As soon as I turned 10 years old, something exciting changed for me. I was finally old enough to start working toward the PADI Junior Open Water Diver certification — the real one, the first level of being an actual diver.

I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I really wanted it. So I opened my iPad and started the PADI Junior Open Water e-learning. It was so much harder than I expected. There were lots and lots of readings, videos, and so many questions to answer. Sometimes the words were confusing, and sometimes I had to watch the same video again because I didn’t understand it the first time.

I sat on my bed, or at the table, or sometimes even in the car, tapping on my iPad and working through each chapter. It felt like school but underwater school — with science and safety and dive rules. My mum kept checking on me, and I kept telling myself, “I can do this.”

When it was time for the final exam, my heart was pounding. I tried my best, but I didn’t pass on the first attempt. I felt disappointed and frustrated. The questions felt tricky, and I thought maybe I wasn’t ready.

But then I remembered everything I had gone through — Bali, Koh Tao, the Bubblemaker, the Seal Team, the pool trainings, the mask removals, the regulator recoveries. I had worked so hard already. So I didn’t give up.

I reviewed everything again, slowly and carefully. I re-read the parts I didn’t understand before. I took notes. I even talked through some questions with my mum.

Then I tried the exam again.

And this time —
I PASSED.

Seeing the “Passed” screen on my iPad made me feel like I had just climbed a huge mountain. I might not be a full diver yet, but I had finished one of the hardest parts. It proved to me that I could push through something difficult and come out successful.

This was the first real step toward becoming a Junior Open Water Diver, and I earned it.

With my instructor Bingbo training me step by step, I finally felt ready for the real ocean. I attempted my first open water dives, and even though I was nervous, I followed everything he taught me. Dive by dive, I became more confident underwater. At the end of my training, I successfully completed all my open-water skills and officially became a certified PADI Junior Open Water Diver. It was one of the proudest moments of my life.