First day of diving, of course it's overcast and slightly windy. Which means the surface current is probably very high and visibility won't be great underneath. Not much I can do, let's get going. I got my bag ready headed for a hearty breakfast and then around the corner to the dive shop. Excited!! Hoping the vibes a little better today.

It was, although around 12 Spanish chiccas were there I guess either doing a course or just diving as they're padi open water. A dive master there, she was young but thought something of herself, quite rude if you didn't speak Spanish or were apart of their group (first impressions).

We headed to the boat, my kit was already loaded on there. Looking forward to getting started, no dive briefing like Fujairah, I hope they're doing this on the boat! Lots of locals they're obviously the dive guides and boat helpers and what not. Always super helpful. I'm not sure what I expected when I got here but forgot to expect that they would look Indian but beach side Indian or islanders should I say, most of them with curly long locks, blonde on the tips from sun exposure. Not sure the barber has much business here.

We were off, me and a Vietnamese lady on the one side the Spanish girls on the other. Turns out this lady did her internship in IT in Cardiff. Funny small world this place! She had a Chinese accent though, need to stop surmising this about all of them haha.

We kitted up pretty quickly, my dive buddy was a little young guy called Maafi (I think that's how you spell it) he did the brief to me and the Vietnamese girl in English because the others had it in Spanish (of course). We were needing to descent pretty fast because the current was fairly high. First dive in almost a month, I'm always a little skeptical about my ears so now I'm feeling a little anxious. I'm sure I'll be fine and free as a bird whilst I'm there. I was the only advanced diver on the boat which means I get to go to 40m and not 18m. Bonus you get to see more!

We were in, my mask came off on jump in, that's not a good sign as now I've potential fogging… urgh! Off we went almost instantly, no dive checks with my buddy so if he's in trouble I sought of have to guess how to sort him out. I'm sure we will be finnnne!

The water was crystal blue, and warm! I'd say around 27 degrees, delightful! Straight down we headed for around 20m and on the way down instantly we found black tip sharks everywhere, just wandering around, following us cautiously. Then a ray, and another ray, and before you know it eagle rays! Got some cracking footage - with my NEW CAMERA!

Clown triggerfish, they're so funky looking! Lots of fish just little colourful ones everywhere, again curious and wanting to be all up in your mask.

Angel fish, banner fish, clown fish, humbug fish, they're all so pretty, even Dori's bobbing around down there. Little black reef sharks we saw also. My mask was fine, it was an epic first dive! And now I'm buzzing!

2nd dive, we went across to a different location, this time turtles EVERYWHERE you looked. One ray flapping about too.

Loads of fishies and quite a few lion fish also. Moray eels, the ugly ones just black with a horrid green head. Dive time was a little shorter but we did go deeper, now I'm in the motion of it! Spinning around, floating about, at peace!

What a morning! Back to base at about 12pm, boat for afternoon dive wasn't until 2pm, I wasn't used to not carting all the equipment on and off the boat or not washing my own wetsuit, the guys did everything for me. All that was left for me to do was turn up at 2pm. So I headed back to the room, showered all the salt off, what was left anyways as I'd already washed some off on the boat hose. Changed swim suits so I was dry and clean and looked at my footage. I did call mam and dad instantly mum thinks there's something wrong. Nope just wanted to brag!

Back out for afternoon, the boat was even more full this time. Luckily for me I had my own guide! Ulwaan (again I think that's what it's pronounced like) different dive spot but viability wasn't as good. Seen a few turtles but nothing like the second dive, my bloody mask was fogging real bad too. Didn't enjoy it as much but still awesome and like being in an aquarium.

The day was done, I was shattered from diving and I hadnt even done much to support it with equipment loading and unloading. Those poor guys!

Off the boat, I took my wetsuit and showered again, this time with shampoo and conditioner. I was slightly peckish, but thought I would go out for a stroll and look for a restaurant to sit in and eat. Mr octopus was the bar, nicely done twinkle lights everywhere and peaceful because I was early. I stayed for a while read my book and chilled. I had chicken tandoori, forget they're so close to Indian countries they're good at this food.

Would you believe it though… sat on a table next to me. A Welsh couple! I didn't get into chatting but what are the odds!! Everywhere aren't we! Spreading our little wings over the seven bridge!

I went to the local corner shop and got a little muffin to have with my coffee before calling it an early night and tucking up for bed, I was ready for a cracking sleep again! Let's see if I top the 9 great hours I had last night!

Well I did, I got 10 hours of restorative sleep, lovely! Ready for day 2 of diving and the sky was blue! Marvellous! Let's just hope I'm on a different boat today.

I was on a different boat, a body with 5 other dives (all men.) Bulgarian father and his son, a guy from Egypt and two Arabic men. Time to suit up for the dive, of course women waiting for the men to faff about and get ready again as usual.

We were diving at the same location as yesterday, although a whiter boat means an easier dive off and less faffing.

Again we needed to go down pretty fast but the men still took time to jump off, when we were ready we headed down fast, the Egyptian guy was only open water so couldn't go as deep, he was also not the best diver flapping about. (Not that I think I'm amazing) I still have a lot to learn too.

We got down, off we went. A little bit of a drift, lovely descent and a lovely one at that. Even more sharks today, and a big black ray sat on the bottom next to his friends the black rays. I got asked to come a little higher to conserve oxygen. That was the end of those. Then we found eagle rays, hanging about there again. Today not just 3 but 8/10 of them. I got to swim alongside of them and boy was it cool!! They look so angry in the water but move majestically.

I also found a spotted moray eel wiggling about out of his hole! No one else found that as they were again looking into the blue instead.

