What was your favorite part of training?

[Manogr]

I selected breathing under water although it was not just that ! It was the general feeling of being underwater....even in a pool !


Manogr

 

[divedude]

The best part of my training was after the first O/W dive
we had 3 lovely young ladies in our class and they needed help getting out of those tight wet suits.... so I helped...
Hey you asked

 

[O-ring]

Nope...I picked the breathing too...

 

[bluebanded goby]

On my first OW checkout dive, I descended in open water for the first time and came face to face with ... a bluebanded goby.

I've been trying to photograph them ever since, but they never stand still when my macro framer surrounds them. Guess that's an argument for a housed SLR.

I actually probably had more memorable experiences in my AOW class. The deep and night dives were very cool. Also a sea lion joined us during our u/w navigation dive and had a little fun with us (after our instructor laid out a tape measure on the ocean floor, the pinniped picked it up in his mouth and swam around with it).

 

[roakey]

I too checked breathing, since I still remember that from my class in the early 70s, so I must have been excited about it! About the only other thing I remember from that class is learning how to buddy breathe with a two-hose regulator, as well as how to milk one. Two skills that I have let slide

Other memorable times are similar to Big James’ -- I remember with great fondness the first lights out drill in my cave class since I was thinking “no lights, the surface is 20 minutes away and I’m having fun!” (Peacock’s Peanut Tunnel)

Cave training either scares the beegebies out of you or increases your confidence 1000%!

Roak

 

[tchil01]

So why hasn't anyone said their favorite part was doing endless dive tables?

Ty

 

[Fishkiller]

let's see as for my training, the very first part was not enjoyable.

I took the weekend approach, the Friday night class was canceled.
the Saturday I missed 3 lousy questions..
Sunday they didn't turn on the pool heater the young lady with the 7 mil 2 peice and my instructor with the drysuit didn't mind the cold so we were the only ones to finish.(of course it did go quicker that way)


uh my check out dives

owned a Mares ESA that happend to have a cracked frame, salt water in the eyes..;-0


now as for my second dive as a certified diver,,,,,
well here is the story
After unpacking in the hotel room, I changed and went down to the sandy shore to geared up for the first of the dives.

Someone mentioned how the wind had been blowing all week so the water was all stirred up, the visibility was maybe 5 feet. “Hell I could get better vis. at the lake and the water taste better” was my comment.

After having trouble clearing my ear,again!! down I went to swim arm in arm 20 feet for 20 minutes. My mask kept flooding and the water was stinging my eyes but I said I’m here just 3 more dives to go. It was funny when Mike gave me the OK, partial flood the mask sign I gave him the finger and just cleared the mask. By the end of the three dives I was giving the mask the finger and talking to myself. I was so glad that I just had one more dive then I could go back to fishing.

there's this story about a man that was hitting his head against a brick wall, when asked why? the man replied "because it feels so good when I stop."

When Chris said he was going to the dive shop to get the sand out of Chelsea’s BC I tagged along and signed up for a fishing charter for Sunday.

At the marina we met a group of divers from Tucson, who owned the 46’ dive boat, built for 32 divers, the 17 of us would have rough it. On the trip out to San Pedro Island we went through a pod of dolphins. I took a cool photo of dolphins jumping. At the Island we had our dive briefing. I just wanted to do my last three skills, say the hell with this, and go fishing.
Mike had to catch Chelsea up, she missed dive three. That's when Matt and Ashley said we should do a dive together, without Mike. I couldn’t go fishing without a fishing pole that was at the hotel.
Well time to get into the water second to last time three skills to go. With 73degree water and a good 40’ vis. Things were different I didn’t have to make everyone wait while I cleared my mask, I could just catch up.
The first skill, was the full mask remove and replace, dang I could see the same without the mask, my eyes were so sore anyway. Second skill fin pivot with oral inflation of BC, no problem,I did a little dance. The Final skill compass swim, 100 feet out and back. Great! I thought just keep the black fuzzy arrow between the two black fuzzy things. After swimming a few yards, Chelsea gave me the look over there, someone dropped a mask and snorkel. I Swam to it picked it up thinking someone from the boat dropped it, held on to it as I caught back up with the rest of the group. Skill three was done and I did a really big dance. I think when I yelled YEAH!!! It scared the sea lions away. At the boat I took off my weights handed them up, took off my BC, handed that up. Thought I would push the tank and BC up to give the guy a hand. Well the crewman knew just how high to lift the tank to clear the boat, a distance that didn’t include my right ring finger. (yes smashed the finger really good I did.) I was first in line for Mike to sign me OFF.

