Lost Yooper
Guest
I thought Id share my last trip with all of you. It was long in coming, but my wife, Christi, finally got certified. Some background. She did all her classroom and pool work last spring prior to our moving down state. It was the typical PADI curriculum using the run-of-the-mill jacket BC, snorkel, rototilling techniques, etc
. It was clear she wasnt exactly a fish taking to water, but she got through it all right. It was difficult for me to see her go through all that, but she was adamant that I keep my thoughts to myself until after she was certified. I tend to get a bit opinionated regarding diving (in case some of you havent noticed). She was really taking the instructors word to heart which was heart wrenching for me.
Anyway, she got through all that and received her referral card. Last month, I talked to a guy I met at the DIRF class I took in Detroit named [EDIT]. He helped set up the DIRF class and seemed like a cool guy. Since he was a PADI instructor and DIR influenced, I thought Id ask him to certify my wife. He said sure. I told him that I had purchased my wife a plate and wing, but I didnt really know what to expect form him regarding training. I told Christi to be prepared to learn some new things, but that I wasnt sure how hed run the dives. She was already a bit concerned about her new and unfamiliar BC. Would it be PADI or DIR?
So, last Saturday we showed up at Gilboa Quarry in Ohio (about 5hrs south for us) and met up with [EDIT]. For those who dont know, Gilboa Quarry is like a Mecca for scuba diving. There were divers everywhere. Anyway, [EDIT] was helping his only other student set up a brand new Halcyon wing, plate, and such. I was thinking this was cool; at least Christi will be buddied up with someone geared similar to her. I noticed that [EDIT] had brought his plate and wing as well. I was getting a warm feeling all inside telling me this wasnt going to be your run-of-the-mill PADI class. This was confirmed when I asked him if Christi would need her snorkel. He basically asked me, whats a snorkel? Yes!!, I thought. I scrambled through my stuff and got out a 7 hose and put it on her reg (my ATX50/DS4). Apparently, [EDIT] is training as a DIRF instructor with Andrew G. and those guys. It looks like hell be the GUE rep in this region pretty soon.
So, [EDIT] asked me if I had my stuff and I told him I brought my doubles along. He said cool and gave me a digital underwater video camera to video the two students (just like a GUE class). The first dive was just a simple dive with no skills. [EDIT] asked them to watch their buoyancy control and trim (knees bent using modified flutter). I didnt make the second dive with them because Mike Ferrera showed up and talked me into a dive with him and his son. That was cool, because a dive master friend of [EDIT] showed up and did the camera work in my place. The second dive consisted of a mask removing drill and reg removal (while suspended, not on their knees!!). Well, at least they tried, anyway.
Dive three was Sunday morning. Christi was the only student and [EDIT] asked me to be her buddy while the other dive master did the video. This dive was a lot more involved regarding skills. He made Christi work on her weakest skill, mask removal. We did a lot of air sharing drills with the long hose (always suspended and horizontal). Horizontal ascents and descents were done on all the dives. She did some compass drills as well. For dive four, [EDIT] made her work on mask removal, gear removal on the surface, and thats about it (Im sure Im missing a lot of stuff for all the dives). By the end of dive four, Christi was showing remarkable improvement in buoyancy control, proper trim and keeping her hands together.
[EDIT] did a tremendous job instructing her. He was able to completely erase all the bad habits she had received from her original PADI instructor. I think the time lapse from her pool work was another key factor. Most importantly, she understands the whys of it all. During the class, [EDIT] and I would point out other divers (particularly those taking other OW classes there) and their messed up gear configurations. She understands rule #6 very well since there were so many violations of it at the quarry.
The seeds were planted last weekend. She knows what is right and what is wrong, and shell be practicing the right way from now on. I envy her in that she has gotten started on the right foot and wont have to worry about unlearning deeply instilled bad habits in the future. I doubt shell ever have the interest in diving that I do, but I do suspect she will be a great diver someday.
BTW, for those who think new divers cant successfully use BP and wings, be taught to do drills while neutrally buoyant, and learn proper trim, I will gladly direct you to talk with my wife. She was one of the least coordinated, least enthusiastic divers I had ever seen and she did great!
