VA Aquarium Dive Team tryout October 2/3

[weaponeer]

The Virginia Aquarium will hold its next Dive Team tryout October 2 and 3. I'm posting this now because the requirements for joining the team have changed and you may need some lead time to meet minimum requirements. One new requirement is that you must be at least Advanced Open Water certified. Additional requirements can be found here:

http://www.virginiaaquarium.com/get-involved/Documents/VAQ Volunteer Diver Basic Requirements.pdf

To get a contact number for more information and download an application, go here:

Volunteering ~ Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

The new Red Sea aquarium is open and divers have begun training dives. You must be on the dive team at least 6 months before you can sign up to be a Red Sea diver.

 

[sailingk8]

I love diving at the Virginia Aquarium and highly recommend their diving program. Especially as I'm now on the new Red Sea Team

 

[weaponeer]

Thanks for stepping up, Kate.

 

[DiverDean59]

Do you have to live in the Virginia Beach area in order to be on the team?

 

[weaponeer]

Do you have to live in the Virginia Beach area in order to be on the team?

No, you don't have to live in the immediate area. As long as you meet your dive obligations and attend 50% or more of the monthly team meetings you can maintain your status as an active team diver. There are many members who live as far away as Williamsburg and Isle of Wight county, including myself, who are active divers. It's all a matter of how commited you are to the team and the Aquarium.

The first day of tryouts is orientation, paperwork and a tour of the facilities. After attending that, if you feel you can't make the commitment to the team, no harm done. If you decide to continue on, the second day of tryouts is water skills tests at one of the city's indoor pools.

Contact information and minimum certification requirements are provided in the first post's links.

 

[DiverDean59]

Is there usually a meeting each month and when are they usually held? Also what other time is spent at the aquarium and in the Virginia Beach area. I actually live in Waynesboro but I'm interested in becoming a part of the team.

 

[weaponeer]

Is there usually a meeting each month and when are they usually held? Also what other time is spent at the aquarium and in the Virginia Beach area. I actually live in Waynesboro but I'm interested in becoming a part of the team.

Coming from Waynesboro is quite a drive. Meetings are held the first Monday of each month at 7PM at the Aquarium. If that date is a holiday the meeting would be the following Monday, normally. The meetings and the dives you sign up for each month would be the only instances where you have to be at the Aquarium. The only other times you'd need to be in the area are for semi-annual backboard training and if you needed your First Aid / Adult CPR recertification, but FA/CPR can be done anywhere you can take the class from an accredited agency, ie Red Cross or AHA.

Commiting to the team and driving that distance several times a month may be difficult. You may want to discuss this with Aquarium staff now before tryouts.

 

[Randy g]

New rule for 2010 is you must be AOW to join the team as well.

 

[weaponeer]

Another new requirement is a medical exam (physical) which must be completed soon after joining the team and then once every 3 years. It assures both you and the aquarium that you are fit to dive. You can learn more at the orientation October 2.