Instructor Diary

Volunteering at DUI DOG Days!

2010-06-11T04:21:00.000-07:00

The weekend started with a breifing from Dave at DUI. There was a great showing from professionals from all over the midwest. As one of the in-water volunteers it was nice leading new drysuit divers and have a chance to get to know all of my scuba peers all gathered in one place.

The DUI Dog Day event is not just the biggest and best of its kind, but it's set up to make it a very hassle-free afternoon of dry suit diving whether the diver is dry-suit certified or not.

The DUI Zip-Seal collars and wrist seals are hot swappable. At this first of seven stations, neck and wrist sizes are checked by trained professionals making it fun and convenient to have personal attention at each stage.

By the last stage, the diver finds them selves all completely suited-up and ready to get in the water.

Dock support even helps you out and assists you with your gear! It just doesn't get any more convenient than this!

At this particular event, we had a surprise visit by the owner of DUI, Dick Long! (green shirt at right). Here he spends some time talking to some practicing real-life rescue divers from a local Sheriff's dive team. DUI supplies nearly all public rescue teams and special forces teams in the U.S. military with the best in drysuit technology. I loved checking out the rescue diver's communication system, the OTS AquaComm! Very cool! Speaking of new technology, after speaking with Mr. Long, he invited me to try a prototype of a new electrically-heated DUI drysuit! 60 feet down, at 44 degree's and I was still nice and toasty! What a great day!

Afterwards, it was time for a celebratory dinner and desert for all the divers and volunteers! Thanks to DUI, the other volunteer professionals, and the test divers for a great weekend of diving and experiences!

Sunny Scuba on Memorial Weekend!

2010-05-31T03:55:00.000-07:00

The Memorial Day holiday couldn't have been better for an entire weekend of diving!
White Star Park was crowded with divers....

...and with gear!

But big congratulations were the order of this weekend with some major accomplishments in all of our diving careers!

I have to especially congratulate my best dive buddy and girlfriend Denise for completing her Advanced Open Water scuba certification! Here she and her classmates get a predive breifing from Dave (right) from Great Lakes Dive Center. They completed their Night Dive, Search & Recovery, Navigation, Deep Dive, and Peak Performance Bouyancy. Congratulations to her classmates too!

Dave also officially welcomed me to the professional ranks of scuba with my Professional Association of Dive Instructors certificate. As you can see, we both have our happy grins on because we both know that this is where the fun is really about to begin!! Thanks to Dave for all his help. Keith (centered) was presented with his certificate as well, congratulations to Keith also!

Then it was time for Denise to give me my congratulatory hug! Ahhhh! ;-)

After the activities, Dave and Jim (rear, another instructor at GLDC) chat (I suspect) about how I coerced Jim to go on a regreational dive mission with me. He told Dave he wasn't doing any recreational diving. I think Dave was trying to figure out the secret talent I used to get him fired-up to get in the water! ;-) Good thing because we had a blast. My and Jim's morning mission was to find a sunken police car in the deep side of the Quarry was a great success! What a great dive that was with my buddy Jim!, and what a great weekend it was for our whole crew!

Girl Scouts Go Girl!

2010-03-20T15:45:00.001-07:00

PADI helped put together a scuba program and merit badge for the Boy Scouts, but it was all Girl Scouts and Girl Scout supporters in the pool this weekend for DISCOVER SCUBA! It started out with lots of excitement while everyone jumped into the water, sorted out and found their best-sized gear, but then it was all about fun in the pool!

I noticed that under-water torpedo games seemed to be a favorite, but equally popular was the discussions on the pool deck focusing on all of our fine-tuned distance launching strategies.

Jim (left), Mary, Kayla, and I threw some mean torpedo's--I think Jim got the distance award--but we all enjoyed the laughs we had about our sincere, concentrated efforts to squeeze more fun out of our attempts!

Congratulations to all the other successful girl scouts who came by today too, we all had a great time!

Disneynature film will help save reefs

2010-02-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

Disneynature launched last year with a tree-planting initiative for every ticket sold during the first week of its first documentary, Earth, and now the film company wants to help protect coral reefs in honor of its newest production, Oceans.

Disneynature has partnered with the The Nature Conservancy for "See Oceans, Save Oceans," in which a portion of every ticket sold for opening week will help establish new marine protected areas in the Bahamas to preserve coral reefs. Oceans opens in theaters April 22, which is Earth Day.

Popular SCUBA diving myths and urban legends exposed

2009-10-19T05:45:00.000-07:00

SCUBA diving is one of the most beautiful and enjoyable activities on the planet today, at least according to dive industry officials.

Despite the beauty (and challenges) that go with SCUBA diving, there are many myths out there keeping people out of the water. Here's a brief look at SCUBA myths AND realities!

MYTH: Diving is a very dangerous activity
TRUTH: When done within the guidelines you’ll learn about in your open water certification course, diving has an extraordinary safety record. Diving is an exciting activity that combines all the thrills of exploration and adventure, with a safety record that compares favorably to sports such as bowling.

MYTH: Diving is complicated and difficult to learn
TRUTH: Learning to dive is easy today. Professional diving instructors use all the learning materials and proven strategies to make it simple and fun to learn. Before you know it you’ll be breathing underwater and using all the cool "toys" that make diving easier than ever before to learn and participate regularly.

MYTH: You have to be in top physical condition to dive
TRUTH: Like any active sport, diving is more enjoyable if you’re physically fit. And you do need some basic swimming skills in order to learn. But it’s nothing extreme; if you’re comfortable in the deep end of a pool, can swim, and you can walk for several minutes without getting winded, you can probably learn to dive.

MYTH: The ocean is full of dangerous animals like sharks
TRUTH: Most divers actually consider a shark sighting to be a special and memorable occasion, since it is rare to see them. While such critters as sharks and barracuda should be respected and treated as wild animals, the vast majority subsist on a diet of things considerably smaller than a scuba diver. In fact, most sharks and barracuda are somewhat intimidated by divers; with our long fins and other equipment, we appear big to them … something they don’t want to mess with! Besides, it’s a myth that sharks are perpetually hungry or are always on the attack. It’s not uncommon at all for a shark to go two weeks without hunting, and in one documented case, a healthy shark did not eat for better than a year.

MYTH: It’s expensive
TRUTH: When you put it up against other leisure activities, such as owning a quality mountain bike, golfing, boating, or skiing, diving compares very favorably. And the more you dive, the more true that becomes. Dive gear, for instance, is very durable and can last for years and years; after a short while, the cost of your gear can work out to just a few pennies per dive.

Credit to our friends at the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) for assisting in creating this list.

Girl Power!

2009-08-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

It started out a couple of chilly mornings this weekend in Open Water Class! But the weather wasn't going to hold this class back before everyone started jumping in!...

Then it was back out of the water to... dry their hair?? No. Some dry land navigation skills basics! Towel overhead, dive compass in hand, and guided by their dive buddy, the students perilously criss'd and cross'd the north side of the parking lot very successfully!

The girls seemed to be the dominant group today (who out-numbered the boys 2-1!). As you can see, they're very happy to show their scuba gender-team camaraderie! ;-)

Poor Sabrina wasn't pictured above because, since she's only eleven years old!, her high energy level always seemed to keep her two fin-kicks ahead of the rest of the girls! Great going Sabrina!

After receiving their official Open Water Diver Certificate, Leslie & Nicole just had to show how they and all of us divers feel, "Like a Supa-Stahr!!" ;-)

Don't forget to add your comments below...
[Click here for a few more pics]

GLDC Graduate Goes Abroad

2009-08-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

GLDC Spring class graduate, Sofia, keeps in touch by sharing a few pics for the rest of us homeland-bound divers... she's in Mexico and taking the diver's tour of the best sites down south.

It looks like she's been having a great time in ChiKin-Ha Cenote, Playa del Carmen, and Cozumel.

She's baraged me with so many great photos; but most of them have a wide group of sponges, corals and tropical fish! Can't wait to get her first-hand account of her first salt-water adventures! By the pictures and the smiles it seems to be a great success, great going Sofia!

August 2009 Class Ready for the Water

2009-08-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

With a full class load of students this weekend, we were busy getting through only half of the required skills so it'll be back in the pool next weekend!

In between skills I had no shortage of willing underwater subjects for my class pictures I must say! (Here we have subjects #1 & #2)

And then yet another subject, #3...

But this happens to be my favorite! ;-) I'm afraid to say that my girlfriend stole my show with her finely tuned bouyancy skills! Good going hunny!! ;-) (Sorry other students...)

Chicago Shedd Aquarium Opens Up!

2009-08-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

On my favorite TODAY Show I saw that Beluga Whales are the talk of the Shedd Aquarium this summer! Although not quite a diver's destination yet like the Epcot Living Seas or the Maui Ocean Center, the Shedd Aquarium is opening its doors to the public to experience some one-on-one time in the water with one of the most rare and endangered species in the ocean.

Note to Shedd: Make diving another piece of your public outreach, "build it", and the divers will come! ;-)

Regina mas Fina!

2009-06-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

Rec & Tec Diving charters operating out of Port Sanilac is responsible for the smiles on our faces here! Captain Gary Venet was the very gracious host for the day for our dive on the "Regina".

Jim and I were pretty much all smiles the whole afternoon... Luckily the weather held out and we only saw SUN allll day! ;-)

Gary's boat was incredibly clean and organized which made boat-side pre-dive activities flow so much smoother... I have to say that his charters are highly recommended!

I'd L...O...V...E... to say I have pictures to show you about our dive... BUT, "Note to self: Keep the moisture out of your camera before your dive!"

When closing up your underwater camera, BE SURE there's no moisture in it! When traveling downwards from an 80 degree topside temp to the sub 40 degree water of the Regina at 90 feet, that condensation DOES NOT help make for quality photos when the lens completely fogs over! :-( Oh well, I guess you'll just have to dive it for yourself to see all the Majesty!
[Click here for more pics]

Gitmo Got It!

2009-06-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is a GREAT story that I came across while watching some early morning news (before my day's dive on the Regina!)... very thankful for having seen it!

This organization MUST be represented! "S.U.D.S." is Soldiers Undertaking Disabled Scuba. This group allows for disabled veterans to dive the untouched, U.S. Military protected coral reefs of Guantanamo, Cuba. In fact, everyday divers can reportedly take charters from the Bahamas and Mexico to meet up with military divemasters off the coast near Gitmo to experience what is claimed to be the most untouched, natural coral reefs in the world.

Military vets come from all over the world to experience the freedom and serenity that diving can bring to not just most everyday diver, but especially to the disabled. Here a military diver tries out a prosthetic leg with a modified fin that allows him to make the same dive that you or I take so much for granted.

If you have a chance, peruse the SUDS website and learn more about their program!

Passionate New Divers

2009-06-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is a relaxed but proud portrait of the future Summer GLDC Class of future divers! Everyone's skills improved markedly today, whether by bouyancy control or equipment handling, these divers are ready for the open water, I put my stamp of approval on it!

Dave (right), helps students with proper alternate air source sharing form; locking arms and keeping together is critical to a successful safe exercise.

Unfortunately for Julie, she caught my photographic radar today. It's not just because she caught my attention by some unknown instructor filling her diving cap with air at one point in the class (not pictured), but that she unknowingly captured my eye as the most improved student of the day! At first she was intimidated by a mere giant stride entry, but by the end of the day she was fine tuning her bouyancy skills!

Great job today guys, and good luck next weekend at White Star!

(P.S. Keep in touch and lets go diving the next weekend!)

An Undisclosed Location!

2009-06-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

This is the only photo allowed to be released by my scuba buddy dive team for the day. Our treasure trove of goodies we found for the day is to be kept secret, Shhhh! and watch out for the tankers!

My prized find, a "Hathorn Springs, Saratoga, N.Y." bottle is rumored to be "beginner's luck", but when I look at it on my shelf, I think differently! ;-)

A history excerpt from "HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.", by NATHANIEL BARTLETT SYLVESTER:

This spring is on Spring street, directly opposite the north wing of Congress Hall. It was discovered in 1869 by some workmen employed in placing the foundation of the brick block which contains the ball-room of Congress Hall. It is named in honor of the Hon. Henry H. Hathorn, who first developed the spring and rebuilt the famous Congress Hall Hotel. The spring was very securely tubed in 1872, at the large expense of $15,000. The Hathorn spring has since become one of the most valuable springs in Saratoga. Large quantities of water are bottled and sold in the leading towns and cities of the United States and Canada.

My cool bottle dates back to the 1880's! And at dinner that night, someone revealed a hair tonic bottle from London, England that dates back to the 1820's! There's good stuff in the St. Clair River, go dive it (with me)!

Cultural Experiences in Diving

2009-06-08T00:07:00.000-07:00

The store was busy today! Mitch (far right) had stories to share with some divers from Yugoslovia; especially since he's just days from travelling there to see family! If that's not ironic enough, they're currently living and working in Toronto where Mitch's wife used to call home... it's such a small (but fun) world!

And then came Andy whose from Birmingham, England! It turns out that Andy lives 20 minutes north of Canary Warf where my brother used to live!

I still had to put him through the paces with his 200 yard swim... my joke about shaving 10 seconds off of his lap time was really my subliminal hint to prepare him for at least his Rescue Diver training! ;-)

Frank (top, center) is a peer instructor student with me who joined Mitch to lead an entire class of new Open Water divers-to-be.

Another great weekend of meeting future dive buddies!

DUI "Dog" Days Delight!

2009-05-31T05:46:00.000-07:00

To say that Drysuit diving is nicer because "its warmer" doesn't quite describe the experience completely! DUI's "DOG" (DUI Owners Group) Day lets divers experience it first hand and try out the entire line of dry suits available to them.

The first aerial shot was courteousy of Vertical Reality's climbing and repelling tower! The tower is the tallest in the Midwest and hosts training sessions from public rescue agency's as well as letting walk in customers don some gear and try out repelling! Bring your scuba gear and your harness!

My dive buddy, Mitch (students know him as their instructor from GLDC), was a popular guy with his new friends down at Gilboa Quarry! His CLX 450 dry suit kept him nice and toasty and nearly doubled his play time!

I opted for the TLS 350 suit which kept me comfy too! I felt very comfortable exploring Gilboa Airline's Grumman airplane! ;-) Mitch caught me coming down the gang plank... There's so much to explore here at Gilboa, take a moment and check out the site.

Here's an eery view from inside the plane, yikes! Hope you get to come down to explore the quarry first hand, you won't regret it. Email me or Mitch anytime and we'll buddy with you for Gilboa (or anywhere else! ;-)

Ty Sawyer, from "Sport Diver" magazine was here today snapping shots. DUI's event at Gilboa is the largest dry suit event in the country and will be featured in September's issue. Be sure to check out his photos!

Representatives from Divers Alert Network and DUI spoke about their involvement in the industry. Very impressive was DUI's all-American production facility in San Diego! Personal pics of the great staff working on every aspect of DUI suit production, from sewing to quality control testing. Mention's of respectful involvement in the movie industry as well with help in filming diving scenes in movies like Mission Imposible and the Italian Job. DUI is a very impressive company indeed!

DUI put 172 divers in the water on Saturday alone, but Mitch and I were just happy to be 2 of them! We met fellow dive enthusiasts, DUI dive professionals, and rounded out our own dive experiences by test driving our favorite dry suits! A very successful day!

[Click here to see the entire set of pics!]

Open Water Divers at White Star

2009-05-25T02:02:00.000-07:00

Everyone enjoyed the weekend's initial dive brief under great weather and a beautiful sun! Luckily our group started early and grabbed some valuable picnic table space while the rest of the day brought out nearly 100 divers that filled-in almost the entire lake-front shoreline!

