I can’t believe that it is February 8th already! Where has the time gone? Ok so where do I start? I love it here and am already trying to figure out how I can stay forever!! (joking Mom….. kind of) My course began two weeks ago today and is going very well. I’m in a group with 5 other DMTs (Dive Master Trainees) 2 guys from England (Mark & Lee), an Australian guy (Ando), a girl from France (Claire), and another guy who is from Spain (Alfredo). Everyone is really nice & a lot of fun to spend time with!
The first week we mostly had fun dives during the days and then in the evening around 5:30 each night we had Knowledge Reviews (mini-exams) for each chapter in the PADI Dive Master textbook. We also spent some time that week working on our in-water skills. When you first learn to Scuba Dive (Open Water Course) you need to complete 20 underwater skills to be certified. In the Dive Master program, you need to be able to demonstrate these skills at instructor level to prove that you are able to assisting on various courses. These demonstration skills are graded on a 5 point scale. PADI requires dive masters to score a 3 or higher on each skill to pass, however here at UDC (Utila Dive Centre) they require their Dive Masters to demonstrate the skills at a level 4 or higher. I’ve completed all but one skill and have received mostly 5s and a few 4s. I did have to repeat a skill or two due to stupid mistakes. LoL !! For example one of the skills that we need to demonstrate is A Deep Water entry, or what is also called a Giant Stride. The skill is fairly simple, after you are all geared up and have completed the various gear checks you stand on the end of the dock (or boat), do a full visual check, place your regulator in your mouth, inflate your BCD (jacket), place your left hand over your weight belt buckle, your right hand goes on your face to secure your gear with the base of your palm on your reg and your fingers over your mask, then you take a giant step forward into the water…. So I forgot to put air in my BCD….. which isn’t really a problem for me as I easily compensated and swam up to the surface… but the problem i that if a student were to do it that way, they would probably just start to sink…. Remember we are wearing 10 – 16 lbs of lead each :o) The second time I performed the skill it was no problem, and I got a 5, but we all got a good chuckle out of that one :o)
The only skill that I need to still demonstrate is the “out of air assent” This skill has two parts. (and remember we are demonstrating these at the instructor level and not student level) While underwater the skill begins with your co-DMT shutting the air off to your tank. (you really start to trust your co DTMs!!!) I will then continue to breath from my regulator while showing that my air gauge is rapidly dropping. Once the air in my hose is gone (about 3 – 4 breaths) I show that my gauge reads 0 air, and I give the signal to my co-DMT to turn the air back on. Once the air in my tank is back on (for obvious safety reasons) I continue. The second step in this skill is then to give my co-DMT (buddy) the “out of air” signal, and then the “lets share air/I’m taking your alternate” signal. My buddy then shields his personal regulator with their right hand and points to their alternate with their left hand, which I would then reach for and then breath from. The skill ends when we both link right arms and safely assent to the surface. Easy enough. We just haven't had the time to do it.
This past week the focus was less on our DM Text book and more on the subsequent workbook. We studied & had lectures on Equipment and Physiology. (well, we did the reading for the equipment, but the lecture was postponed due to our instructor having a small run-in with the local police – more on that later) This week we’re focusing on Physics and the ERDP (Electronic Recreational Dive Planner). I’m a bit concerned about the Physics portion of the program, as I have never studied physics, not even in High School…. Something about Boil’s law on gasses…. I’m sure I’ll figure it out?????
We also completed a boat workshop where we learnt how to tie off boats and how to be a boat hand. As well as a Coral Watch seminar and dive, as we will be assisting some scientists in Australia who are doing research on Global Coral Bleaching. I’ve already completed the required fitness tests (no laughing!!!) which involve a 400 meter swim, 800 meter swim (with fins), 15 minute float and a 100 meter tired diver tow. We needed a score of 12/20 to pass the fitness test, and I’m happy to say that I scored 17/20 overall :o) (scores are based on swim times)
This past week was great and I was able to assist on my first course! It was an Advanced Open Water course, so the students were already certified divers. Mark and Lee were the other DMTs on the course. (We also had two MSDTs shadowing the course -- Master Scuba Diver Trainer students) There are pros and cons of being a DMT, and I was well aware of both sides before signing up. The cons are that you are basically the slaves of the shop. DMTs (or DMs once we are qualified) are responsible for all of the logistics of the course: gear prep (loading/unloading tanks, fitting students with their gear masks, snorkels, fins, BCD, regs, weights & exposure suit), insurance paperwork, role call, first aid kits, oxygen for the boat, etc, etc, etc This takes about an hour prior to a boat leaving. Once out in the water we were each buddied up with a student for the dives. Sadly I actually missed seeing my 1st Turtle on the 2nd dive of this class. All of the students, and one of the DMTs saw him, but I guess I was watching my buddy at the time as I didn’t even know that I had missed seeing him until we were back on the boat… HELLO hand signals people!!!! …. next time….
Luckily the 5th dive of the course totally made up for missing the turtle! (as I know that I will see one at some point!!) The Advanced class always ends with the 5th dive being a night dive. (don’t worry we bring waterproof flash-lights) It really was the perfect dive from beginning to end!!! After gearing up the boat, we pushed off just as the sun was beginning to set. (photos below) It was the perfect sunset and that night the water was perfectly calm and like glass. The dive itself lasted 1 hour and 5 minutes, which is a great dive time! We saw sea slugs, lobsters, and lots of little fish. At one point the students gathered in a circle on a sand patch with Johan (the instructor) and everyone turned off their flashlights for about 2 minutes. I was hovering about 5 meters behind the group and had the best view in the house. Once everyone’s lights were off they each started waving their arms around, which stimulated the bio-luminescents to glow. Imagine hovering in complete darkness and seeing only little green lights flashing in a circle in front of you. One of the coolest things in the world!!
Our flashlights tend to attract these tiny little worms, which then attract little fish to eat the worms. All through the dive I could feel tiny little fish bumping to me. (ok, most of you will cringe at that, but it’s actually really neat to feel) they mostly hit your arms which are close to the light. Sometimes large fish are attracted to the light as well, and come in close for a good look :o) The major highlight of that dive came right at the end. We were all hoping to see an octopus, but were not holding our breath, as Johan hadn’t seen an octopus on that dive site in about 3 months. Well just as our safety stop was ending and we were about to all assent to the surface Johan spotted the octopus. He was probably about the size of a large pasta pot, and was crawling on a section of the reef. Us DMTs held back so that the students could move in closer and get a good look. After they had their shot, us DMTs moved in and that’s when the real show began. What we hadn’t realized was that there was a lobster also on the reef about 5 feet away, and he didn’t seem to know that the octopus was there. Once he got close enough the octopus took his shot and went for the lobster. It was the coolest thing to watch!! Luckily for the lobster, he was quick on his feet and narrowly escaped being dinner. I only wish that I had had my camera with me, but seeing that I was staff on that dive, it wouldn’t have been appropriate. We all assented with the biggest grins on our faces and were welcomed on the surface by the most amazing star-filled sky!! I told Johan that he had just ruined night diving in Ontario for me!! :o)
Ok, enough babbling for now. I’ll do my best to update much for frequently so these posts aren’t so long and rambly. This afternoon I’ll be beginning assisting on an Open Water coarse, and I’m really looking forward to that! The students in the class are starting with zero diving experience, and by the end of it they will be certified Open Water divers to 60 feet. My Open Water course was a personal disaster, and I almost didn’t get through it. Luckily I had some good friends and a GREAT DM who basically held my hand and got me through it. Maybe I’ll have the opportunity to do the same for someone else. :O)
Huggs to you all back home…. Stay Warm :o)
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