More about our Ocean Freedom Dive

So, I already posted about going snorkeling and scuba diving, but I wanted to reiterate that we were so glad we picked the Ocean Freedom for our excursion. The staff was hilarious, super friendly, and really reassuring for us newbie scuba divers (it was my first time, and only Shweetie's second time). Lunch was also absolutely delicious. They had a full-on spread of shrimp, pasta, breads, and fresh salads, and they also served us a decent continental breakfast in the morning.

Most importantly, they were also really sweet to the many people who became incredibly (and I do mean incredibly) seasick on the crazily choppy 45-minute boat ride back to Cairns. Shockingly, I was happy as a clam the entire time, thanks to taking Kwells (the Australian equivalent of Dramamine) before the trip and after lunch. (No repeat of our trip to Molokini here!) Shweetie was mildly seasick during and after lunch, but took another Kwells, and it luckily kicked in before we headed back to shore. Otherwise, that ride back would have probably been a disaster.

Here's the fun-loving staff after we returned to shore:

Because we aren't certified divers, we had to go down with a guide. Our guide was Hayley, and she was awesome. When I was freezing after snorkeling, she ran and got her beanie, insisted I wear it and assured me it was clean, then crammed it onto my head, declaring that we lose a majority of our body heat through our head. Here we are with her wearing said beanie and demonstrating the way we navigated underwater, with her holding each of us by the arm or hand: