That thought was preceded by two other thoughts. 1. The Professor is going to have to come out here to save me. 2. Lifeguards are going to have to come out here to rescue me. However since the lifeguards were very far away and would take several minutes to reach me, the thought above crossed my mind.
The Story
Since we have been coming to the Manning-Holland house in the summer, I have loved swimming in the pool with fins. I can swim a length in no time at all. It is really fun. With the fins came a very good mask and a snorkel tube. I really don't have any reason to use either in the pool, but have tried them out. No sweat. Easy as can be to breath with your face underwater.
All summer we have been watching for fish in the ocean. Sometimes we see Corbina or the Shovelnosed Guitarfish. One time I went out into the ocean next to a group of people with masks and snorkels. They were actually standing in the water rather than swimming. When I was almost next to them, I was surprised to see a long gray smoothhound shark swim only a few feet away from me.
I played with the thought of putting on the fins and snorkeling and getting a look at the leopard sharks that are supposed to be in abundance at that end of the beach.
Our time in San Diego is running out. University will be starting soon. We will be going back to "Real" life in a week. It was now or never to try out the snorkeling gear and see if I could find some fish in the ocean.
There were so many people in wet suits snorkeling this morning. Or on the beach either planning to go into the water or coming out. It just all looked so easy. I walked out until the water was above my knees then leaned on the Professor and put on my fins. The only way to progress with your fins on underwater is to back up. I backed up slowly because I felt so awkward. The fins felt so cumbersome. Each time a wave hit my back, I had to fight to keep my balance and stay on my feet. I finally was out far enough into the water that I thought I was beyond the waves that were cresting and curling. Just a few feet from me, I could see a person in a wet suit swimming along being bounced gently up and down by the incoming waves.
Time to put on the mask. I could see everything beneath me so clearly. No fish but I had hopes that I would see more as I swam out further. Then the first wave hit me. I was knocked off my feet. By the time that I had been hit several times by the powerful waves, I could not get my footing. In fact one of my fins came off. I remember thinking, "I'll never see that again." When I finally stood up on the sand, there was the tip of the fin floating just out of reach.
By that time there was no air in my lungs and I felt beaten and confused and shattered. I carefully shuffled my way back into the shore and was so grateful to reach the Professor.. I still wasn't breathing normally. In fact it took me quite a while to start feeling like my usual self.
I was so grateful to have the Professor by my side. But it is a sure thing that I will not be taking the snorkeling equipment with me to the beach again any time soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment