The Instructor Examination...
We had an early start in the classroom, introductions were made all around and then onto the paperwork. Once all of the paperwork was complete the Instructor Examiner began his introduction and assignments. They are as follows:
Knowledge Development Presentation - Prescriptive Teaching: Possible Points: 5.0
Project Aware Specialty Instructor Outline, Knowledge Review, Question #7.
Score Earned: 4.2
Confined Water Presentation: Possible Points: 5.0
Panicked Diver, Approach, Evaluation and Making Contact using Surface Approach. Rescue Course, Rescue Exercise #2.
Score Earned: 4.0
Skill Circuit Skills: Possible Points 25
1. Mask Remove and Replace While Underwater
2. Fin Pivot using Balanced Inflator
3. Regulator Recovery and Clear
4. Scuba Unit Remove and Replace Underwater
5. Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent (Simulated)
Score Earned: 23
Exams:
1. Standards and Procedures Score Earned: 86%
2. Physics Score Earned: 100%
3. Physiology Score Earned: 100%
4. Recreational Dive Planner Score Earned: 100%
5. Skills and Environment Score Earned: 100%
6. Equipment Score Earned: 100%
This has been a great day and I feel wonderful. I have two skills to perform in open water tomorrow and a Rescue Assessment Demonstration. I will blog that one tomorrow. Time to go prepare my slates for teaching the two skills.
I am looking forward to getting home tomorrow.
See ya soon
Carl
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Buoyancy and Self Rescue Clinics
Too cold to go out diving? Yea, right!!!!! Got in the pool today with 5 brave souls for the buoyancy clinic and self rescue skills class.
For those of you who haven't heard of this before, every other month, we put on a free clinic to help people with their weight and trim, hovering skills and breath control. We bring lot of weights (lot of different amounts and types) as well as swim through hoops and toys.
It is amazing how a few minor adjustments can make your buoyancy smooth out, which reduces air consumption and makes diving really easy.
The second part was practicing some of those great self rescue skills from open water class that people probably haven't practiced since open water class :-). Cramp removal, oral inflation, weight dump, alternate air are all great skills to practice and can solve minor problems before they become major issues.
Remember the golden rule of diving, STOP, BREATH, THINK and ACT. Solve those small problems before them compound into larger ones.
We will run both clinics again in the next two months, or if there is a lot of interest, we'll run them sooner. Let me know if you would like to get in the pool. Greg
For those of you who haven't heard of this before, every other month, we put on a free clinic to help people with their weight and trim, hovering skills and breath control. We bring lot of weights (lot of different amounts and types) as well as swim through hoops and toys.
It is amazing how a few minor adjustments can make your buoyancy smooth out, which reduces air consumption and makes diving really easy.
The second part was practicing some of those great self rescue skills from open water class that people probably haven't practiced since open water class :-). Cramp removal, oral inflation, weight dump, alternate air are all great skills to practice and can solve minor problems before they become major issues.
Remember the golden rule of diving, STOP, BREATH, THINK and ACT. Solve those small problems before them compound into larger ones.
We will run both clinics again in the next two months, or if there is a lot of interest, we'll run them sooner. Let me know if you would like to get in the pool. Greg
Low Pressure Inflator Stuck? What Next?
So, you are out on a great dive and go to put a little air in your BCD. As you press the button a little air goes in and you release the button, but something strange happens, the button sticks in the down position and air keeps flowing into the vest. Why did this happen? Normally, there are two things that can happen, either there is debris (like sand and silt) in the valve or the inflator hasn't been serviced in a looooooonnnnnnggggg time and it sticks form lack of lubrication.
You are asking - does this ever really happen? Well, yes it does. It happened to me in rental gear several years back and I hear stories every once in a while of a fully stuck open low pressure inflator. Often times we repair inflators that are partially sticking, a normal condition before it sticks all the way open.
What do you do? The first and best approach is to immediately lift your right shoulder and pull your shoulder dump to get the air out quickly. One word of warning, you should test your shoulder dump and make sure it can let out all of the air with the inflator valve fully pressed down.
With the shoulder dump open, you can swim to your buddy and get them to disconnect your low pressure inflator (if you are deep), or you can go ahead and swim to the surface and disconnect your LPI there. If you have great dexterity, you can hold your shoulder dump open while disconnecting your LPI as well.
Don't have a shoulder dump, or the shoulder dump isn't letting enough air out, you are going to have to get that inflator disconnected quickly. Make sure you practice disconnecting this underwater wearing the gear. It a lot different disconnecting the LPI underwater under pressure than on the surface. Practice in a safe area like the sand just off the beach in case you have a problem.
Another option would be to hold up your deflator and keep it open, this may or may not work depending on the inflator model (see above when trying this out).
Worst case, if can't stop the BCD form inflating, you'll have to flare out and slow your ascent as much as possible.
All of this should make you think about a couple of things - will I react correctly if my LPI sticks? Will my BCD function as expected and can it dump air if needed? Can I disconnect my LPI underwater? Greg
You are asking - does this ever really happen? Well, yes it does. It happened to me in rental gear several years back and I hear stories every once in a while of a fully stuck open low pressure inflator. Often times we repair inflators that are partially sticking, a normal condition before it sticks all the way open.