Soon, everyone was entering the water and the challenge of weekend OWD Skills were on!

White Star Quarry has done a great job at developing their site to cater to all divers, experienced and the divers-in-training, by providing these great submerged platforms for skills tests.

Mitch (left), an instructor at Great Lakes Dive Center, congratulates a student after a successful controlled emergency swimming ascent to the surface from the training platform. As you can see, visibility here is one of the best in the Great Lakes area.

After a long first day, what better to cap off the night than a tall tasty treat from the local ice cream parlor extradinaire, "Mr. Freeze"! (No relation to the chilly May waters of White Star! ;-)

And who could resist the temptation's of the Ohio "Buckeye Sundae", or my favorite, the "Mudd Sundae" complete with Oreos, Hot Fudge and Gummy Worms! Mmmm!

Some students learned a valuable lesson not to be found in the Instructor Manual... Clean and "Dry" your wetsuit out after your dives! Some of the students found their wetsuits a little chilly on Sunday morning! ;-) But that didn't stop them from getting back in the water with a giant stride entry into the day's activities.

I think Sofia embodies all the satisfaction of becoming a new Diver in this picture! Now a new PADI Open Water Diver, she enjoy's the comfort and peace of mind every diver has after great dives, meeting great new friends, and the thought of great new underwater opportunities!

Great going GLDC Spring Class of '09!

Looking forward to diving with you all in the future!

[Click here for more pics!]

White Star Quarry Enjoys 60' Visibility!

2009-05-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Who is that masked man at the top of the quarry!? It's eerily similar to the "Christ of the Abyss" statue from the Florida Keys!

I'm not sure about other divers this weekend, but at White Star Quarry in Ohio, I saw crystal-clear views like these were found on every dive! I can't express how fun it was to dive in the clarity and content of this site that made up such a fulfilling experience!

On top of the stone crusher in the quarry is "Instructor X", a soon-to-be dive instructor exploring the quarry's in's and outs down near the stone crusher passageway.

This unidentified diver we'll call "jacket winner" didn't want to be identified to keep his cool demeanor absent from the paporazi-style coverage of the weekend. This weekend's focus was on the students to be instructed rather than promoting the success of his dive jacket pursuits.

B-U-T, it wasn't all study, study, study!

When you're not busy doing instructor-in-training skills, why not ride an underwater motorcycle at exceptionally high speed (not really) to keep you grounded!?!?

But whatever you do do, don't STOP taking education classes! To stop diving experiences, training or diving, you limit yourself! Never stop taking your continuing education classes and you'll forever find yourself in new and ever expanding situations of discovery!
[Click for more pics]

Reward offered for Barbie Pirate

2009-04-18T12:00:00.001-07:00

This spy photo has been obtained by scubabyjoe.com that shows that Barbie's home on the bow of the one of the wrecks in Union Lake is becoming jeopardized!

This yet-to-be-identified diver is the leading prospective criminal! Yielding a knife in his right hand and a strong grip on the victim in his left, he's not to be trifled with!

Join the effort by emailing savebarbie@scubabyjoe.com!

How do you map a dive site?

2009-04-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

It takes some planning and team effort to map a dive site, but it can also be done on your own! Some critical materials to have on hand: Blank dive slates for notes, graph paper, compass, etc., etc., etc....

Nonetheless, the more knowledge you accumulate or that you have available, the more safe your diving will be!

We're all confident now that we have a navigable map that we can pass along to our students;, value to us and value to new divers!

[Click for more pics]

Looking in the Library

2009-04-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

In a recent visit to the local library I decided to investigate the scuba-related resources available...

I found a sufficient shelf of introductory books, but with a little picking I also came across these great DVD videos that are directed at kids! Perfect way for them to start their learning!

It's nice to have these titles in mind when teaching DISCOVER classes which often include younger divers! not to mention the convenience of the availability at the library!

Instructors Converge in Class

2009-04-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

It wasn't just PADI course backpack's loaded full of study materials, dive slates and a boring old-school teaching environment...

It was a whole weekend of concentrated pool sessions focused on refinement of teaching scuba skills; and it was a huge success!

Instructor students from Adventure Scuba Center and Great Lakes Dive Center built camaraderie through entire days of practice in the pool. We're all excited from our successes and are looking forward to our long futures as dive professionals!

I think I speak for all of us (students) when I give an emphatic "Thank You!" to the professional staffs at these two great dive shops for such a well run weekend!

Videos for Viewing

2009-04-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

For the curious "fan" of everything diving, here's a nice collection of videos that show all the details behind various scuba equipment...

Ever wondered how your first-stage hardware was machined??

The answer lies here...

For more videos, see these.

Can't Stop this New Class!

2009-03-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

Austin, Swap (nickname), Jason, Dave, Nick, Coty, and Brandon gave spirited stories this morning about their passions for learning to dive. In our breaks I was privy to find out that Jason has had some interesting adventures in military diving, Dave is really dedicated to a long-time future as a scuba student, and Swap already has half of his equipment purchased! These guys were ready to dive now!

Step one in the pool is to start with the first few skills tests. The skill seemed routine for everyone during the 10 minute treading water exercise... but "hands-up and "feet-only" suggestions showed that everyone was prepared and ready for the challenge today!

