A day in the life!

[mjatkins]

It's been a long day today. Finished up with my open water students, they did great!!! Other than that I got some definite feedback that I am interpreting as proof that I am doing a good job. Sometimes that feedback comes in a strange form, but I don't think I would have had the conversations I had today unless people are noticing that I'm putting effort into the job.

Sometimes that's all you've got. Tomorrow is a new day and I'm excited for it.

 

[mjatkins]

Started two O/W referrals today, as well as doing a couple of DSDs. It worked well, we had two discovers booked, as well as the two referrals, so I was able to roll them all in together. I met with the OW students early to make sure their paperwork was in order, and have a good discussion/orientation. Then the discovers came and we all went through the discover briefing together. We all went into confined open water together, and I had the referrals wait while I did the skills with the discovers. Once that was done we all headed out for a nice dive. At the end we came back, said thanks and goodbye to the discovers, then changed tanks and went back in with the O/W students for dive number 2.

 

[blue steal]

Hey Mat, how do your DSD students generally do? Do you find some are just scared to death, or some that just freak out if they get a bit of water in their mouth or mask?

 

[mjatkins]

Hey Mat, how do your DSD students generally do? Do you find some are just scared to death, or some that just freak out if they get a bit of water in their mouth or mask?

Obviously there are some people who have anxiety doing a DSD, but most people who are just outright afraid don't sign up for it. When those people do show up, it is most likely that a spouse is trying to push them to do it.

I find that DSDs can be somewhat generalized (in my experience). Kids (under about 18 or so) usually take to it very easily, and learn very quickly, they have no fear. No fear of hurting themselves or of looking stupid, so they play around and figure out how to move in the water fairly easily. Dads have paid their money and damn it, they are going to do it. : ) They will push themselves through the experience. Moms are the interesting ones. Some do fine right away, but some need more time and comfort. If we have the time to create the comfort they will do very well (ie. better than the dads). They will sometimes create an idea that they are holding everyone else back, but if you can get them slowed down and comfortable, they will see a fish or something that grabs their imagination, then they will generally take to it very well.

My $0.02

 

[mjatkins]

Today's "day at the office" was good. I finished dive 3 and 4 with my two open water referral students. They did very well! They are a good buddy team, they kept an eye on each other through the dives, and they seemed to really enjoy the experience. They are farmers, which I think is great. My wife's family are all farming folks, and I get the feeling that farm people just have an awareness and appreciation of the natural world that the rest of us miss. We may love it, but they just have a connection to it.

Anyway, the 2nd dive today they did 67 minutes at Paradise reef. We could have kept going if there wasn't that cruise ship in the way, they hadn't reached our "low on air" point yet. We signed off their paperwork and discussed the benefits of enriched air for a couple of people with air consumption as good as theirs. We will do the classroom portion of the course on sunday afternoon. : )

 

[MMM]

Yikes. 67 minutes for brand new divers is awesome!

 

[TSandM]

I loved Paradise Reef. The night dives there were the best dives of our whole trip. I'm glad your students enjoyed it!

 

[ggunn]

Yikes. 67 minutes for brand new divers is awesome!

That's what I was thinking as well. Were they on AL80's?

 

[Zman96]

Yikes. 67 minutes for brand new divers is awesome!

Now that is some great air consumption for new divers.

 

[Christi]

Now that is some great air consumption for new divers.

But really not all that uncommon on a shallow dive if they are relaxed and have had good solid instruction - which these two apparently did