What do you do? The first and best approach is to immediately lift your right shoulder and pull your shoulder dump to get the air out quickly. One word of warning, you should test your shoulder dump and make sure it can let out all of the air with the inflator valve fully pressed down.
With the shoulder dump open, you can swim to your buddy and get them to disconnect your low pressure inflator (if you are deep), or you can go ahead and swim to the surface and disconnect your LPI there. If you have great dexterity, you can hold your shoulder dump open while disconnecting your LPI as well.
Don't have a shoulder dump, or the shoulder dump isn't letting enough air out, you are going to have to get that inflator disconnected quickly. Make sure you practice disconnecting this underwater wearing the gear. It a lot different disconnecting the LPI underwater under pressure than on the surface. Practice in a safe area like the sand just off the beach in case you have a problem.
Another option would be to hold up your deflator and keep it open, this may or may not work depending on the inflator model (see above when trying this out).
Worst case, if can't stop the BCD form inflating, you'll have to flare out and slow your ascent as much as possible.
All of this should make you think about a couple of things - will I react correctly if my LPI sticks? Will my BCD function as expected and can it dump air if needed? Can I disconnect my LPI underwater? Greg
Friday, January 30, 2009
OWSI Day 5 and my "Day Off"
Ok, so the post is a bit late. Yesterday was another great day in my OWSI course. We had lectures and then it was time for my Rescue Knowledge Review presentation. The presentation went well with a score of 4.7. I have learned a bunch here and will carry that through to the IE tomorrow. We finished all of the paperwork and I am ready for the IE. We had a late lunch and then I went back to the room and studied. Resistance is futile...
Today I got up bright and early and took Bill Cole up on his offer to check out his new boat the Sea Experience II. I was the only guest on the boat, Bill and the guys took great care of me. It was a beautiful flat day out on the Atlantic and was 78 degrees when I hit the 71 degree water for the first of two great drift dives. The first site was "Hog Heaven" an upside down barge and a large radio tower. The name comes from the "Large amount of hogfish on the site"... sorry didn't see any, but the other fish were there in abundance. Viz was 40 plus feet. 70 feet of water and just three divers in the water. We recovered an anchor at the end of the dive and headed for the next site. "Will's Way" is a nice patch of sand in about 30 feet surrounded by reef. Will is an old Course Director that fought and complained that he did not have a great training site and that his minions were to find one for him. Well, Will got his way.... thus the name. We hit the water and were greeted by a nurse shark just cruising by. We then started drifting south with the gentle current. This time there were just two of us and millions of fish. We were chased by a blue trigger fish and we chased back... hehe, he just kept coming back. From the stories that I have heard I did not want to get bit, even with my extra layer of neoprene. After an hour we surfaced and the boat plucked us out of the ocean. Great Day.
Back to the room to study and make lunch. Ok, it was the other way around. My brain is full and I decided to get up here and post. So here you go. I will post the IE days and be back Sunday.
See you soon,
Carl
Today I got up bright and early and took Bill Cole up on his offer to check out his new boat the Sea Experience II. I was the only guest on the boat, Bill and the guys took great care of me. It was a beautiful flat day out on the Atlantic and was 78 degrees when I hit the 71 degree water for the first of two great drift dives. The first site was "Hog Heaven" an upside down barge and a large radio tower. The name comes from the "Large amount of hogfish on the site"... sorry didn't see any, but the other fish were there in abundance. Viz was 40 plus feet. 70 feet of water and just three divers in the water. We recovered an anchor at the end of the dive and headed for the next site. "Will's Way" is a nice patch of sand in about 30 feet surrounded by reef. Will is an old Course Director that fought and complained that he did not have a great training site and that his minions were to find one for him. Well, Will got his way.... thus the name. We hit the water and were greeted by a nurse shark just cruising by. We then started drifting south with the gentle current. This time there were just two of us and millions of fish. We were chased by a blue trigger fish and we chased back... hehe, he just kept coming back. From the stories that I have heard I did not want to get bit, even with my extra layer of neoprene. After an hour we surfaced and the boat plucked us out of the ocean. Great Day.
Back to the room to study and make lunch. Ok, it was the other way around. My brain is full and I decided to get up here and post. So here you go. I will post the IE days and be back Sunday.
See you soon,
Carl
Thursday, January 29, 2009
OWSI Day 4
The day started off like the others with lectures and presentations. The great thing about all of this is that coming here well prepared has made it possible for me to actually learn more and work on refining what I know rather than getting all of this information for the first time. After the morning lectures it was off to lunch and the "Pro Dive II". Nice boat great crew and excellent dives. No this was not for fun.... oh, okay it was a blast! We headed out to the "Tracy" A nice wreck in 75 feet of water, hehe I got to 77 feet around the hole created by the water flow around the hull. Great swim throughs and lots of fish. It was fun to get to the up side of the current and drift back over the wreck. Now that is what flying is like. Very cool. A beautiful 30 minute dive and up to the safety stop hanging on the line. More like hang gliding... hang on or swim to shore...
We changed tanks and headed in to a nice reef off just off shore a mile or so and headed in to do some "work". The skills were Hover and Underwater Compass Navigation out and back. Control, observe, correct and encourage...