DISCOVER Scuba Galore!

2009-03-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

"Equalization" was the popular skill of the afternoon with a visit from a local Boy Scout troupe this afternoon! Equalization is the skill of taking pressure off of your air spaces (primarily your ears). The boys and friends and family stopped by and everyone who was water-worthy and adventurous was dunked in the pool and many new scuba enthusiasts were born!

Speaking of new enthusiasts, newly immersed scuba diver Stephanie happened to be quite intimidated by the "equalization" challenge of the deep end of the pool so she stayed happily behind to watch... for now!

Before I could join Stephanie in her 2nd DISCOVER tour this afternoon, I found her already diving and a new master of scuba diving equalization skills! I'm not completely sure, but given that she's already associating with one of our Open Water Diver classes in session, I have a feeling we'll be seeing her in the water again soon!

[For more class pics, click here]

GLDC Instructor Student Video

2009-03-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud to be in the company of not only the area's most knowledgeable dive instructors but also in the company of the best peer scuba students in our instructor class! .

The following video was shot and produced by my friend and acclaimed extreme dive buddy, Mr. Frank Polk!

He not only rivals the most dedicated locals in his frequency of diving but obviously rivals them in his expertise in communicating his passion with this video... and all to the benefit of us lesser-experienced instructor students and aspiring new diving students!

Take a few minutes and enjoy his adventures...

Diver grapples with Tiger Shark!

2009-03-21T14:51:00.001-07:00

This was the subject of "water cooler" talk at the Dive Shop this weekend, and after my report, I was summoned to produce my sources. Here's a link to a recount of the activity...

(Click Here!)

Rescue Divers Make Waves!

2009-03-01T04:29:00.000-08:00

How can divers make waves without even getting in the water?

The Rescue Diver Course shows you exactly how to make waves without even getting in the water! Just as many of the critical aspects of the class happen topside as do under the sea!

Bob (second from right) instructs rescue students with the variety of options available to them in aiding a diving patient in recovery--the benefits of different pocket and resuscitation masks; both continuous and demand-flow regulated oxygen. DAN (Diver's Alert Network) is discussed as a critical piece of the rescue puzzle as is supplemental classes such as DAN's course offerings or PADI's Emergency Oxygen Provider. Call the experts at Great Lakes Dive Center for even more information!

Another dry student plays through a scenario where distressed divers can be helped without even entering the water. Actual experience leads to higher confidence in a multitude of situations--the result is a more prepared responder and more confident dive buddy!

What happens when you catch a big fish?! First you have to get it into the boat! Here, she demonstrates pulling a distressed diver up and out to safety.

But any responsible angler knows the value of catch and RELEASE! So she decides to throw this fish back in the water to let another lucky Rescue Diver student test their skills. (BTW, No rescue diving student patients were harmed during this filming! ;-)

(Click here for more class pics.)

Instructor Training Going Well!

2009-02-24T13:38:00.000-08:00

This past weekend of Instructor training went very well!

I and the other instructor-trainees was very busy, busy, busy with our note-taking on subjects ranging from general scuba industry introductions to teaching requirements for specialty classes!

This is the critical class that really puts you strongly into diving at the professional level, and it is EXCITING! The people you meet, the places you'll see--it always just gets more interesting every day that goes by as a diver. Not only do your days get more interesting, but as an instructor I now have the privilege of being able to open these doors to new divers, and for that I'm very thankful.

Check out this contest winner from a contest from PADI (the largest scuba certification group). I want this picture to be of me next year! Sarah DeGraves, currently an instructor at H20 Divers in Malta, won PADI's GoPRO Challenge in 2008 with her incedibly interesting testimonial story about how she obtained her instructor's license. (Check out her story here).

Since I'm developing my own GoPRO Challenge story as you read this, feel free to contact me to set-up a class... just mention this BLOG posting when you set up a DISCOVER Scuba class with me and you can recieve significant discounts! Join me in creating my '09 GoPRO testimonial and schedule your class now!

Excited Divers Prevail in Pool

2009-02-15T03:19:00.000-08:00

Everyone had a challenge today but prevailed!

Straight into OWD pool exercises, we were also joined by a few "review" divers. Scuba Review classes are great and meant for anyone who wants to reinforce their training, get back in the water and get comfortable before a big vacation, or even get aquainted with or try out new equipment.

Speaking of new equipment, we had 4 underwater digital cameras in the water today, and with few camera-less diving subjects, I happened to get this shot... a diver with another new camera! The sinking costs of digital cameras are causing a surge in underwater digital camera use, but don't be fooled, that's not the only reason...

Maybe its just in case you want to share your experience of feeding Spotted Eagle Rays! This was one of my adventures at the Maui Ocean Center--and luckily I had my camera.

Divers can almost completely (I say "almost" becuase its primarily a shark tank!) interact with all the marine life here at this aquarium--I highly recommend a dive there. (Notice my divemaster giving me Hawaii's "Hang Loose" shaka sign, so I did and fed this little guy a snail! ;-)

Or maybe you need your camera to catch a shot like this...

Sorry, my idea to inject a laugh here... Either way, training pays off in your diving and in your pictures; and hopefully with these pictures I've showed you a little bit why its worth it. Why not try scuba and the digital underwater photography class??!

Back to the pool...

