Clocking Up 100 Dives by Monika Krajewska

Pictured above: Monika Krajewska celebrates her 100th dive, while Steve Bridges marks passing his Sports Diver qualification.

I first started my dive experience in warm waters but as it soon became a hobby that wasn’t enough only for holidays I joined the local dive club, Harlow Sub Aqua Club.

First of all I did my cross-over training and soon became a BSAC Sports Diver. Being part of the club gave me so much more than just being a member – regular training sessions, many weekend dives which help me broaden my own diving experience, the expertise of divers who have thousands of dives under their belts (who are always more than willing to help out with any questions), support of the group and of course, a wonderful social bunch.

It happened that on our club dive trip to the Farne Islands I logged my 100^th dive! The experience was absolutely tremendous – we were surrounded by seals throughout the dive and even on the surface while waiting for the boat to pick us up. And these are the moments that have to be experienced to understand what one feels!

To me every single dive is an unforgettable experience – whether for the skills, the beauty of the underwater world or simply for spending time with people sharing the same hobby.

I started diving two years ago with learning how to use a BCD, and now, here I am, feeling as free as a fish underneath the surface of the water. But it doesn’t mean that my knowledge stops here – there is still loads to learn which I hope will come with the next hundreds and hundreds of dives!