Hover Score: 4.8
Underwater Nav Score: 4.8
The awesome training that I have received and the hard work is really paying off. Knock out the skills and swim the reef. Did I mention that this is the first time that I have dived off of the east coast of Florida?!? What amazing diving! I am going to set up trips and trip and training packages... this is an amazing resource that we have to enhance the fantastic diving that we have in the Gulf. I can describe the dive on the reef as a mini-Roatan dive.
More on training later,
Carl
We changed tanks and headed in to a nice reef off just off shore a mile or so and headed in to do some "work". The skills were Hover and Underwater Compass Navigation out and back. Control, observe, correct and encourage...
Hover Score: 4.8
Underwater Nav Score: 4.8
The awesome training that I have received and the hard work is really paying off. Knock out the skills and swim the reef. Did I mention that this is the first time that I have dived off of the east coast of Florida?!? What amazing diving! I am going to set up trips and trip and training packages... this is an amazing resource that we have to enhance the fantastic diving that we have in the Gulf. I can describe the dive on the reef as a mini-Roatan dive.
More on training later,
Carl
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
OWSI Day 3
Yesterday was another beautiful day in Ft. Lauderdale. I started off by finishing up my last two tests and passed with flying colors... STUDY, STUDY, STUDY... then there were more lectures and discussions. Lunch then to the "Pool" and Confined Water presentations. First was my favorite, Scuba Unit Remove and Replace Underwater. Score 4.8 out of 5. The second was CESA (controlled emergency swimming ascent). Score 4.6... Uh, it is really a good idea not to forget to tell the divers what the signs are for the skill before you descend... uh, duh. the score would have been in the high fours otherwise. Remember that I said in an earlier blog that you need to use the materials provided by PADI to present briefings, well I did... and just skipped the signals, lesson learned.
On to rescue scenario practice. This is one of the most commonly difficult tasks to perform. Not because it is hard, but because there are so many tasks to perform and many decisions to make. I am grateful for all of the practice that I was able to do by assisting with classes and those incredibly fun staff dives while a Divemaster and Assistant instructor... Muscle Memory... Practice!
Ok, today is more lecture and then if the weather cooperates we will head out to the Atlantic to do, uh more skills, and some more fun.
Blog ya later
Carl
On to rescue scenario practice. This is one of the most commonly difficult tasks to perform. Not because it is hard, but because there are so many tasks to perform and many decisions to make. I am grateful for all of the practice that I was able to do by assisting with classes and those incredibly fun staff dives while a Divemaster and Assistant instructor... Muscle Memory... Practice!
Ok, today is more lecture and then if the weather cooperates we will head out to the Atlantic to do, uh more skills, and some more fun.
Blog ya later
Carl
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
After the Dive...
While we all enjoy diving in salt water, that same salt water is the biggest enemy of our expensive diving equipment, which needs to be thoroughly rinsed after each day diving.
This rinsing is accomplished in lots and lots of fresh water. Showers just do not fill the bill. At FUS we use big blue tubs that allow all the equipment to be completely submerged. You can pick up one of these from Wal-Mart, Lowes, or Home Depot for about seven dollars.
Regulators are the equipment most sensitive to salt damage and should be given special care. Before putting your regs into the fresh water tub, check to see that the dust cap is in place. Slosh the equipment around, but do not push any purge buttons. Leave in the rinse water until all gear is in the tub. On removal, dry the regs with a clean towel and store in a cool, dry place, away from light, heat, dust, and fumes. There are storage units made for regulator sets, but a large plastic bag will work also.
Your BCD should also be rinsed in fresh water, both inside and out. To remove the salt from the inside, put about a half gallon of water through the inflator. Slosh like crazy. Drain the BCD through the vents and/or the inflator to remove the rinse water. Then put the BCD into the tub with the regulator and do the sloshing thing again.
The rest of your equipment can now be place in the tub. Slosh, slosh, slosh. Remove the gear from the tub and arrange for drying.
Allow your gear to dry and store in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations.
If your wet suit and boots have started to smell like "eau-de-swamp", it may be time for an odor control treatment and there products to help control the problem. It is a good idea to stop by FUS and check out the maintenance products available. The products work well and are reasonably priced.
By now, with all that sloshing, you are thoroughly wet and should go change your clothes.
Tom
This rinsing is accomplished in lots and lots of fresh water. Showers just do not fill the bill. At FUS we use big blue tubs that allow all the equipment to be completely submerged. You can pick up one of these from Wal-Mart, Lowes, or Home Depot for about seven dollars.
Regulators are the equipment most sensitive to salt damage and should be given special care. Before putting your regs into the fresh water tub, check to see that the dust cap is in place. Slosh the equipment around, but do not push any purge buttons. Leave in the rinse water until all gear is in the tub. On removal, dry the regs with a clean towel and store in a cool, dry place, away from light, heat, dust, and fumes. There are storage units made for regulator sets, but a large plastic bag will work also.
Your BCD should also be rinsed in fresh water, both inside and out. To remove the salt from the inside, put about a half gallon of water through the inflator. Slosh like crazy. Drain the BCD through the vents and/or the inflator to remove the rinse water. Then put the BCD into the tub with the regulator and do the sloshing thing again.
The rest of your equipment can now be place in the tub. Slosh, slosh, slosh. Remove the gear from the tub and arrange for drying.
Allow your gear to dry and store in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations.