Cathy signals "what's so hard about this?" when she finishes decending in the deep end of the pool.

And here, Phallon shows text-book execution of the free-flow regulator exercise! Tilt your head, cover your mouth with your tongue, and breath like normal! No problem...

Students and instructors alike, we all prevailed at the pool today!. See everyone for day two in two weeks!

(More class pics here)

Combining Work and Pleasure!

2009-02-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

If it's not enough that we work hard to enjoy our passion of scuba diving, but someone comes along in the U.K. who thinks he can tell us that we can even "work while we whistle" in our dives with this little stunt...

"Spanning the World" with Len Berman of NBC features this little record of 100+ divers all ironing underwater!

Read the story here, or if you still can't believe it...

Extreme Ironing Underwater from Gail Jenkinson on Vimeo.

Romeo High Goes Down Under

2009-02-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

We were happy to be invited out to Romeo High School today to share a little DISCOVER Scuba with swimming, diving, and lifeguard students!

Sally (lower left), from Romeo High, organized this great day for us and her students. Although they're backgrounds in the water varied, it was important to Sally to show everyone that there's even more yet available to them underwater in addition to traditional swim classes. The success was evident with such a strong and interested turnout!

As Pam and Dave of Great Lakes Dive Center welcomed the students and gave them proper pre-dive instrutions, the rest of us readied all the sets of equipment...

Then our crew was ready to go. From Left, Bob, Dave (owner of Great Lakes Dive Center), Gary, Bob, Keith, and Joe (me).

Candice (left), and Kendal agreed to be my picture subjects in between some games of catch with our underwater torpedo... This happens to be their 3rd time in the water today, and this time they just had to get out their own fins to really take advantage of more underwater time.

This looks like a great place for... oh yeah, a game of "rocks, paper, scissors." I see paper coming out on the right, and unfortunately it looks like scissors on the left!

Most everyone went head-over-heals with at least one underwater somersault...

Thanks to Sally, Romeo High School, and especially the students for being such great SCUBA students today! We had lots of fun, and we're looking forward to seeing all of our new friends out on the open water some day as fully certified divers!

(more pictures here)

Divemaster COMPLETE!

2009-02-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

Instructor Development materials began to arrive yesterday, I've started my reading, and this post is just a notice to my dedicated 300+ visitors ;-) that my go-to page for scuba is changing! From Divemaster to Instructor!

The Divemaster Diary page served dutifully in helping me, my students and curious onlookers over almost the last 6 months, but its time to evolve has come!

Since official instructor training begins in only 2 weeks, I'm going to get my platform for sharing my professional ventures ready. I plan to have my students' pictures, class information and other resources available!

Check back soon... I'm looking forward to sharing the next chapter in my adventures in scuba with everyone, email me if you happen to be interested in coming along with me! ;-)

See the Sea!

2009-02-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

"Under the Sea" is the best new movie to come out on the greatness of the underwater world in the stunning IMAX format!

This is a highly anticipated movie that is sure to bring awareness to the wonders of the rest of the 2/3's of our world. Warner Brothers did a great job on this movie and has resources available on the film's website for educators.

Take a visit by the film website for more, or email me before February 13th to join in the party planned for divers and non-divers alike to enjoy and share this sure-to-be-great movie!

January is Perfect for Diving!

2009-01-25T03:54:00.000-08:00

Who says you can't have fun with diving when its only 14 degrees!? They must not have been with us and all the eager divers on Saturday!

Jim (upper-left) welcomes another class to the water here... My focus for the day was on one of our entry-level Discover Scuba classes, so I don't have a final number on total divers but I think we had about 15+!

This weekend I dusted off my old digital camera, found its ominous set of attachments, chargers, and memory cards and washed out it's underwater housing and Voila! I had my own lesson for the day, to relearn the nuances of the camera and the extreme variables of the elusive perfect underwater camera shot. (It's time for a Digital Underwater Photography brush-up, I think! ;-)

There were Discover divers, new Open Water divers, Scuba Review classes, snorkeling instruction and interested friends and family looking on.

My focus on fun for the day were these two intrepid adventurers! Ashley & Chuck! I can attest to Ashley's spirit with her determination to equalize her ears while decending into the depths of the high-diving area of the pool. Chuck joins her here for a celebration shot for the successful traverse down that deep end transition...

After getting aquainted with the deep end, Ashley & Chuck enjoyed watching the activities of the other instructors and students.

After a long holiday month, it was nice to meet up with fellow scuba professionals-in-training, Frank (pictured here, left), and Keith. We've all decided to continue our training in the Instructor Development Program which starts in February. It was nice to take some time out and discuss our shared group attack plan on our months ahead!

I know its just January, but just remember, from here on out the weather just gets warmer, there's more sun every day, and the water gets more comfy! See you here next week!

(more pics for the day here)

Emergency First Responder Training

2009-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

The classroom is running out of space as the popular Emergency First Responder training filled up the shop this morning! It's a comprehensive class of CPR, AED and First Aid sessions. The class was filled with students from a wide range of backgrounds, mostly a wide array of diving backgrounds but some not. Every student present had to demonstrate ALL the skills! (Even if we have to use extra space to get one-on-one experience).

