Seadate 11-06-05
11-06-05
I wake up at 4:30 am, mind you Walter is the only man I’m getting out of bed on a Sunday for at 4:30 am LOL….by 6:20 I’m showered, gear is packed, ate breakfast had coffee and walked the beast so I’m on my way……..it’s a 2.5 hour drive to Walters…I’m there a ‘lil after 8:30am. (Don’t worry if the math doesn’t add up just don’t drive like I do)
Walter and I have already spent some time together so I’m very comfortable with him. I get a big hug hello (now is this service from your dive instructor or what?) I even ask for an extra hug, (he gives good hug)
Soon as I walk in he wants to know what this contraption on his couch is for.(ahh can I use the little girls room first I wonder?) It looks like a rung ladder…it’s familiar and I know it probably has some intended use that I’ll never think of…
His living room is strewn with all sorts of scuba gear I sit on the couch and suddenly notice there’s a stand and I’m handed a schedule (which gets me certified by Turkey day) and I’m asked to fill out some forms, which of course I do. I seriously notice this schedule now and wow…the pressure is on!
Walter then starts the classroom (I’m feeling rather special being the only student here….no one can snicker at my questions other then myself) much of what we discussed obviously I had read about in the book and had read comments many of those on the board have made. I obviously ended up bringing up things I’ve read here on ZD as well as things I read in the YMCA book.
We reviewed all of the equipment for skin diving, its uses,
The differences in sound and light and how they travel through air versus water, hand signals (the only ones I really know are some foul Italian ones which I was advised to NOT use under water LOL)
We move on to panic cycle, things that can go wrong under water, air spaces in the body and out and how they effect you as a diver… equalizing your air spaces etc.
A Couple of times I know I had this DUH! Dumbfounded (he expects me to remember what the heck that means!) look on my face which Walter laughed at and then explained what he had just said in a way that it was simpler to understand and how it pertained to Scuba Diving. How many of you can recite Boyle’s law? Henry’s law? Dalton’s law? C’mon one of them?
We go through all of the serious medical problems that can arise, emergency treatment and how to call.
I think we broke for a lunch break around here, and we went out to a nice little café had some grouper, broccoli and a baked potato since it was Sunday, carbs mmmmmm yummmm…..very nice classroom break!
Btw does anyone remember the number 1 rule of Scuba? DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH!! (see Walter I remembered *smile*)
We continue with Scuba equipment it’s importance and care. Different types of regulators, BC’s, SPG’s computers, depth gauges, etc…then we get to tanks…transporting tanks ( It hits me where I’ve seen this contraption on the couch before and what it’s for now!! Yippeeee! I know the answer…!! ) Walter’s save a dive kit is very impressive and he also has one of the biggest and stiffest dive flags I’ve ever seen! (just an fyi)
Log book tine....wow Walter’s collection of dive log books is very impressive, I see an autobiography in the future here…I just know that they are packed with some very interesting stories (I get to hear a few which is always a pleasure, Walter is filled with wonderful stories about dives and people).
Now we get into the part I was dreading! The Dive tables…ohhh noooo! Dalton’s law, Henry’s law…too many laws IMO!....pressure, gasses, compression, decompression. I’m thinking I’ll never get this….but surprisingly..hmmmm ok this is making sense….now we go into doing dive profiles…wait I’ve got an abacus to use?…I have not used one of these since kindergarten? Does anyone remember how to use one?
I have to do Math? This is torture no one said anything about Math!!
Ok my turn to go to the white board…I’m dreading this….but wait! I’m figuring out the dive tables and how to use them for a dive plan…and how to find missing information on a dive plan…and how to do it backwards (almost) hmmmmm how did Walter do that, he’s sneaky….He’s trying to trick me…but ha I’m not letting him (mind you I’ve no clue how I’m doing this but I am so shhhhhhhhhh it’s really not as complicated as it looks exp if I can do it)
After all of this…we’ve squeezed 12 hours of classroom work into 8, Walter actually looks like he’s in a good mood after having lectured me for 8 hours I’m surprised….he’s got more patience then I thought he did *smile*
On the drive home all I can think of is Please Please Please let me remember all of this stuff !!! I have to practice my dive tables and my dive plans. Anyone smell a rat?
Well next class is a full day in a pool Walter has promised to keep me wet for a full 8 hours..hmmmm this should be fun *wink* This is when we really test his patience but shhhhhhhhhhh.
I am exhausted, excited and already looking forward to our next class…I know I definitely made the right choice and am very grateful that Walter agreed to take me on as his student…(still have no clue how he agreed so easily *smile*)
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