How do you know if you’re truly living your life to the fullest? For some, it may be taking the plunge into underwater adventures with sharks and sea turtles. A scuba diving trip to a far off country like Egypt, Fiji, or Maldives might just be what it takes to face your fears, meet new people, and live boldly each day by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

Scuba Diving in the Open Ocean with Sea Creatures

Sharks, stingrays, octopus, and dolphins are just a few of the creatures you might encounter while scuba diving. If you’ve ever wanted to face your fears, now’s your chance! The first time I saw a shark off our dive boat was life-changing—I’m not even kidding. Being in complete awe of nature’s beauty alongside fellow open water divers made me feel like I could take on anything in life.

And if seeing a shark doesn’t do it for you, there are plenty of other reasons why it’s worth taking that next step out of your comfort zone by enrolling in a scuba course and dive into deeper waters:

• You’ll discover what living more boldly means for you personally.
• You’ll learn how to break through perceived limitations such as fear.
• You’ll meet new people who will challenge your thinking and push you to live more fully.

Living Fearlessly

Scuba diving can be one of the most exhilarating and liberating things you’ll ever do, and it offers a unique opportunity for you to face your fears head-on. Swimming through a shipwreck or undersea cave, surrounded by schools of colorful fish, it’s easy to understand why diving has become so popular. However, what many people don’t realize is that scuba diving also gives divers an opportunity to meet their fears in an incredibly safe way. If you have a phobia (or multiple) but want to get past them, make plans for an upcoming vacation trip: Naui / PADI / SDI certification courses are offered all over the world and there are plenty of dive resorts available everywhere from Gulf of Mexico to Indo Pacific. Whatever your fear may be — Closed spaces? Wildlife? Self-reliance? The dark? — scuba diving lets you face them while relying on a tank full of oxygen.

Why Do It?

Scuba diving offers a natural opportunity to confront fears and phobias. If you’re not comfortable in water, for example, learning how to swim and dive better can help you overcome those fears. Scuba diving also gives you a chance to observe sea life and other creatures that live under water. Some divers are able to see sharks or scuba dive at night, which allows them an adventure they wouldn’t have experienced otherwise. There are countless reasons why people choose scuba diving – maybe it’s new experiences like these you’re looking for as well?

Hank is a NYC based scuba diver.