Although I happen to be secretly absent in most of my reporting, Pam, owner of GLDC snaps a surprise photo of me in training... Not sure why, but someone felt like I needed a real test today and put me to work with a custom AED training scenario that included "Battery Low"! Was I a pawn in a game or just a lucky recipient of thorough training?? Either way, the end result is the same: Confidence from Training!

Very informative class and well worth only one day of training to have the confidence to help fellow divers on the boat or non-divers on land!

Grand Day at the Pool!

2008-12-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

Grand was the adjective of the day!... not just in our marathon skills diving day, but in the weather! Just yards from this little blue pool were the accumulating inches of heavy-Michigan snow! Just enough chill in the outdoor view to enfuse us with the energy to enjoy the small parcel of warm indoor aquatic realestate.

Frank, fellow divemaster (left), watches as Sophia signals "OK" upon a successful giant-stride entry. Rebecca (right) looks on with experienced eyes after having passed this skills test moments before...

After her successful demonstration of skills, Sophia was all smiles knowing that she'd properly performed all that was required of her for first Open Water Diver license certificate.

It was only fitting to soak the hours of practice away in the nearby hot tub!

Rebecca and Sophia did extremely well, and I have only request. I'm hoping that they'll come back and tell me about their dives that we've so diligently been preparing for! Another great class under my wing, another group of friends, and more dive buddies for our future dives!

More OWD Training

2008-11-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

Its 8:30 in the morning, its Saturday, the shop's OPEN!, and it's time for SCUBA!...

Soon enough it was 8:30, and my Open Water Diving student came in with a confident smile. The master instructor today, Jim, took us both back into the classroom and the three of us introduced ourselves. Our student for the day, Nina, was taking her class to go diving with a friend of hers. This was going to be the first time for me to teach the classroom material for an entire Open Water Diver class, so Jim started and I jumped in and took turns explaining different material. Nina was very comfortable with the material so was a great student for me to work with. She worked in the medical field so many things were familiar to her.

Then we all packed up the gear for the afternoon in the pool...

Ironically, I also saw one of the students (Jerry, middle) at the pool again for a dry suit diving class already! I just saw him a few weeks ago in his first OWD class... he's obviously taking a liking to the water!

We had Nina set up in her gear in no time, but it was a long few hours of practice in the pool. With this being the second time through an OWD pool session, I was getting quite comfortable in remembering the demonstration-quality skills I needed to know. We were a small group so our discussions were social and grew long, but Jim kept pushing us along to keep the show on the road. At the end of the day, Nina was quite comfortable in her skills, and I had another class under my belt! This is starting to get easier and more fun every time!

Dive Master Skills Mastered

2008-10-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

It was a small load of equipment today because the bulk of our work for the day was just some basic diver endurance performance.

We had the 400-meter swim, the 800-meter swim with snorkeling gear, 15 minute treading water, and the 100-meter tired diver tow.

Each task had its own benchmarks to judge our successes by, but I'm proud to say that all three of us (Joe, Frank, and Keith) did especially well in every skill.

Just to be sure, our task master, or Dave, or trainer extraordinaire if you will... (as us DM students call him ;-) made sure we didn't steal a single second in our timed skills... Is it just because he owns his own dive shop he thinks he can wield such power over us!? Good enough for me... ;-)

This aerial spy shot shows Dave and I that Keith may have had an unfair advantage with the use of his 3 mill. shorty in the treading water skill... the judges are going to have to take a second look at the results and get back to him. Sorry Keith. (not really. ;-)

Fun for the Reader!

2008-10-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

This week was a little slow for the interesting stuff... in case you're interested, I did pass my remaining written tests: Decompression Theory and RDP, Dive Skills & Environment, Divemaster Conducted Programs, Supervising Certified Divers, and Supervising Students.

So the tough bookworm stuff is done for now, so I guess I have a little play time (of course my favorite ;-). The only thing left this week is some divemaster water skills, and I have one Open Water Diver Class to do on Saturday... no problems there.

So I spent a little time to dig up one of my favorite diving pictures for your entertainment (instead of the boring requirements of my recent tests). I can't say enough about this picture! And if I can't convince a non-diver to start to rethink their position about not beginning to dive after seeing it, well... I can't say enough about that type of person! ;-)

This little guy I saw in "The Cathedrals" (more pics from dive buddy Heather) just off the coast of the island of Lanai in Hawaii. The "Cathedrals" is a great dive spot! It's named for the great colors that get twisted as the sun light enters this partial cave from so many of it's "holes". It mimics seeing the inside of a grand cathedral for the first time with all of their popular colored, leaded-glass windows.

Although I never did actually name him, he is a "Spanish Dancer". Kind of ironic I suppose now that I'm dating a human Spanish Dancer (actually American, but after 10 years in Colombia, she speaks and dances with the best of them, even this gringo! ;-)

I hope you enjoyed my pic and some of the info. It's the kind of stuff that really gets me going every day!

Significant Success

2008-09-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

I had the day off of work, so today I was going to make some progress! I was on a mission.

First I stopped by the gym to get fueled up in the cafe. Then I did a little warm up, and it was on to the pool for a little pre-selftesting on my water skills tests coming up in a couple of weeks.

Test 1: Swim 400 metres in under 14 minutes. I did a little stretch, set the timer, and off I went...