If your wet suit and boots have started to smell like "eau-de-swamp", it may be time for an odor control treatment and there products to help control the problem. It is a good idea to stop by FUS and check out the maintenance products available. The products work well and are reasonably priced.
By now, with all that sloshing, you are thoroughly wet and should go change your clothes.
Tom
OWSI Day 2
Good morning.
Day 2 went very well, it started off with tests on physics and physiology. High marks due to lots of prep-work. more lectures, tips and ideas. In the afternoon it was off to get wet... in the "Pool". Really cool setup. We trained in Tiger Tail lake. This is a facility owned by Broward Community College and is set up for all kinds of water sports. The pool is a dock with rectangular hole in the middle and has platforms at varying levels. Off the end of the dock is another pool that is a bit deeper and is made of huge PVC pipes and is marked by large buoys. I completed my swim test here, 800 metres between the pool dock and the sailing pier. It was interesting not having a line on the bottom to follow but a peek now and then kept me on track.
Time for the skill circuit. skills went well and quickly as they could. Just a note to those coming up through the ranks not every one uses the same signals and techniques to perform skills. They are right but they are different. Keep an open mind when moving up to this level, and you might just pick up some techniques that you like better.
After the "Pool" it was time to head to the hotel and make dinner, I was starving! Study, prepare, study some more, prepare.... hmm I don't remember falling asleep in the chair... bed time.
Today I will knock out a couple more tests and I get to do presentations.
More tomorrow,
Carl
Day 2 went very well, it started off with tests on physics and physiology. High marks due to lots of prep-work. more lectures, tips and ideas. In the afternoon it was off to get wet... in the "Pool". Really cool setup. We trained in Tiger Tail lake. This is a facility owned by Broward Community College and is set up for all kinds of water sports. The pool is a dock with rectangular hole in the middle and has platforms at varying levels. Off the end of the dock is another pool that is a bit deeper and is made of huge PVC pipes and is marked by large buoys. I completed my swim test here, 800 metres between the pool dock and the sailing pier. It was interesting not having a line on the bottom to follow but a peek now and then kept me on track.
Time for the skill circuit. skills went well and quickly as they could. Just a note to those coming up through the ranks not every one uses the same signals and techniques to perform skills. They are right but they are different. Keep an open mind when moving up to this level, and you might just pick up some techniques that you like better.
After the "Pool" it was time to head to the hotel and make dinner, I was starving! Study, prepare, study some more, prepare.... hmm I don't remember falling asleep in the chair... bed time.
Today I will knock out a couple more tests and I get to do presentations.
More tomorrow,
Carl
Monday, January 26, 2009
Congratulation to Greg - PADI Master Instructor!
We are proud to announce that Greg has been awarded the PADI Master Instructor rating.
This rating is unique in the PADI System – it is the one rating that is not earned through training. It means that Greg is recognized as an elite dive educator. PADI Master Instructors embody the essence of a true dive professional having demonstrated a thorough understanding of the PADI System of diver education. They are dive industry leaders who help to shape the development of future dive courses.
This is the highest instructor achievment obtainable in the PADI program.
Bo
This rating is unique in the PADI System – it is the one rating that is not earned through training. It means that Greg is recognized as an elite dive educator. PADI Master Instructors embody the essence of a true dive professional having demonstrated a thorough understanding of the PADI System of diver education. They are dive industry leaders who help to shape the development of future dive courses.
This is the highest instructor achievment obtainable in the PADI program.
Bo
OWSI Course
Yesterday was an early start. Up at 03:00 and out the door for the drive to Fort Lauderdale. I arrived at the IDC (Instructor Development Center) for my first day of class. I am the only student in the class and thanks to the excellent training and mentoring by Greg we are moving quickly through the knowledge reviews and lectures. My instructors are very well prepared and informative. I have a Course Director, an IDC Staff Instructor and an IDC Staff Instructor candidate preparing me for the IE (Instructor Examination). This morning is another test then lectures. This afternoon I am off to confined water for physical endurance and skills evaluations.
It sounds like we may be going out on The Hammertime (the shops boat) over the next couple of days for training and um... fun. Yes fun, just like training in all of my other scuba classes there is lots of fun. So far I am having a blast and will keep all of you informed daily unless I do what I did last night... Study, cook, study, eat, study.... pass out...
It is 58 degrees this morning, a bit warmer than Sarasota was yesterday and yesterday afternoon was a pleasant 78 degrees in the late afternoon. I am told that the water may be cold... 67 to 72 degrees in the lake... I m looking forward to the warm water. I will let you know.
Carl
It sounds like we may be going out on The Hammertime (the shops boat) over the next couple of days for training and um... fun. Yes fun, just like training in all of my other scuba classes there is lots of fun. So far I am having a blast and will keep all of you informed daily unless I do what I did last night... Study, cook, study, eat, study.... pass out...
It is 58 degrees this morning, a bit warmer than Sarasota was yesterday and yesterday afternoon was a pleasant 78 degrees in the late afternoon. I am told that the water may be cold... 67 to 72 degrees in the lake... I m looking forward to the warm water. I will let you know.
Carl
Sunday, January 25, 2009
New Assistant Instructor!
