Instructor Training Going Well!

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

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...

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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! ;-)

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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??!

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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!

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

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!

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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

"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!