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I've finally got a few moments to talk about my rEvo training with Capt. Jim. One word: Awesome!
I got to know Jim 4 years ago when I took my cavern class with him. Here is that tale: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cave-diving/376927-cavern-class-capt-jim-wyatt.html
About a year later I attempted to move on to Basic Cave, but Jim was booked and I proceeded with another instructor, also good, but for me it was too much, too fast. I chose to stop when I stopped having fun and opted to come back another day. It was some months after that, that I was able to coordinate my class with Jim.
Needless to say I had my moments of feeling overwhelmed, but Jim took everything at my pace helping me work through my issues until I felt some confidence in each skill before tackling the next.
Boy was I giddy when Jim told us he wanted to return to Key Largo. Goody Goody Goody
:yelclap:
When I was first taking my Basic Cave class with the other instructor, Jim was teaching/co-teaching instructors on the rEvo with Peter Sotis and the head guru of rEvo, Paul. Pete was fascinated eavesdropping and Paul spent sometime showing Pete all the aspects on the rEvo. Well that lit Pete's fire and a few months later, Pete completed his rEvo training with Peter Sotis. Last year Pete and I completed KISS GEM SCR training with Rob Neto, Diveaholic. While I really liked getting close to the critters with NO BUBBLES, I wasn't sold on the fit of that unit for me. Segue to Jim, I got to spend sometime looking at his rebreather as he explained a bit about the unit.
I bit. 1- I already knew that I liked Jim's teaching style and we get along well. And he knows my current skill and comfort level.
2-I now really really wanted to try a different rebreather.
3-I want to spend more time taking better photography
4-For the past year, I've had some bouts of vertigo while diving which through testing, I've learned my ears are sensitive to temperature changes caused by bubbles blowing past them...time to go bubble-less.
So when Jim asked if I wanted to join a class he was starting, it was an instant YES.
Jim sent me some manuals to read. My reply was "Hope there isn't a test on the reading. I've stared at it til my eyes glazed over, turn page repeat until coma wins." On day 1, we started by building Sean's new rEvo out of the box. This is really the way to learn all the intricacies of a rebreather.
Jim's class presentation of the material brought it all into focus. On day 2 we went to the pool where my favorite PADI Course Director, Pam Wooten, who recently completed her rEvo training, tagged along with cameras.
Then my life got busy and Sean needed to finish and head back to NC. Finally last week, Jim and I, eeked out some time to get some diving in. We took a couple of long slow tours of Jules Undersea Lodge/Lagoon. What a great place to tweek out trim and weighting while developing a level of comfort that makes jumping off the boat for the first time in new gear less scary. Yes I've been teaching for almost 10 years now, but trying something new reminds me of what my students are going through in my classes.
Then next day off we went for on Ocean Diver's new boat, Blue Kai, for a double dip on the Speigel Grove for one long slow dive...and that it was, 75 min run-time with NO DECO. Oh and he showed me some stuff I hadn't seen before too - guess it takes someone who lived on the SG for 2 years to know where all the cool stuff is.
I've never been able to get so close to tiny fishies or big groupers. A school of enormous parrot fish let me hang out in their midst.
I still have a few more dives to complete before certification, but I already know what's on my Santa Wish List this year.
Anything technical you want to learn from caves to wrecks to tech & deco to rebreathers, I can't say enough good things about Jim as an instructor.
His knowledge, experience, and teaching style is what my special kind of crazy learning needs. I know at the end of a day teaching me, he has more than earned a Rum Punch. I'm sure he can adapt to your own special kind of crazy too.
I got to know Jim 4 years ago when I took my cavern class with him. Here is that tale: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cave-diving/376927-cavern-class-capt-jim-wyatt.html
About a year later I attempted to move on to Basic Cave, but Jim was booked and I proceeded with another instructor, also good, but for me it was too much, too fast. I chose to stop when I stopped having fun and opted to come back another day. It was some months after that, that I was able to coordinate my class with Jim.
Needless to say I had my moments of feeling overwhelmed, but Jim took everything at my pace helping me work through my issues until I felt some confidence in each skill before tackling the next.
Boy was I giddy when Jim told us he wanted to return to Key Largo. Goody Goody Goody
:yelclap:When I was first taking my Basic Cave class with the other instructor, Jim was teaching/co-teaching instructors on the rEvo with Peter Sotis and the head guru of rEvo, Paul. Pete was fascinated eavesdropping and Paul spent sometime showing Pete all the aspects on the rEvo. Well that lit Pete's fire and a few months later, Pete completed his rEvo training with Peter Sotis. Last year Pete and I completed KISS GEM SCR training with Rob Neto, Diveaholic. While I really liked getting close to the critters with NO BUBBLES, I wasn't sold on the fit of that unit for me. Segue to Jim, I got to spend sometime looking at his rebreather as he explained a bit about the unit.
I bit. 1- I already knew that I liked Jim's teaching style and we get along well. And he knows my current skill and comfort level.
2-I now really really wanted to try a different rebreather.
3-I want to spend more time taking better photography
4-For the past year, I've had some bouts of vertigo while diving which through testing, I've learned my ears are sensitive to temperature changes caused by bubbles blowing past them...time to go bubble-less.
So when Jim asked if I wanted to join a class he was starting, it was an instant YES.
Jim sent me some manuals to read. My reply was "Hope there isn't a test on the reading. I've stared at it til my eyes glazed over, turn page repeat until coma wins." On day 1, we started by building Sean's new rEvo out of the box. This is really the way to learn all the intricacies of a rebreather.
Jim's class presentation of the material brought it all into focus. On day 2 we went to the pool where my favorite PADI Course Director, Pam Wooten, who recently completed her rEvo training, tagged along with cameras.
Then my life got busy and Sean needed to finish and head back to NC. Finally last week, Jim and I, eeked out some time to get some diving in. We took a couple of long slow tours of Jules Undersea Lodge/Lagoon. What a great place to tweek out trim and weighting while developing a level of comfort that makes jumping off the boat for the first time in new gear less scary. Yes I've been teaching for almost 10 years now, but trying something new reminds me of what my students are going through in my classes.
Then next day off we went for on Ocean Diver's new boat, Blue Kai, for a double dip on the Speigel Grove for one long slow dive...and that it was, 75 min run-time with NO DECO. Oh and he showed me some stuff I hadn't seen before too - guess it takes someone who lived on the SG for 2 years to know where all the cool stuff is.
I've never been able to get so close to tiny fishies or big groupers. A school of enormous parrot fish let me hang out in their midst.
I still have a few more dives to complete before certification, but I already know what's on my Santa Wish List this year.
Anything technical you want to learn from caves to wrecks to tech & deco to rebreathers, I can't say enough good things about Jim as an instructor.
His knowledge, experience, and teaching style is what my special kind of crazy learning needs. I know at the end of a day teaching me, he has more than earned a Rum Punch. I'm sure he can adapt to your own special kind of crazy too.
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