Upon surfacing after my 16 laps (in the gym's 25 metre pool), No Problem! Just over 12 minutes. I think it's my daily 20-30 miles of biking that's keeping me "afloat" or at least not negatively bouyant! ;-)

Very happy out of the pool, I was back on the bike for quick 10 mile ride to the dive shop. Three tests to take this afternoon.

Diving Physics:
1.1 - Explain why water is able to dissipate body heat faster than air, at what rate this occurs, and what effect this has upon the diver.
1.2 - Explain the behavior of light as it passes from an air/water interface and what effect this has upon the diver.
1.3 - Divine the "visual reversal" phenomenon and explain its effect upon the diver.
1.4 - Explain why sound travels faster in water than in air, by approximately how much and what effect this has upon the diver.
1.5 - State Archimedes' Principle and calculate the buoyancy required to either lift or sink an object in both fresh and seawater.
1.6 - Define the terms "absolute", "ambient", and "guage" pressure and calculate pressure at any depth as expressed by these terms in both fresh and seawater.
1.7 - Explain the relationship between pressure and volume on a flexible gas-filled container, and calculate the changes that will occur to that container as it is raised and lowered in a water column.
1.8 - Explain the relationship between depth and the density of the air a diver breathes, and calculate this relationship in increments of whole atmospheres
1.9 - Given a diver's air consumption rate at one depth, calculate how that consumption rate changes when depth changes.
1.10 - Describe how the behavior of a gas within both a flexible and inflexible container is affected by changes in pressure and tempurature.
1.11 - Given their percentages, calculate the partial pressures of gases in a mixture at any depth.
1.12 - Explain the effect of breathing contaminated air mixtures at depth and calculate the equivilent effect such contamination would have upon the diver at the surface.
1.13 - Explain what will occur to a liquid saturated with a gas at high pressure when the pressure of the gas in contact with the liquid is quickly reduced.
1.14 - Define "supersaturation" and explain what conditions are necessary for gas bubbles to form in a supersaturated liquid.

Whew! That was just the first test! Result = PASSED!

Then came Physiology (I'll spare ya the details, but similarly intense); result = PASSED! And lastly, Equipment; result = PASSED!

Very nice third week indeed!

Lucky at the Library!

2008-09-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

"You can never pass up interesting possibilities! "

One of my favorite outlooks on life pays off again. While passing through the lobby of my library they were having an "old books" sale. Of course I tend to be more of a new media person, but I happen to see "Sports" listed on one of the walls, so I mingled over and decided to check out what they had.

Voila! I found this really cool vintage PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Manual from 1980! Very Cool! So I had to pick it up!

Check it out...

After I have a chance to browse through this little treasure, I'll let you know what I find that's interesting. Email me if your interested in this.

T-Shirt Adventures

2008-09-25T09:22:00.001-07:00

Just for a little dose of fun, I'm sharing a few of my dive shirts I've collected throughout my (approximately) 15 year dive history... thought some of you might find them interesting.

I have to start with my favorite from the Cayman Islands (fits me a little too well sometimes! ;-)

From the island of Moorea in French Polynesia...

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands...

From Maui obviously, got my Rescue Diver license there...

Dove inside the Living Seas exhibit at Disney's Epcot Center...

Another funny favorite of mine from Cozumel...

My favorite dive place ever! Got my Advanced Open Water here... Bora Bora, French Polynesia!!!

That's it for now, the rest are wet or in the laundry... ;-)

Week Two

2008-09-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

Week two began with a very detail-oriented discussion on the "internals" of diving... Respiration/circulation with terms like mammalian reflex, carotid sinus reflex, hypercapnia, hemoglobin, oxygen toxicity, nitrogen narcosis, and barotrauma! Whew. Starting to rediscover the value of straight-forward terms/definitions sheets from highschool!

Then after a break we turned toward equipment.

Here Bob (in back) tells Frank, me and Keith about the physical markings of a scuba cylinder. He says that he could go on for hours about recognizing a safely usable scuba cylinder (but for now I'll reserve the details for my next class).

Keith examines a fracture in a cut-away cylinder top to see what they look like from the inside.

In case you aren't a trained scuba cylinder inspector, the fracture is right there in the middle. Can't you see it? It's right there! Still can't see it? Well, just keep bringing your tanks to Bob at Great Lakes and you won't have to worry, Bob will take care of it for you!

Ending my diary for the day with this great poster in the classroom! Ahhhhh! (for now....)

Teaching Scuba - Week One!

2008-09-15T12:29:00.001-07:00

Whew! I finally did it. I started what I think is sure to be my favorite scuba class ever!

Week One was somewhat intimidating, "you're no longer recreational divers, you are professionals!" Scary, but encouraging too as our course director, Bob, began to assure us that he's ready to help each one of us personally to tackle the material ahead of us!

After a few days of classroom work, Introductions, Divemaster Responsibilities, Dive Theory and Diving Physics, it was time to hit the pool for the first time as an instructor!

The students were very eager, and well prepared. Everyone assembled their gear and was ready to go in no time.

I did a quick giant-stride entry demonstration, the students followed suit, and we all hit the pool for some water skills.

After Jim (bottom left) instructed his class in different skill sessions I was able to help demonstrate and work one-on-one with the students to make sure their skills were proficient, and after each success came a smile and a high-five from the students!

It was really satisfying knowing that I helped out some intimidated new students knowing that they'll soon be fellow divers because of my help!

Great First Week!