Okay, there. Now that I have a place to post, I'd better get to it, eh? :biggrin: (This one will be rather long, since I just worked a class, and I tend toward verbosity.)
Last week, I assisted with my first NAUI Scuba Diver class (i.e. beginning divers). It was a "weekend" course, which at our shop means Tuesday night, Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday. We do classroom sessions on Tuesday night and Friday night, and then some class in the morning followed by pool time both weekend days.
Tuesday night was semi-crazy. I went into it not really knowing *anything* about what exactly goes on for a "weekend" course. (I took the long-form course when I was certified, so the information and skills are identical, but the logistics are *very* different. Plus, that wasn't yesterday.
) I had about an hour to get everything ready. The main things were paperwork (folders, waivers, DAN, etc.) and wetsuit/BC sizing, but even my notes didn't quite manage to keep all the balls juggling. Got all the sizes, at least. I also found out that I was to teach a section on Friday (I got to choose, so I went all-in with my favorite -- dive tables
).
Before Friday, I stopped by the shop a couple times to get the lesson together and get everything together for the weekend. We use various pools around town for classes, depending on the course and dates, so there's the logistics of loading everything into the big red van. Got that mostly done Friday before class. I'm glad I work only about a mile away, as I get to knock some stuff out at lunch to make everything flow better when crunch-time hits.
Anyway, on Friday, I juggled the rest of the paperwork again, this time managing to get everything complete, and I had the great pleasure of teaching the dive tables. The best part (HA!) was when the instructor had me continue past the section I'd prepared. Going into the next section seat-of-the-pants actually was *easier*, believe it or not. I know the stuff backwards, forwards, and several other directions, and as I was finally hitting the groove about then, at least it *seemed* easier. (My favorite part was calling on the guy in the back who was chatting and not paying any attention. When the guy he was talking to pointed out that everyone was waiting for him to answer the problem, the look in his face was priceless. The class participation notably increased at that point.
)
So, before Saturday, I'd done a triply-indexed list sheet (names by last name; names, BC size/number, and wetsuit size/number by first name, and names by gear (BC/wetsuit) number). That was tremendously helpful when it came time to hand everything out. I just grabbed a piece and handed it to the right person. (And when someone inevitably walked up and asked which number was theirs, I could look that up equally easily.)
The biggest logistical problem afterward was that several the BC/reg sets were placed back on the wrong hangers (BC, reg, and hanger should match). I dug around my garage and pulled out an old halogen work light stand, a metal tube (about four feet long, looks like it's from a bike rack or something), and a few spring clamps. Then, at the pool Sunday, once everyone had their gear assembled on the tanks, I grabbed all the hangers and collected them on my little two-foot-high hanger stand (and I even sorted them into numerical order... but that's just because I'm slightly obsessive :biggrin
. After the pool session, everyone had to come to pick up their matching hanger, at which point I'd clip the zip tie holding their mouthpiece on the reg (they have to provide their own mouthpieces). Amazingly, not a single BC or reg was on the wrong hanger when we loaded everything back in the van.
As for the pool sessions, that part was far easier and more fun than just about anything else, but hey, it's diving -- what do you expect?
I knocked out another quick skill (recover 10 pounds of weight belt from the deep end in no gear but your swimsuit). I got to demo all the entries and several skills, and I basically did the assisting thing all around (grab more weight, remove weight, retrieve weights after the drills, swap billions of O-rings... the usual
). They got their money's worth out of me (hehe), and I certainly gained experience.
Anyway, the *next* class ought to be *much*... er, make that *MUCH*... easier, logistically-speaking, as now I have a decent idea about what needs to be done. (Amazing how that works, isn't it?) If the other two guys in the DM class get to assist with a class that I'm also working, they ought to have smooth sailing (although I'll certainly let them learn it all). :biggrin:
Tomorrow and Wednesday evening, we're having an advanced course, so I should be able to get in the pool to knock out some more stuff before our next DM class session Thursday. I'd like to get the rest of the swims knocked out, maybe the 900 yard snorkel, (maybe some tows), and if they'll let me, a first try at the skin ditch and recovery. Gotta hit the scuba bailout, too, if there's still time. That one was just plain *fun* when they let my buddy and I do it during Rescue. (We actually asked for it.)