This is the fourth speech in the series of speeches that I’ve given as a Toastmaster. This speech is #4 in the Competent Communicator manual, How To Say It, and is titled, “A Whole New World”. The objectives of this speech are:
- Select the right words and sentence structure to communicate your ideas clearly, accurately and vividly.
- Use rhetorical devices to enhance and emphasize ideas.
- Eliminate jargon and unnecessary words.
- Use correct grammer.
Enjoy!
There is a world surrounding us teeming with alien creatures and marvelous, magnificent views that, sad to say, many will never visit. Madam Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters, and welcome guests. The world I am talking about surrounds us each and every day on this planet Earth and include all of the oceans, lakes, and rivers that can be explored through SCUBA diving. I am an Advanced Open Water certified SCUBA diver as well as a certified Rescue Diver and I can tell you that SCUBA diving opens up whole new adventures just like if you had left this planet and went to explore a strange, new world. But before you go diving off the pier into the calm, blue water we first need to figure out where we’re going!
After your rigorous studying and numerous dives in the pool and you’re finally handed that shiny certification card the first question that bubbles into your mind is where to go for that first dive? With so many interesting, unique, and exciting locations to dive it’s hard to pick that first dive spot. My first dive after becoming a certified SCUBA diver was to Florida’s renowned Crystal River, just one hour north of Tampa, FL, and boy was it beautiful! Actually, I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face since a huge hurricane had blown through just two days before kicking up all of the silt from the bottom of the river. But the beauty of Crystal River is Crystal Springs; the same springs used by Aquafina. The dive wasn’t very deep, just a short thirty feet down, but as I floated within 10 feet of the fresh water flowing out of the springs, as the silt slowly disappeared, the water became crystal clear — clear as glass and clearer than any water you have ever seen! With the water bubbling out of the springs at a constant 72 degrees almost a dozen Florida manatees were just sitting on the bottom sharing in this marvelous, warm and beautiful picture perfect dive.
Another fascinating location near Tampa that I have dived is called Devil’s Den, which sounds scarier than it really is. The name actually came from early settlers in the region who saw the steam, from the warm water, pouring out of the mouth of this stalagmite just like the den of the devil might look like. Being a stalagmite, where the rock formations rise from the bottom, the dive isn’t as risky as a cave dive and there is a whole city of towering rock formations to discover just under the surface. From just five feet below the water line to over fifty feet deep as you fly through cavernous formations the bubbles you breathe pale in comparison to what only time has been able to form.
My absolutely most favorite dive location however is in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The real draw to this unique location just ninety miles from Florida is the lack of divers to have dived there. Without the constant flow of tourists Guantanamo Bay has been able preserve the beauty of a Caribbean dive spot. From the pristine conditions of the coral, to the calming blue water of the Caribbean, to the various fish and coral that seek refuge in the bay a diver can’t ask for better. So whether it’s right here in Virginia, just down south in Florida, or way across the pond at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia there is an endless choice of locations you can pick for that first dive.
And now that we have our dive location picked its time to get prepared for our adventure into a whole new world. As we step off of the dock and step aboard the boat that will take us to our adventure you can hear already hear the water talking like it was alive. With the boat puttering along and the engines humming away you take a breath of that fresh air and feel the breeze flowing across the water onto your body. Getting closer to the dive spot you’ll start preparing the gear needed to sustain life while you’re under the water line including the all important heavy, thick, steel SCUBA tank. Lifting the scuba tank, vest, weights and other gear on you realize just how cumbersome and heavy all of this equipment to sustain your life is.
Just as you arrive at the dive spot you’re buddy checks your gear and you theirs and you both give each other the OK signal – it’s time to dive! Taking that plunge off the rear of the boat you see the water coming at you as you fall towards it and breath inwards hearing that rush of air flowing from the tank, through the lines, and into your mouthpiece. Instead of continuing to fall down into the deep abyss however you pop back up like a cork. After making sure you buddy has also made it safely into the blue water you each adjust your weights and vest so that you can start your descent. Getting the OK sign from your dive buddy you both slowly begin dropping further and further into the water. You realize that the heavy, cumbersome, and awkward equipment from the surface seems to have all but disappeared and become weightless below the water line. Dropping further and further into the deep abyss you see the water is taking on a deeper blue shade and you listen for that air flowing from the SCUBA tank and realize how quiet and serene it is in the water except for that crunching noise that sounds like Cap’N Crunch cereal. Seeing the sandy bottom you add a bit of air to your vest to stop your descent and hover over the coral realizing that crunching sound is the tiny, minuscule creatures, that you never even knew existed, feeding off the coral. Keeping extremely calm, smoothly flying through the water, and being patient you soon begin to see all sorts of life around you, maybe even a school of deep red strawberry grouper zooming by. Swimming through these alien creatures, just as if you were flying through them, and taking in the magnificent views, seemingly from another world, you glance at your gauge and realize it’s time to head back to the surface.
Adding some air from your tank and making sure your buddy is with you, you slowly start to ascend. Getting closer and closer you see the Sun flickering through the water inviting you back to our side of the world. As you break the surface you immediately starting thinking about how peaceful and calm it was just below the water and begin planning your next dive. So don’t miss out on these unique, exciting and amazing adventures. Get SCUBA certified this Spring, plan your vacation, and enjoy your dive.