I wanted to congratulate Bryant, our newest Assistant Instructor! He did a great job getting through the course and it was a lot of fun to get him certified. Greg
Spanish Rocks
Last two days at the rocks ave been pretty good. I've been training up there after some bad viz reports down at Service Club. Viz has been 6 to 10 feet at the rocks with nice calm conditions. Water temp should be coming back up as we get back to normal temperatures.
And you all laugh at me for having a car with seat heaters!!!!! Greg
And you all laugh at me for having a car with seat heaters!!!!! Greg
Monday, January 19, 2009
Off to the Springs
With good weather here, we decided to head up to the springs for a couple of dives. Of course, by good, I mean bad. Today, we went up to Blue Grotto. To get there at 8:00 AM, I left at 5:30 this morning (dedication). I did a total of five dives, the first was a scuba review and the next ones were Open Water class dives.
For those who haven't been there, Blue Grotto is in Williston, Fl. The Grotto itself is a large spring (http://www.bluegrottodiving.com/) with a moderate sized opening. As you go under the lip making sure to keep a clear 45 degree escape route, there is a lot to
see. The top of the spring opens into a large area with lights and a diving bell at 22 feet. The bottom of the large area is about 60 feet with a swim around that runs around the back on a line to about 100 feet. Over the years, the walls of the main chamber have accumulated a lot of writing. The nice thing was the water temp was a solid 72 degrees.
We are planning a couple of spring diving trips in the near future since we can do them even in bad weather. Let me know if you would like to go. The first picture is of my friend and then another picture of him with his computer to show his depth. Greg
Get Your Kids Diving With PADI Seal Team!!!
The PADI Seal Team program is a great and fun way to introduce kids 8 years old and up to the world of scuba.
We have a regularly scheduled Seal Team session 4:30 PM every Wednesday at Serendipity Racquet Club. I am not sure who is having more fun in these AquaMissions, the kids are having a blast and so am I. It is amazing to see them learn and overcome challenges and yes sometimes fears. They are eager to learn and they take to the water like fish.
This action packed and fun activity is done in a pool and consists of exciting AquaMissions. This is a structured program that allows children to develop skills, learn about the aquatic environment and have great fun doing it.
- Helps children learn responsibility
- Teaches about the aquatic environment
- Fun pool-only experience
- Conducted by certified, trained PADI Professionals
PADI Seal Team
Learn basic scuba skills and safety during the first five Seal Team AquaMissions.
- Buoyancy Control
- Mask Clearing
- Regulator Recovery
- Descent
- Ascent
When the kids complete the first five AquaMissions they are awarded a PADI Seal Team Member Certificate and they are qualified to move on to the Specialty AquaMissions.
Specialty AquaMissions
With a solid foundation built by completing PADI Seal Team, kids move on to Specialty AquaMissions. These reinforce safe diving skills and are lots of fun.
- Creature ID Specialist
- Environmental Specialist
- Inner Space Specialist
- Navigation Specialist
- Night Specialist
- Safety Specialist
- Search & Recovery Specialist
- Skin Diver Specialist
- Snapshot Specialist
- Wreck Specialist
Master Seal Team Members
Once the Seal Team Members complete all ten specialty AquaMissions they have achieved the level of Master Seal Team Member.
What are the requirements? You must be at least 8 years old.
What learning materials do I need? The Seal Team CrewPak includes everything a PADI Seal Team Member needs to prepare for their AquaMissions, including Specialty AquaMissions.
- Video on DVD? Check!
- Activity book? Check!
- Log book pages? Check!
What gear do I need? Mask, snorkel and fins. We are happy to help you find the right gear for your child and make sure that it fits properly. The pool is 84 degrees. Most are fine in that temperature but some do get cold. If you need a wet suit we can help you decide what is best for your child. Regulator, BCD, weights and tanks are provided for the AquaMissions.
If you have any questions please contact us at info@FloridaUnderwaterSports.com
Now lets go diving Seal Team!!!!
Carl
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Good News, Bad News
Spanish Rocks this morning, what wonderful viz and a great day to go diving. My favorite horseshoe crabs were out, lots of fish in the grass beds. Water was completely flat.
That is the good news. Bad news is the water is 59 degrees. When is the next warm front coming through? Greg
That is the good news. Bad news is the water is 59 degrees. When is the next warm front coming through? Greg
Donut Dive January 2009
The air was cold and the dive was cool. When we hit the water the air had warmed up to around 49 degrees. the waves onshore were down to six inches and the water temp at the surface was at 57 degrees... Marcus, Van, Bob, Dan and I enjoyed our coffee and donuts and traded stories... Well Marcus learned about stories... not to far off from most fish stories. It was then time to gear up and get in the water. Marcus, Van, Bob and I geared up and headed into the warmer water... warmer than the air that is. There was a bit of a south flow but minimal waves.
We descended in about eight feet of water and had five to six feet of VIZ. We almost immediately found some rocks and lots of sand dollars. The tour was nice and we found a fair amount of small structure. We also found a large clump of old two to three inch rope, unfortunately we were at the end of the dive and there was too much to cut to get it free. If you are going out there the rope is in eleven feet of water about 125 feet north of the pier. I think that there is only one more strand of three inch to cut to get it free. Let us know if you get it out.
Great dive guys!!! We will see you next month... Location to be determined later.
Carl
Friday, January 16, 2009
AIR2???