On the trip to the other dive spot I had a chance to look at the now inherited mask, with all its slime. We all changed tanks and got ready for the next dive, my last one so I took my camera; FUJI makes a disposable rated to 17’.
When the ladders were dropped, I asked if it was OK to get in the water. The DM said yes so off I went. I dropped down to 15’ for a couple of minutes, took pictures of the sea lions, came back up. EVERYONE was staring at me, Mike later told me people asked what’s he doing diving solo? While he just shook his head.
I swam over to the boat and handed Chris’s wife, a non-diver, the only person who would come near me, the camera.

When Matt and Ashley entered the water I said “ I’ll follow you until my air runs out”, so down we went. Everytime I would stop to clear my mask, my OCTO would be loose, and I would re-attach it then swim on. After the third time I asked Matt if he was OK Ashley was Ok. So I found that if I held my head in such a manner I could clearly see my OCTO being pulled loose by a sea lion. I knew when my air reached 1000-psi time was up I had to go, on the surface Matt and Ashley said I used my air way to quickly, well mask clearing all the time and swimming to catch up will do that.

On the boat Chris asked if we could dive together being how we both had the same DC, AERIS 500AI. I said I’ll think about it while I cleaned up the mask I found. A Ocean Master with purge valve, green highlights, (not organic), and –2.0 lenses. Man this was a nice mask with a prescription close to my own, My MARES ESA sure was going to be returned. I used soap and cleaned that mask up enough that I wanted to wear it. Before Chris and I dove down I said,”it can’t be any worse than what I had been wearing” let’s get this over with. At 40 feet Chris’s alarm stared going off, he had set it for Chelsea’s limit,at 60 feet my DC went off we stopped.

Then it hit me like the words from my brother “the difference between fuzzy AM radio and stereo HI-FI THX Dolby surround sound.”

I hadn’t cleared my mask.
I did a barrel roll in front of the sea lion.
I did a back flip and summer-salt.
I did an upside down hover.
AH AH AH
NO WATER ON FACE
My mind raced.
I saw clearly.
I saw a cool Urchin skeleton and picked it up.
I NOW knew what it was like to be a diver.
I wasn’t going fishing.
I was looking at a giant green moray eel,gobe fish,spotted bass, a leather bass, still more king angelfish
Shrimp living in holes.
Was that Bole’s law about compression of air and depth?
Aahh I need more air.
Must do safety stop.
Ahh time tick faster.
Must get to boat change tank, dive! dive! dive!

Chris on the surface asked if I felt OK? "sure you’re not narked??"

Thank you person who lost mask off Lighthouse point San Pedro Island, SAN CARLOS MEXICO



I’ll leave out the jump off the boat, the back roll, the spotted eel and two fingers, along with the brand new $160 divebag that took a swan dive off the Auto at 80mph on the trip home for some other time.

THANK YOU
MOM

 

[Iguana Don]

What was your favorite part of your training?

The End

 

[Fishkiller]

Originally posted by Iguana Don
What was your favorite part of your training?

The End

that my training never ends, now as for the certification process
:banging:

 

[JamesK]

Originally posted by roakey
Other memorable times are similar to Big James’ -- I remember with great fondness the first lights out drill in my cave class since I was thinking “no lights, the surface is 20 minutes away and I’m having fun!” (Peacock’s Peanut Tunnel)

Oh man! I loved that too! I also did this drill in Peacock Peanut Tunnel. My lights out drill was a continuation of my lost line drill. So I finally found the line, tied off to it, placed my line arrow, and started heading out. I got the right direction, and my instructor came up to me, uncovered his light enough to let me know we had to exit without turning our lights back on. That was a blast! I loved it!

Cave training either scares the beegebies out of you or increases your confidence 1000%!

So very true. It increased my confidence 1000%.