My First Dive Experience In Port Douglas Australia

by Annie
(Gold Coast Australia)

Back in 1990 I overcame my enormous fear to have my first dive experience in Port Douglas Australia. Port Douglas is a resort town north of Cairns with great access to some of the most magnificent parts of the Great Barrier Reef.

For my dive it was the most idyllic location and the conditions were perfect.

My younger sister and I had "attempted" several other experiences during our round Australia trip but we decided diving on the Great Barrier Reef was NOT going to conquer us.

I have a huge fear of water and my sister is claustrophobic - so between us not a great likelihood of success.

We planned a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef from the Queensland resort town of Port Douglas. There was an option for an introductory reef dive.

We were staying at the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas and were able to do our introductory pool dives there in the lagoon pools. Tough location!

The pool dive was a great way to get used to the equipment and the feeling of breathing under water.

On the day of our reef trip and dive, we were getting pretty nervous, but both figured we had cracked the pool dive so the reef dive would be easy....

When we got to the pontoon on the reef we were still feeling confident. As we got our equipment ready and were sitting on the deck ready to do an orientation both of us had our adrenalin kick in! Panic! The water sloshes around - in the pool it was all calm of course.

I had to have one of those talk to myself moments. 'Annie, you are here right now. Are you going to do this or are you going to chicken out? 1,2,3 here I go!!!!

Thank goodness for that self check, because the next 30 or so minutes were some of the best of my life. Not only had I conquered my fear, but I got to experience the magical sea creatures of the reef up close.

As I write this, I can still see in my mind the colourful clams, the fish and the most amazing sight of looking up to the surface and seeing the sun shimmering and the bottom of the boats.

It was a truly exceptional location for my first and as it turns out my only dive experience.

My husband, Andrew in the photo above, did a similar introductory dive in Tahiti as he had heard me talk about my dive so much. He loved it and we went back to Port Douglas for a week so he could get his PADI certificate.

Annie from Gold Coast Australia