Letting Go: Reminiscing About My First Ocean Dives in Roatan, Honduras

The author, pictured at top left gripping her favorite dive buddy's hand, experienced her first ocean dives in July 2021 at CoCo View Resort in Roatan, Honduras. Thankfully, she soon learned to let go. | Photo by Jennifer Opiela-Miksch/Aggieland Scuba

Today is July 31, and before the sun fully sets on the seventh month of 2026, I’ve got to talk about something life changing that happened to me five years ago. In May 2021, I earned my Open Water Scuba Certification through SSI. After in-person training and online coursework, including private pool sessions at the Memphis Dive Shop + Diventures, my checkout dives took place at Blue Water Park in Pelham, Alabama. The surface water temps at this flooded limestone quarry south of Birmingham ranged from 68 to 72 degrees, and below the thermocline the temps were in the mid-50s.

Diving at CoCo View Resort

As thrilled as I was to now be a recreational diver, I longed for warmer water. My wish came true two months later, when my favorite dive buddy booked us a trip to CoCo View Resort in Roatan, Honduras. I'll post more about this diver's resort at another time, but here’s part of what I wrote back then about my first ocean dives. For context, my husband was a certified scuba diver long before I met him. I pursued diving so we could experience the underwater world together when we became empty nesters.

“We arrived home just after midnight, with part of our luggage still in Dallas and all of our hearts still in Roatan. Diving in salt water is exactly what Stephen had promised. He knew how magical I would find the experience, and I love him all the more for sharing this part of his pre-Ginny life with me.

It took a few days, but Ginny S. finally became relaxed enough to test her strength and abilities while scuba diving in Roatan, Honduras. | Photo by Stephen S.

I completed 19 dives while at CoCo View Resort, bringing my total to 26, and I attempted over the past week to faithfully record the details of each one. However, my dive log represents more than an accounting of equipment and conditions sprinkled with notations of the fascinating marine life I observed, among them lionfish and parrotfish, cubera snapper and spotted drum, seahorses and sea cucumbers. It is also a narrative of my progression as a diver.

Beginning with my orientation dive in CoCo View’s famous Front Yard on Sunday, July 18, I held fast to Stephen’s hand, afraid of what might happen if I let go. He is such a patient dive buddy. On Tuesday, July 20, at Tulio’s Reef, I loosened my grip for the first time, just for a few minutes, to test my strength and abilities. I’m glad to have also let go of my nerves, because on Wednesday, July 21 the two crevices at PG & Me were only passable one at a time. So was the crevice the next day (Thursday, July 22) at Mary’s Place and the crevice on our last dive (Friday, July 23) at Calvin’s Crack.

My first real moment of independence was at Valley of the Kings on Thursday, July 22. Who was this more relaxed and confident diver, and where did she come from? I was filled with pride for being on my own (Stephen was still within an arm's reach) nearly all of this dive. When I said as much to our divemaster, Kirk’s emphatic affirmative was all the encouragement I needed to be fully untethered on my final dive.

I do miss holding Stephen’s hand underwater though, and I will miss CoCo View and my new dive family and friends from Aggieland Scuba and the Red Boat crew. The sting of leaving this diver’s paradise is soothed by the assurance that we will return for more adventures under the sea.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: The author did go back to CoCo View in July 2022, this time with her Advanced Open Water certification from PADI. More about those adventures later...