** Not every girl dreams about being a ballerina, some girls just want to be a mermaid. **

When I was 6 years old, my parents told me that I could not breathe under water, I’m glad I did not accept their explanation, and did not stop dreaming.

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I always wanted the see the colorful fish, hear the sounds under water, the plants, the corals, all the marine life.
On the other hand, I was always afraid of what I would find under water: predators, wild sea life, dark waters.

Four years ago, as family’s (husband, daughter, and myself) decision, we got registered in open water scuba diving course, a family adventure during the summer.

The course consisted of 4 weeks, including lecture and practice. Before getting in the ocean, you need to read a book, complete some hours of theory training, pass on 20 questions exam, and you need to be able to float for 10 minutes in a pool.

We began practicing in the pool. There, we learned how to communicate under water with a lot of signs, clean our mask, remove our gear, emergency and safety techniques.

To become an open water certified diver, you also need to complete 2 dives in the ocean, and demonstrate the safety procedures learned over the course.

During my first dive, I suffered the BENs, decompression sickness type 1. I thought I was going to die. My family was very worried. I did everything correctly, however I was on a crazy diet, taking 18 different supplement pills, that interfered with my metabolism.

When I came out of the water, my whole body started to contract, my hand and feet were curling, to the point that my nails were cutting the palm of my hands, and I could not control it.

I asked for help, but people thought that I was overreacting and seasick. I passed out and woke up in the hospital. When I got home, I was so tired that I slept for 26 hours, the doctors said that my body was fighting really hard and used all my energy to recover.

*I did not want to give up on my dream: to become a mermaid, as a diver, this would be the closer I would get. *

I am not a quitter, and 2 weeks after recovering, I went back there, to the same dive spot where I had my accident, and the “girl that did not want to a ballerina” successfully completed the second dive.

This is the picture of me going back in the water after recovering:

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Today, I am almost a mermaid, I can go up to 60 feet down in the water. I dove in Florida, Brazil, and Bahamas. My favorite place is Bimini, Bahamas.

Bahamas has the most clear water:

Every weekend, depending on the ocean’s conditions, I go for a dive. I visited wrecks, experimented beach dives, and caught a lot of lobsters.

To buy good equipments, I spent around $1500 dollars, I bought regulator, wet suit, fins, snorkel kit, gloves and shoes. For maintenance, I spend about $100 per year, I need to take all equipment for visual inspection and maintaince. I have my own purple tank!

The whole family participates, my husband loves spear fishing, I prefer not to kill them. My daughter dives since she was 10, today she is 14 years old, she got certified with us!

**It is so beautiful down there, so quite and colorful. Full of life. It is like meditation and direct connection with nature. **

I encountered sharks several times, but I respect them and they let me keep my life. Turtles and stingrays are my favorites. I met some that were larger than me.

Lobsters, ah lobsters... they are my favorite! Every year we go to the Florida Keys, during the Mini season, and catch some of them!

As long as you follow the safety rules and your limits, scuba diving is an amazing experience, and that’s why it is my hobby and I love it!

In July, we will be going to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, to explore the waters. I can’t wait.

Feel free to ask questions. I have a lot of videos and pictures to share.