My first taste of scuba diving was far from pleasurable.

I failed to find my sea legs and when I should have been getting to know the wildlife of the ocean, I was instead on deck being reacquainted with what I had for breakfast.

So it was with some trepidation that I accepted the kind offer from Bermuda Sub Aqua Club to dip my toes — and everything else — in the water once again.

Assured that I would “love it” and would be “in good hands” with Blue Water Divers excellent instructors, I took a deep breath and jumped in.

Well, not immediately.

First I was kitted out with the gear, including a mask, snorkel, fins, upper body wetsuit and far more technical-sounding pieces of equipment that would ensure my safety under the sea.

Fuelled by an anti-motion sickness pill, I took my place aboard the Modern Sinbad, which set sail from Blue Waters’ base at Robinson’s Marina at Somerset Bridge.

On this occasion, the BSAC was celebrating the first women’s dive day in Bermuda, which was designed to generate interest among ladies in what has traditionally been a male-dominated sport.

It meant aside from crew, our group was made up only of females.

As we left the dock, Sophie Ternent, the club’s social manager, described scuba diving as being “like meditating under water”.

I remained unconvinced.

Chiara Cociani, a BWD instructor, provided a quick tutorial about how pressure affects the body at different pressures, as well as a demonstration of hand signals to use on the seabed — thumbs up is not “all is well”, instead that means a return to the surface.

Before I knew it, and with any nausea kept at bay, we had reached our dive site, which was the 1864 wreck of the Mary Celeste.

Aided by Ms Cociani, I began the steady descent, “popping” my ears to relieve pressure — equalising — as I went.

In those first few minutes, I found myself concentrating on the otherwise-instinctive task of breathing.

I found it an odd sensation to have to rely on my mouth for inhaling but before long I had found a rhythm in long, slow breaths and was able to relax.

I was enthralled by the sight of the steamer’s coral-covered paddlewheel, standing upright like a miniature Ferris wheel 55ft below sea level.

And I couldn’t help but be delighted by the beautiful, vibrantly coloured creatures I saw, including parrotfish, cow pollies, creole wrasse and queen angelfish.

So accustomed are we to looking down upon fish in the water, I found it awesome to be gazing up at them as they swam in the expanse of ocean above me.

It was also interesting to experience the temperature rise and fall as I moved into different pockets of water.

Back on the boat, another member of the welcoming BSAC group told me she enjoyed diving as it offered the opportunity to be away from the distractions of modern technology.

Gliding among the incredible sites offered by nature, with no mobile phone and taking deep breaths?

Maybe it is like meditating after all.

To contact BSAC e-mail: membership@bsac.bm