First Lesson

sep 17, 2011   //   by supernova   //   Interns Blog

First week in Sanur… We all start the class from open water diver. Only 6 of us because the other 2 will be came on 21th April due to they need to finish their degree. So they got exception for this scholarship. As Minni said we need to know all the things really careful, so take our time to know better about the details of the lesson.

First lesson:
Study about the form. STUDENT RECORD FILE… As we are the scholarship students we need to know any details on this form, in case in future one of our student ask what this meaning is. This form includes of 6 sessions: Student profile, Medical Statement, Diver Medical Questionnaire, Standard Safe Diving Practices Statement of Understanding, Liability Release and Assumption of Risk Agreement, and PADI Open Water Diver Course Record and Referral Form.
As a new to this theory, we translated it one by one together and it took 2 days for finish all the material.
Then for closing the day, Minni took us to fitting our equipment in DIVE MASTER… we tried our Mask, Snorkel, Boots, BCD and wet suit.. Nice to do that after whole day just stick with the form 😀 Thanks to Minni and Anita of coz who help us with choosing and fitting :)

On the second day of the class, there were 2 instructors who want to take their licenses. They taught us DSD- Discover Scuba Diver- Since some of us already know bout it, it didn’t take long to teach us about that – Well I need to learn more about this actually :p Since I didn’t have any certificate or learnt this before the second time confined water practice, I stay in the class finished all the material given. Well just need to learn step by step I guess.

Ok now we move forward to next lesson :
The third day of the class that Friday, she gave us 2 books, the open water diver manual and the log book.
First we watch the section 1 video… it told us what is in the first chapter of this book, its better to see the video then study the book… In the book there are questions
1. for main objective s– we need to highlight the answer
2. Quick Quizes – we need to try answer before we see the answer in the bottom of the question
3. And Knowledge Review- it come after we finish read all the things in this section
After several discussion and headache – because too much reading, Minni took us to the pool. In there we learnt how to assemble and disassemble our equipments. Mr. Toto, the teacher for this practice really knows how to do this. He showed us how to do that before we do that by ourselves.
Assemble the Scuba Equipment:
1. Wet your BCD ( because the nylon stretches when wet)
2. Put the tank valve faces toward the BCD and slide the BCD to the tank
3. Measure about four fingers from the top to the band, tight it and check with lift the BCD by holding it. If the tank stand still, it’s already correct.
4. Check the O-ring ( if there is no o ring, don’t use the tank)
5. Smell the air ( if you smell oil in the air, don’t use it coz it posion!)
6. Open the dust cover from the regulator
7. Put it to the valve and tighten it until it is just finger tight (if yoke style) or screw the DIN style until its tight enough
8. Put the Low pressure hose to the BCD low pressure inflator.
9. Open the valve all the way and put back a little bit for the closing
10. When you open the air keep the SPG away from your face ( precautions if there is leaks) – put it in front the BCD faced down
11. Check the SPG while you are breathing from the Stage 2 and the octopus ( if air comes free flow put the lock to the – ), the SPG will not move when we check it
12. And finally put the octopus in the place ( the triangle) and the SPG in the jacket pocket
13. Lay the tank down
And Disassemble the Equipment
1. Lock the air by turn the valve clock wise ( remember ! finger tight)
2. Clean the regulator from air by push the purge button
3. Unplug the low pressure hose from BCD
4. Dry the dust cover with the air from tank and put it in the stage one
5. Put the regulator with the stage one below on the BCD
6. Untighten the BCD band and release the BCD from tank
7. Lay down the tank so you will not harm other people

We need to do these 4 times so we can remember how to assemble and disassemble the BCD to the tank (like I write all this :p)
After this we go to the pool with full equipment. In the pool Minni gave us some lesson about the first section before that she gave us the simple signal ok and problem …
First, she told us using the inflator to inflate and deflate the BCD. Inflate is putting the air to BCD so we can float and deflate is releasing the air from the BCD so we can sink. Second, how to use the regulator and breath under the water. CONGRATULATION we officially dive for the first time! Because dive is breath under water and we did that! Third, how to find the second stage if we lose it ( two technique for this : bend our body to the right with open hand and move our body backward and find the second stage then put it in our mouth then exhale/ push the purge button. Remember keep breath when you lose your second stage with a small bubble. Forth, how to use the octopus if we run out of air, make the “out of air” signal and your friend will come to you and give you the octopus/ alternated air source (REMEMBER TO KEEP BREATHING), hold your buddy right hand, then look to his/her eyes and give signal if its already ok. Fifth or the final lesson, clears our mask when the water come a half or full. Just put the water half or full to the mask then exhale from your nose while you look up to clear the mask. ( I have difficulty to do this because I let my self exhale from the mouth :p) after that we were swimming around the pool and the lesson for today was DONE! Before go home, we need to disassemble the BCD and clean all of the equipment! Cleaning it with the fresh water and put it in cool place ( not direct sunlight please but that day it was cloudy).

First week in Crystal diver all I can say is many many reading and translating but they know how to make some interesting things in between so we are not that bored with the books and dictionary.
One step to another step should we do. All of us :) Its just a little step from the whole program..