SSI/BSAC, tandem skydiving, tobogganing, whitewater rafting, and wrestling.

If you’re a location independent worker like me, it’s good to know that they also offer another add-on for theft of electronics. If you get it, you can get reimbursed up to US$1000 per item if your laptop, phone, camera or other electronic device is stolen.

Are you planning a trip abroad, or are you already on the road? Go to SafetyWing’s website to get more peace of mind during your travels and focus on what truly matters – enjoying every moment of your adventures. If you want more information, read my article about the advantages of this flexible travel insurance.

Have you been scuba diving before? What summer adventures have you been up to? Tell me about it in the comments section!

Credits for the photos that illustrate the article: Luísa Ferreira/Janelas Abertas and Juliana Starling/Maré Expedições (provided for publication on the blog).

Disclaimer: This isn’t a sponsored post, but I’m part of SafetyWing’s Ambassador program, which gives content creators that believe in their products some incentives to talk about the company. This article is part of SafetyWing’s #WhatsYourRaw campaign, where we share our raw adventures. If you do sign up using the links on this article, I’ll get a small commission that helps me keep this blog up and running and you won’t pay anything extra. I’m not getting paid by Maré Expedições, and don’t earn anything if you sign up to one of their trips.