Hi - I wanted to take a couple of minutes to explain what an AIR2 is and how it is used. An AIR2 is a combined alternate air source (regulator) and low pressure inflator/deflator on a BCD. The idea of the AIR2 is that is replaces the normal alternate air source (second regulator) that people carry. The advantages are that it removes one more hose from your regulator, making you more streamlined, reduces overall weight and integrates all of the functions into one piece of gear thus reducing the potential failure points in a regulator system.
The AIR2 concept was created by Scubapro in 1979 (and was later copied by a number of manufacturers). AIR2 is currently in its 4th generation.
When Scubapro designed the AIR2, they found that the standard low pressure inflator hose found on BCDs could not deliver enough air at deeper dives in an emergency and so they designed a inflator hose that could deliver about 5 times the amount of air to the diver. This is an important distinction between manufacturers, note whether the standard low pressure inflator hose is used for other integrated octo/low pressure inflator combos.
Even though the low pressure inflator hose is not standard, there is one major positive about it - the collar around the air chuck is much larger and easier to remove than that of a standard BC hose.
The current generation of AIR2 has some cool features. It has a fixed venturi assist to help you breathe, fully one hand operation to make it easy to switch to and ascend with while holding your buddy, is SELF-FLUSHING (just press the purge button in water and it will flush the whole system out and of course comes with free parts for life.
So how is this used. If you have a buddy that runs out of air, they come up to you and you hand them your primary reg out of your mouth while you put the AIR2 into your mouth. The curve of the BCD inflator hose is perfect and long enough to make it comfortable to breath from. As you ascend with the out of air diver, you can inflate or deflate as needed while breathing from the AIR2. The AIR2 is positioned so that all of the AIR will come out of your BCD when you press the deflate button. As you reach the surface, keep the AIR2 in your mouth, inflate your BCD and hold your buddy up while they orally inflate or drop their weights to get positive.
If for some reason you have to orally inflate your BCD on the surface, the AIR2 works the same way that a normal inflator would, simply take a breath, and while pressing the deflate button, blow into the mouthpiece.
If you are considering an AIR2 and have never used one before, I strongly recommend you do some air sharing exercises with your buddy or an instructor. When we sell an AIR2 to somebody that has not used one before, we throw in a free pool session to get them fully acquainted with sharing air drills with ascents.
If you would like to see an AIR2, let me know. Greg
Come in and see the New UK Light - AquaSun eLED® Rechargeable
Brightness: 825 lumens. Did you know that LEDs are most intense when kept cool? UK designed this light with two high intensity LEDs that are attached to a heat sink which is in direct contact with the water through the front lens. This clever patented system keeps the LEDs cool. A unique reflector combines the beams of the 2 LEDs into a single beam which is almost twice as bright underwater. The white color of the LED light penetrates water better than light from conventional incandescent lamps, allowing greater visibility.
Power usage: The AquaSun has an electronic circuit that monitors the LEDs and prevents overheating when used out of water. You can select full power or battery saving mode. Even though the LEDs are extremely efficient in power usage, they exceed the capacity of disposable alkaline batteries and must be powered by a rechargeable battery pack. The NiCad rechargeable battey provides 2 hours of light at full power on a single charge.
Power usage: The AquaSun has an electronic circuit that monitors the LEDs and prevents overheating when used out of water. You can select full power or battery saving mode. Even though the LEDs are extremely efficient in power usage, they exceed the capacity of disposable alkaline batteries and must be powered by a rechargeable battery pack. The NiCad rechargeable battey provides 2 hours of light at full power on a single charge.
Along with all these great features it also has interchangable lantern and pistol grips. Come by the store and check it out. Bo
Weight: 2.4 pounds
Dept Rating: 150 meters
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Assistant Instructors?
So, if you have trained with us, you may have been working with an Assistant Instructor during part of your training. What does that actually mean?
Let's start with a very brief explination of the PADI (Proffesional Association of Dive Instructors) structure. To start off your professional diving career, you become a PADI member when you apply for and are accepted as a Divemaster (see prior blog for info on Divemaster). From there, you can take a ~4 day course and become an Assistant Instructor (AI). From there, you only have to take the Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) course and pass the instructor exam to become a full Instructor. Most people combine the AI and the OWSI into one week long course called the Instructor Development Course (IDC). After that they take the two day exam and are a full instructor.
So, what can you do as an AI. Basically put, you can teach the Open Water Scuba course under the direct supervision of an Instructor. Which means you get to work directly with students from beginning to end. Introducing people to diving can be extremely rewarding. Also, you can independently complete the pool session only Discover Scuba Diving.
For a lot of people, being an AI is a career. Most of those people are not here in the US though. For the most part scuba instruction in the US is taught by part timers who have "real" jobs on the side and they teach scuba for the fun and extra money they can make. In the rest of the world however, teaching scuba is considered a full time job. Even though the pay is small, often times Divemasters, AIs, OWSIs rely on tourist tips to augment their income and a professional that has a lot of hustle can make a good deal of money. I know a number of American ex-pats that are doing quite well on Caribbean islands.
