I take a giant stride off the platform step and feel a rush as I plunge into the clear waters of Bonaire. There’s a brief moment of panic because I think I won’t be able to breathe underwater. But then I remember I have a regulator that enables me to breathe, an instructor and buddy at my side, and a week’s worth of PADI Seal Team preparation that got me here.

We reach the sand at 12 feet and my instructor watches as I make myself neutrally buoyant. I look up and see corals scattered across the ocean floor with colorful fish playing games of tag. The coolest (and weirdest!) highlight is hearing the sound of fish nibbling on the coral reef — it’s not quiet down here! Too soon it’s time to leave. I pause one final minute to take in all the fish homes and listen to the movement of the waves, and enjoy the feeling of breathing underwater.

Long, Strange Trip

I had been bitten by the scuba diving bug a year earlier, when I was 7, on another Kids Sea Camp trip in Grand Cayman. I was too young to dive, so instead I did a PADI SASY (supplied air snorkeling for youth) “dive” with my sister, in which we floated on the surface looking at all the divers and stingrays at Stingray City. It bugged me that I wasn’t allowed to dive down, but it also gave me the motivation to learn to dive.

From then on, everything was scuba. My dad works at PADI, and every year I would go to his office for Bring Your Kids to Work Day. I’d always loved that day because of all the fun activities and games; but especially, I loved the scuba diving. There’s something for everyone on that day: SASY for kids younger than 8; Bubblemaker for 9- and 10-year-olds; and Discover Scuba Diving in the deep end for kids 10 and older. My ninth and 10th birthday parties were Bubblemaker parties — sharing scuba with friends was amazing. For my 10th birthday, my parents got me an Aqua Lung regulator set and Cressi BC for my PADI Open Water Diver course.

Unfortunately, getting my certification wouldn’t be that easy.

I jumped into the PADI Open Water Diver Manual and it was exhausting. There were many concepts to learn and so much to read. I’d already scuba dived before, so why did I need to read all this! My determination slowly faded. On top of my water-polo practice, guitar lessons, and schoolwork, I felt overwhelmed. Eventually my dad said we should put the course on hold and finish when I was ready; I was grateful he was so understanding and didn’t push me.

Try, Try Again

We started up again when I was 11, and this time my dad sat with me and we read the manual together. I passed all the quizzes and tests, and the confined-water skills were easy. I enjoyed clearing my mask and hovering; I did not like the controlled emergency swimming ascent skill, or CESA.

Finally, it was time for my open-water dives. My dad took me to Catalina; when we got there my body was shaking with nerves and excitement. I pulled myself together and set up my gear, and soon after I was staring down at the crystal-clear water of Casino Point.

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My dad and I giant-strided into the water with regulators in our mouths, kicked out to a buoy and descended. After the skills, we continued the dive for fun and I was amazed at all the different fish swimming around. We saw a giant sea bass so big just its shadow was enough to frighten me. On the second dive, we swam into the middle of a kelp forest — I looked up and the sun filtering through the kelp made it look like it was on fire.

With my schedule, I had to wait three months before I could finish the last two dives in Laguna Beach. The third dive was just as good as the first two, and the fourth was the best of all because, after it was finished, I was officially a certified PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver!

What’s Next

I’d like to dive in Bali or Fiji because it’s tough getting into a 7 mm wetsuit, and warm water would be a nice change! More importantly, though, I want to become a Project AWARE Dive Against Debris diver because I want to help the ocean. Inspired by my love of diving, and a video I saw of a straw stuck in a turtle’s nose, I started a campaign in sixth grade called Skip the Plastic Straw (skiptheplasticstraw.com) and even convinced 128 schools to stop using single-use plastic straws. I’m just one kid, but it’s a start.

And I’m doing it because I want kids in the future to see the ocean clean and magical, just like I did on my first dive in Bonaire.