Sunday, March 11, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
Divemasters!
We're now 2/3 'rds of the way towards being PADI Certified! Three dives on Saturday coming, and we're done. It was brilliant, but we are both wrecked, feels like we had no weekend at all!
Last week we had planned to read the book that we were given to study (over 210 pages!), but by Friday we'd both only covered about 60 pages, so Friday night was spent in, studying. We missed out on a boat trip and a heavy night out, but what can you do?
Saturday morning we were up just after 7 to get the dogs walked and pick up breakfast so that we could make our first dive class at 8:30am. Of the 8 people that were meant to be there, 7 turned up, including Vince, one of our mates from Digicel. We spent the morning in the classroom before finally getting out to the pool where we begun to get to grips with our gear.
After lunch, we were into the pool where we started to get used to all the equipment, and experienced our first underwater breathing of the day. By 4pm we were all set for our first dive, a quick enough 30 ft dive out onto Sunset Reef. Only 30 minutes, but very cool all the same.
We finished off just before 6, back to walk the dogs, have dinner, and start studying our last two chapters. We werent done until ten, so we treated ourselves to a few beers at the full moon party. There was a good crew out, so we brought our own beers (Jill even had limes for her Sol!) and chilled out, getting home just before one.
Sunday morning we were up just as early, with only very miled hangovers after the relatively quiet night before. There was no time for tea and coffee as we were straight into the pool to practice more, including flooding our masks, practising our buoyancy, and what to do if we ran out of air. In general all good, if not a slight bit tedious at times, especially one session where we spent 45 minutes at the bottom of the pool watching each other take turns in our lessons, one by one!
After that, it was back in the classroom for our last lessons, and then our final test! We all passed (dont actually know if you can really fail...) and took a break for lunch. Then back in the pool (bad idea with a full belly!) for our last few lessons. Then we were back in the water to practice some of our lessons at the bottom of the sea, which was slightly daunting. No problems, so we descended to around 40 ft, swimming through a beautiful reef on our way to the Mermaid (a large statue that someone placed on the Sunset reef years ago. All went well until one of our party decided that they were having some trouble equalising, so we all descended. By the time we got up, the sea was very choppy as a small storm approached, signalling an end to our second day.
We then made a mad dash own to the rugby club where I had a match (Jill had missed both of hers at this stage). My team had won their first game, but our second game was a disaster and we were creamed 22-3! I didnt get my game, the first time in 8 games. Also our first loss. A coincidence? You decide! ;)
Anyway, just before our match, two lads cracked skulls going in for a tackle. One walked away with a gusher requiring 4/5 stitches, the other was stretchered off to an ambulance with a massive gash across his eye and eyebrow. Reckon he'll need a hell of a lot more stitches! Good game!
Taking it easy this week as we need to finish off the diving on Saturday morning, hopefully in time for the Ireland Scotland game (doubtful) which will be followed by a week-early day of Paddy's Day activities down in the rugby club (read: big drinking session).
It is a very very hard life indeed!
Last week we had planned to read the book that we were given to study (over 210 pages!), but by Friday we'd both only covered about 60 pages, so Friday night was spent in, studying. We missed out on a boat trip and a heavy night out, but what can you do?
Saturday morning we were up just after 7 to get the dogs walked and pick up breakfast so that we could make our first dive class at 8:30am. Of the 8 people that were meant to be there, 7 turned up, including Vince, one of our mates from Digicel. We spent the morning in the classroom before finally getting out to the pool where we begun to get to grips with our gear.
After lunch, we were into the pool where we started to get used to all the equipment, and experienced our first underwater breathing of the day. By 4pm we were all set for our first dive, a quick enough 30 ft dive out onto Sunset Reef. Only 30 minutes, but very cool all the same.
We finished off just before 6, back to walk the dogs, have dinner, and start studying our last two chapters. We werent done until ten, so we treated ourselves to a few beers at the full moon party. There was a good crew out, so we brought our own beers (Jill even had limes for her Sol!) and chilled out, getting home just before one.
Sunday morning we were up just as early, with only very miled hangovers after the relatively quiet night before. There was no time for tea and coffee as we were straight into the pool to practice more, including flooding our masks, practising our buoyancy, and what to do if we ran out of air. In general all good, if not a slight bit tedious at times, especially one session where we spent 45 minutes at the bottom of the pool watching each other take turns in our lessons, one by one!
After that, it was back in the classroom for our last lessons, and then our final test! We all passed (dont actually know if you can really fail...) and took a break for lunch. Then back in the pool (bad idea with a full belly!) for our last few lessons. Then we were back in the water to practice some of our lessons at the bottom of the sea, which was slightly daunting. No problems, so we descended to around 40 ft, swimming through a beautiful reef on our way to the Mermaid (a large statue that someone placed on the Sunset reef years ago. All went well until one of our party decided that they were having some trouble equalising, so we all descended. By the time we got up, the sea was very choppy as a small storm approached, signalling an end to our second day.
We then made a mad dash own to the rugby club where I had a match (Jill had missed both of hers at this stage). My team had won their first game, but our second game was a disaster and we were creamed 22-3! I didnt get my game, the first time in 8 games. Also our first loss. A coincidence? You decide! ;)
Anyway, just before our match, two lads cracked skulls going in for a tackle. One walked away with a gusher requiring 4/5 stitches, the other was stretchered off to an ambulance with a massive gash across his eye and eyebrow. Reckon he'll need a hell of a lot more stitches! Good game!
Taking it easy this week as we need to finish off the diving on Saturday morning, hopefully in time for the Ireland Scotland game (doubtful) which will be followed by a week-early day of Paddy's Day activities down in the rugby club (read: big drinking session).
It is a very very hard life indeed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