Overall, being an AI is not that difficult. The course consists of four parts and each part is performance based, not time based. This means that you get to become proficient at teaching scuba and get comfortable, and not simply just meet a criteria for X number of hours. There are 8 lectures that you have to attend - a little over a days worth. You have to prepare and deliver at least two micro teaching presentations. Micro teaching is just a way to help you organize how you present info to students so that they retain it. The final parts are two confined water and open water teaching presentations. Remember that the system is performance based, so if you have a weak area that needs work, you'll get more practice to build it up.
PADI has built a fantastic instructional system. The basis of this system comes from the founder who in the sixties recognized that scuba instruction could benefit from an organized approach similar to what was being used in more progressive colleges and schools at the time. PADI's system has been copied numerous times, but still remains the gold standard for scuba educational systems.
What I enjoy about the PADI system is that it clearly defines what divers need to do to become certified, communicates it ahead of time and then is also performance based, meaning that divers can take as along or as little time as needed to master skills that they need for their level. Compared to the old days of training, it has come a long way.
If you want more info, let me know. Greg
Let's start with a very brief explination of the PADI (Proffesional Association of Dive Instructors) structure. To start off your professional diving career, you become a PADI member when you apply for and are accepted as a Divemaster (see prior blog for info on Divemaster). From there, you can take a ~4 day course and become an Assistant Instructor (AI). From there, you only have to take the Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) course and pass the instructor exam to become a full Instructor. Most people combine the AI and the OWSI into one week long course called the Instructor Development Course (IDC). After that they take the two day exam and are a full instructor.
So, what can you do as an AI. Basically put, you can teach the Open Water Scuba course under the direct supervision of an Instructor. Which means you get to work directly with students from beginning to end. Introducing people to diving can be extremely rewarding. Also, you can independently complete the pool session only Discover Scuba Diving.
For a lot of people, being an AI is a career. Most of those people are not here in the US though. For the most part scuba instruction in the US is taught by part timers who have "real" jobs on the side and they teach scuba for the fun and extra money they can make. In the rest of the world however, teaching scuba is considered a full time job. Even though the pay is small, often times Divemasters, AIs, OWSIs rely on tourist tips to augment their income and a professional that has a lot of hustle can make a good deal of money. I know a number of American ex-pats that are doing quite well on Caribbean islands.
Overall, being an AI is not that difficult. The course consists of four parts and each part is performance based, not time based. This means that you get to become proficient at teaching scuba and get comfortable, and not simply just meet a criteria for X number of hours. There are 8 lectures that you have to attend - a little over a days worth. You have to prepare and deliver at least two micro teaching presentations. Micro teaching is just a way to help you organize how you present info to students so that they retain it. The final parts are two confined water and open water teaching presentations. Remember that the system is performance based, so if you have a weak area that needs work, you'll get more practice to build it up.
PADI has built a fantastic instructional system. The basis of this system comes from the founder who in the sixties recognized that scuba instruction could benefit from an organized approach similar to what was being used in more progressive colleges and schools at the time. PADI's system has been copied numerous times, but still remains the gold standard for scuba educational systems.
What I enjoy about the PADI system is that it clearly defines what divers need to do to become certified, communicates it ahead of time and then is also performance based, meaning that divers can take as along or as little time as needed to master skills that they need for their level. Compared to the old days of training, it has come a long way.
If you want more info, let me know. Greg
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
New Assistant Instructor
Congratulations to Bryant J. Turffs our newest Assistant Instructor. Look for Bryant on our charters and in our classes. He is a full-time student at New College and holds a Captain's License. Bo
Monday, January 12, 2009
Seal Team Report
Kegan received his Seal Team Certificate Wednesday. He is helping his friend Miles through his Seal Team by exhibiting good and safe diving behavior. Miles has completed AquaMission two and is more than half way through to his own certificate... Way to go Miles!!! You did a great job blowing bubbles while your regulator was out of your mouth and had no trouble clearing your regulator when you got it back into your mouth. It continues to be a pleasure to train these youngsters, (hehe I said youngsters...) in the pool. They are like fish and are having a blast.We are growing too, Joshua and Andoni will be join the training this Wednesday...
We look forward to sharing scuba with the kids.
Carl
Slightly Delayed Viz Report
Yea, yea... Didn't really get this one posted in a timely manner. Sorry about that, but having said that, Saturday at Service Club was a solid 1 to 3 feet of viz with water temps all the way up to 70 in places. Didn't find anything good.
Sunday, we did three dives off of Spanish Rocks. We use the rocks when viz gets really low down south, the sugar sand seems to settle out of the water a bit faster. Viz was 4 to 8 feet and pretty decent. We did three dives and certified 4 new divers! Congrats to Franklin, Matt, Alex and Fred (and Jenna for getting her dad to go diving).
One resource you may want to bookmark for longer range forecasts for beach diving is Magic Seaweed, http://magicseaweed.com/Venice-Beach-Surf-Report/58/detailedLongRange/us/. The site is very accurate. The only issue I have found is sometimes when the wind swings around to the east, they will show a larger swell than what we see coming form the south and north. If anything, conditions tend to be a little better than shown. Their long range forecast is very accurate. Greg
Sunday, we did three dives off of Spanish Rocks. We use the rocks when viz gets really low down south, the sugar sand seems to settle out of the water a bit faster. Viz was 4 to 8 feet and pretty decent. We did three dives and certified 4 new divers! Congrats to Franklin, Matt, Alex and Fred (and Jenna for getting her dad to go diving).