More clown trigger fish, loads of little colourful fish and I'm pretty sure I saw a nasty stone fish too. I'm yet to see any sea urchins which I'm surprised at. And then we found a humongous green napoleon fish with a big fat brain at the front of his head poking out. He was cool but I didn't manage a photo of him unfortunately.

Time to head up, we had broken off as a pack and just the 5 of us instead of 8 were in our group now. I got complimented by the Arabic guy on my diving. How I was a natural under the water by floating about and just gliding through the water. He was surprised when I told him that was only my 20 something dive. Maafi then let loose that he had only been diving for 5 months. This short of time and he's a dab hand at the dive sites and he's gotten this far as a diver guide already? I'm a little skeptical of that.

Got into the boat the Bulgarian man came over and shook my hand, he said your a beautiful diver, your so graceful and calm gliding down there. It was lovey to see you swimming with the rays. Okay so now I'm blushing, am I really that nice of a diver? I think I'm struggling sometimes or look like a right lump plodding through the water. Must be wrong? The guides agreed with him too.

First dive completed, our surface time was about 35 minutes so we chilled and I sat on the roof with a towel over my head to avoid sun on my face, watermelon as refreshment and chill. I had a bit of a pressure headache from my mask but let's hope it goes. Not before my peace was shattered by the Egyptian man coming to chat. He had been diving since 2015 maybe only twice per year which technically makes him unlicensed as you're supposed to refresh after 6 months if you haven't dived. This explains why he's a flapper.

Second dive is almost ready to go, a different dive site today, villiguru faru I think it was called, another quick descend but this place was a shallow reef in the middle of the deep blue sea. Interesting! I got lots of photo opportunities on this dive using the photo setting and not video setting, we also found my first ever OCTOPUS!! He was cool, but hiding slightly, couldn't get to close as I didn't want a stolen camera on my hands. They can be naughty tinkers.

Turtle grazing in the coral also, the young Bulgarian boy of course wanted to get up close and stroke it. d*** head.

Lion fish and moray eels poking their heads out of coral holes too. Colour beautiful fish everywhere and the coral was lovely!

A great dive, rather shallow compared to most, a little frustrating that the Egyptian guy wanted his photo but couldn't control his buoyancy so wrecked a piece of coral! We all got slightly annoyed there to say the least

I was enjoying floating about, the clear sea and visibility meant that we could see the boat without using the inflatable octopus, we stayed under for a while to wait for the guys above us to get out of the water and into the boat as the swell and surface current was very strong, much easier to float underneath than above.

Another awesome two dives! In full swing and loving it, I hope my third one of the day is great too! The last one in Maldives, number 6 of 6.

The lunch time break was welcomed, I had a pounding headache and needed to close my eyes. I took some panadol and headed for bed after a shower. It was at the front of my head which meant it was mask and pressure headache for sure.

Barely keeping my eyes open I set an alarm for a nap and to try and make myself feel slightly better for the last dive. It worked but now I found myself at the 2pm boat with even more Spanish yapping away, I calmly sat on the side at the end of the bench of the boat. Ready to kit up we were going to dive site number three from yesterday because the boat was busy. So I was a little disappointed. I was diving with ulwaan again, hoping my mask will be better and I can try get some cool pics.

The dive was good, my headache went as I went under the water, but I had a bubble sound popping in my tank as I breathed in I muffled around with my tank a little and it did eventually go, never like noises like that when your diving. Mask better and saw some creatures big small ugly and pretty. Lots of lion fish and some cool dive photos!

52 minutes was my five time purely because the wait on surface to get to the boat was silly so me and my buddy had some fun with blowing out spare regulator into some of the divers that had got back into the water, scaring the s*** out of them thinking it was animals, the bubbles made them dash haha. Again this visibility was unbelievable.

All dives complete and feeling kind of sad! I wish I could stay another day and do more!

Maybe another time though…

We headed back, again I didn't need to do anything just take my wet kit and mask, I would go and see them again later at the dive shop to get stamped and my readings from the computer because my dive computer kept messing up.

I couldn't wait for a shower, my headache had gone slightly but I did pile about 1500ml of water into me and had a cold shower which helped. Got dressed and headed to mr.octopus again for dinner as I couldn't be bothered with searching.

I sat enjoyed the peaceful and empty restaurant, people watching from behind the bushes at the photos being taken on the beach haha. They all went that swing pose in front of the sea haha if only you knew the reality behind getting it.

I was due at the dive shop for 6:30pm I met my buddies, they stamped me out and asked me to come back again, I think I was a nice break from the headache that is the Spanish. My god they talk fast and loud when they are all together, it's deafening and they're also quite rude to anything and anyone outside of them which I haven't experienced before so that was a little shock. That Ana girl runs a bit of a holiday camp thing out of there and she's Spanish so it's aimed at Spaniards.

Sad but happy I headed to the hotel, I sat out the front for a little while and played catch up on my phone. Then headed to bed,l for the last night.

Only, whilst in bed the next door neighbours building site seemed to want to drill and saw with electric powered tools into the walls from 8pm, I asked reception when it would finish, they had no idea and neither could they do anything about it apparently. This went on and got worse and louder until around 11:30pm. So much for an early night. The first night I've heard it. I started going mad at the receptionist she was useless and apparently couldn't do anything to help me. The manager then also proceeded to say the same on what's app and said that everyone hears it and I'm not the only one complaining. To which I proceeded to tell him that he either calls the authorities or he goes and cuts their electric because he is in for a long miserable very little business for the next few months if that's the case of not having any power of it because people talk and reviews matter.

Absolutely unbelievable! I drifted off with a pillow over my head, I didn't have the best night sleep to say the least. Typical given that I'm travelling back tomorrow evening and sleeping on the plane is crap.