Mike
Anyway, she got through all that and received her referral card. Last month, I talked to a guy I met at the DIRF class I took in Detroit named [EDIT]. He helped set up the DIRF class and seemed like a cool guy. Since he was a PADI instructor and DIR influenced, I thought Id ask him to certify my wife. He said sure. I told him that I had purchased my wife a plate and wing, but I didnt really know what to expect form him regarding training. I told Christi to be prepared to learn some new things, but that I wasnt sure how hed run the dives. She was already a bit concerned about her new and unfamiliar BC. Would it be PADI or DIR?
So, last Saturday we showed up at Gilboa Quarry in Ohio (about 5hrs south for us) and met up with [EDIT]. For those who dont know, Gilboa Quarry is like a Mecca for scuba diving. There were divers everywhere. Anyway, [EDIT] was helping his only other student set up a brand new Halcyon wing, plate, and such. I was thinking this was cool; at least Christi will be buddied up with someone geared similar to her. I noticed that [EDIT] had brought his plate and wing as well. I was getting a warm feeling all inside telling me this wasnt going to be your run-of-the-mill PADI class. This was confirmed when I asked him if Christi would need her snorkel. He basically asked me, whats a snorkel? Yes!!, I thought. I scrambled through my stuff and got out a 7 hose and put it on her reg (my ATX50/DS4). Apparently, [EDIT] is training as a DIRF instructor with Andrew G. and those guys. It looks like hell be the GUE rep in this region pretty soon.
So, [EDIT] asked me if I had my stuff and I told him I brought my doubles along. He said cool and gave me a digital underwater video camera to video the two students (just like a GUE class). The first dive was just a simple dive with no skills. [EDIT] asked them to watch their buoyancy control and trim (knees bent using modified flutter). I didnt make the second dive with them because Mike Ferrera showed up and talked me into a dive with him and his son. That was cool, because a dive master friend of [EDIT] showed up and did the camera work in my place. The second dive consisted of a mask removing drill and reg removal (while suspended, not on their knees!!). Well, at least they tried, anyway.
Dive three was Sunday morning. Christi was the only student and [EDIT] asked me to be her buddy while the other dive master did the video. This dive was a lot more involved regarding skills. He made Christi work on her weakest skill, mask removal. We did a lot of air sharing drills with the long hose (always suspended and horizontal). Horizontal ascents and descents were done on all the dives. She did some compass drills as well. For dive four, [EDIT] made her work on mask removal, gear removal on the surface, and thats about it (Im sure Im missing a lot of stuff for all the dives). By the end of dive four, Christi was showing remarkable improvement in buoyancy control, proper trim and keeping her hands together.
[EDIT] did a tremendous job instructing her. He was able to completely erase all the bad habits she had received from her original PADI instructor. I think the time lapse from her pool work was another key factor. Most importantly, she understands the whys of it all. During the class, [EDIT] and I would point out other divers (particularly those taking other OW classes there) and their messed up gear configurations. She understands rule #6 very well since there were so many violations of it at the quarry.
The seeds were planted last weekend. She knows what is right and what is wrong, and shell be practicing the right way from now on. I envy her in that she has gotten started on the right foot and wont have to worry about unlearning deeply instilled bad habits in the future. I doubt shell ever have the interest in diving that I do, but I do suspect she will be a great diver someday.
BTW, for those who think new divers cant successfully use BP and wings, be taught to do drills while neutrally buoyant, and learn proper trim, I will gladly direct you to talk with my wife. She was one of the least coordinated, least enthusiastic divers I had ever seen and she did great!
Mike
... she even commented tonight at the LDS that she might want to try a long hose/bungeed backup.
.... kidding. We had a great dive. We do have room on the next few trips to the UP, if you're interested. 
. She had one of those prehistoric paddle fish come up and nibble on her hand, which was cool for her. On each dive, [EDIT] made sure there was as much "pleasure diving" as skills. The water was very warm (about 78F to 20' or so), so that didn't bother her. She can't wait to go to the Bahamas or Cozumel in the Spring.
