The sun was rising as Olivia stepped onto the pristine white sand of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. It was finally here! Today was the day she would experience the incredible world beneath the ocean’s surface.
Olivia had received her Open Water SCUBA Certification a few months before booking her flight to the Cayman Islands. The certification process included 14 hours of eLearning and an in-person review quiz to ensure understanding. She was also required to devote 7 hours to training in a pool to display her skills.
The last phase of the certification process was to take part in four open water certification dives. To make it convenient for herself, she scheduled these activities during the past summer over two half-days on a weekend in the Annapolis area, as it was close to where she lived and worked.
With her heart pounding, Olivia approached the dive shop, her excitement bubbling.
Inside, a tall, weathered man named Captain Jack greeted Olivia. His weather-beaten skin…