It's been nearly a week since my first outting as an Assistant Instructor and my first trip out to RockDivers this year. My boss and I had 3 out of our 5 students out for their open water dives. First off let me thank the good folks at Dive Sports in Decatur for once again sinking the west training platform 44' to the bottom. What was at 18' now rests peacefully on the bottom, making it absolutely useless for new OW students. So, being the resourseful woman she is, the boss decided to have the students do a tow over to the training platform on the SW corner of the quarry. Since we had a odd man out, one of the students had to tow my 240# frame. I do so love hearing people complain about towing me that I could easily curl in the gym. 
At the platform we descended and did skills, but one of the students was not weighted properly, so I employed the RBS, or "Rock Ballast System." This, sadly, did not work because the student in question not only had all his weight in one pocket (in a non-weight integrated BC no less), but he also didn't have a weight belt at all. I gave him two of the spare weights I had in my pocket, and the DM that will be in the ITC with me went back to the dock for even more weight. FUBAR fixed we proceeded with the dives.
I still do not see how people do not grasp the idea of the flutter kick, especially someone that has ran track his entire life. This "kid" bicycle kicked the entire 3 dives. ARGH!!!!
Overall conditions weren't that bad for RockDivers. 62 on top, 53 at depth, 20' vis max, 15' average (everyone still looks at me likes I'm nuts for wearing a 6.5mm chicken suit). Zebra mussels (at least that's what I think they are) are getting bad, they're all over the place. The only other complaint is that it seems things have moved and lines are missing. Not a real problem really, but it's annoying. The east dock has no ramp, so it's unusable.
Will be headed back out there in a week or two with the rest of the students and a few from our upcoming advanced class, will report again then.
"And that's all I have to say about that..."
At the platform we descended and did skills, but one of the students was not weighted properly, so I employed the RBS, or "Rock Ballast System." This, sadly, did not work because the student in question not only had all his weight in one pocket (in a non-weight integrated BC no less), but he also didn't have a weight belt at all. I gave him two of the spare weights I had in my pocket, and the DM that will be in the ITC with me went back to the dock for even more weight. FUBAR fixed we proceeded with the dives.
I still do not see how people do not grasp the idea of the flutter kick, especially someone that has ran track his entire life. This "kid" bicycle kicked the entire 3 dives. ARGH!!!!
Overall conditions weren't that bad for RockDivers. 62 on top, 53 at depth, 20' vis max, 15' average (everyone still looks at me likes I'm nuts for wearing a 6.5mm chicken suit). Zebra mussels (at least that's what I think they are) are getting bad, they're all over the place. The only other complaint is that it seems things have moved and lines are missing. Not a real problem really, but it's annoying. The east dock has no ramp, so it's unusable.
Will be headed back out there in a week or two with the rest of the students and a few from our upcoming advanced class, will report again then.
"And that's all I have to say about that..."