One resource you may want to bookmark for longer range forecasts for beach diving is Magic Seaweed, http://magicseaweed.com/Venice-Beach-Surf-Report/58/detailedLongRange/us/. The site is very accurate. The only issue I have found is sometimes when the wind swings around to the east, they will show a larger swell than what we see coming form the south and north. If anything, conditions tend to be a little better than shown. Their long range forecast is very accurate. Greg
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Specialty of the Month – Discover Scuba
Hurry – offer ends on January 31st!
You don't have to be a kid to enjoy Scuba Diving. Any man or woman who is reasonably fit and/or comfortable in the water can be certified as a Scuba Diver. Nobody's too young or too old to start Scuba Diving
Know someone who is intrigued with scuba diving? If they come into the store, take a “Discover Scuba” experience and then sign up for an Open Water class, we will give you a $10 store credit and they will get $20 off the cost of class. They need to let us know that you referred them when they sign up for the Open Water class.
Right now, we have classes running almost every week due to high demand. We work with our students to tailor the class schedule to fit their schedule. So, for example if you can’t make an open water session, we’ll have another one coming up within a day or two of the one you can’t make and we’ll add you to that schedule. Bo
Click here: Discover Scuba – January Special!
You don't have to be a kid to enjoy Scuba Diving. Any man or woman who is reasonably fit and/or comfortable in the water can be certified as a Scuba Diver. Nobody's too young or too old to start Scuba Diving
Know someone who is intrigued with scuba diving? If they come into the store, take a “Discover Scuba” experience and then sign up for an Open Water class, we will give you a $10 store credit and they will get $20 off the cost of class. They need to let us know that you referred them when they sign up for the Open Water class.
Right now, we have classes running almost every week due to high demand. We work with our students to tailor the class schedule to fit their schedule. So, for example if you can’t make an open water session, we’ll have another one coming up within a day or two of the one you can’t make and we’ll add you to that schedule. Bo
Click here: Discover Scuba – January Special!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
The Viz is Here!!!!
Out to M8 today and as I dropped the anchor, I kept watching go down and down. Good 40'+ of viz with about 25' at M4. Great time to get out and go diving! Reports were there were a ton of fish on the landing craft. Greg
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!!!!
Hi all - I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for the great year that we had last year. Our first full calendar year in business and we couldn't have done it without all of you. I look forward to diving with all of you in the coming year and hope for all the best for you, your friends and family.
The dive last night was incredible - 30 foot viz and a LOT of sea life! What a way to spend the new years. We will have some pictures and video soon. Greg
The dive last night was incredible - 30 foot viz and a LOT of sea life! What a way to spend the new years. We will have some pictures and video soon. Greg
Bringing In The New Year Underwater
Hmmm, let me just say WOW! What a great dive.
Spanish Rocks did not disappoint. We headed out at 11:30 PM and hit the water. A bit skeptical about the VIZ and possible surge due to the small waves and on-shore breeze. Both concerns were unfounded.
Like something out of a Sci-Fi or James Bond movie it was dark and the mysterious men and women entered the water with glow sticks, lights and stealth... Hehe... Sorry, it was cool though. We descended in eight feet of water and Greg lead us straight out to the rocks and the show. Sweeping beams of light and flashing fish, then the first of many exceptional sightings, a prehistoric creature shoveling the sand at an incredible pace was a platter sized horseshoe crab. We gathered round to watch and when he had enough he scurried off. Next we were soaring over the rocks and a large pile of shells got my curiosity up. I inverted and peeked under the ledge to see a beautiful LARGE octopus, he was not happy to see me and puffed up and turned red, amazing. Then it was large yellow filefish, horned trunkfish, trigger fish and the dreaded toad fish. But wait, there is more to come, we then happened upon a two foot stingray and following him through his glide over the area. Yes there was more, on the way back in was another horseshoe crab forgetting about evolution. It was several minutes into the New Year and time to leave this exhilarating dive behind.
Happy New Year!
Join us next year for this great tradition
Carl
Spanish Rocks did not disappoint. We headed out at 11:30 PM and hit the water. A bit skeptical about the VIZ and possible surge due to the small waves and on-shore breeze. Both concerns were unfounded.
Like something out of a Sci-Fi or James Bond movie it was dark and the mysterious men and women entered the water with glow sticks, lights and stealth... Hehe... Sorry, it was cool though. We descended in eight feet of water and Greg lead us straight out to the rocks and the show. Sweeping beams of light and flashing fish, then the first of many exceptional sightings, a prehistoric creature shoveling the sand at an incredible pace was a platter sized horseshoe crab. We gathered round to watch and when he had enough he scurried off. Next we were soaring over the rocks and a large pile of shells got my curiosity up. I inverted and peeked under the ledge to see a beautiful LARGE octopus, he was not happy to see me and puffed up and turned red, amazing. Then it was large yellow filefish, horned trunkfish, trigger fish and the dreaded toad fish. But wait, there is more to come, we then happened upon a two foot stingray and following him through his glide over the area. Yes there was more, on the way back in was another horseshoe crab forgetting about evolution. It was several minutes into the New Year and time to leave this exhilarating dive behind.
Happy New Year!
Join us next year for this great tradition
Carl
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