FIRST OPEN WATER DIVING

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

I can’t believe it, time flies so fast. We have been here for two weeks and now on the second week we have so much more things to do such as QUIZES, swim and float, and the best thing of this week FIRST OPEN WATER DIVE (well its for me of course :p)
The first lesson both theory and practice is done. Now time to test us! Will we understand the lesson or no? So its time for QUIZ!!! The quiz consist of 10 question and passing grade is 75% correct (my friend told me that :p) and the good news was all of us pass the test with minimal 80 point ( close enough with the border line right!) but its still the beginning need to pass more exam to get the open water license 😉

Beside passing the test, to be eligible to this program, we need to swim 200 meter and float for 10 minutes so Minni test us to swim 8 rounds ( 25 meter for 1 round) the swimming pool and 10 minutes floating in the deep end. It was easy but Minni prepare us more for the Dive master program, we need to way more than that. So this week schedule is every time we finish the class, we need to swim at least 8 rounds in the pool and floating at least for 5 minutes. So here we are everyday end up in the swimming pool train for better and faster swimming.

The best thing in this week for us is we will have our first open water dive… cool isn’t it??? This is the first time for me of course 😀 so I was so excited! We did that on Saturday. But on that day one of our friend was sick so he can’t make it to do the diving… Get well soon Komang! So we need to be at crystal diver on 8.30 am to prepare the equipment then go to the beach :) This time MINNI and PAUL will be our instructor. After all prepared, we depart from Sanur beach to the Sanur channel. We have another dive master and one person on the open water course so a lot of people in the boat today. We assemble the BCD and prepare to dive. We will do sitting back roll entry (that time felt butterflies in my stomach) – sit on the edge on the boat side, put your butt hanging in there, lean you body to the water but don’t forget to clear the area, secure your mask, regulator and your head with both hand…1-2-3 go! I’m in the water already lol.. It was so easy but feels so stress before :p
Now time to descent, usually we only descent in the swimming pool so it’s not that hard but since we go deeper in the sea, I need to equalize each time I descent. We hold the rope to descent and one hand to equalize. It was so hard in first dive but just need to do that slowly until the air space didn’t hurt anymore. Minni accompany me during the descent and while in the bottom of the sea, she holds my hand! Thank you very much Minni! Under the sea we saw many creature such as coral – don’t know the name but when you flick your finger the coral will hide into the ground – ; fish – cockatoo waspfish- variation – the brown little fish; starfish – black and orange one; and snake fighting , they, banded sea krait with snowflake moray, convolute to each other. Minni said she rarely saw this thing during her 700 dives but lucky us, we saw it in our first dive 😀 this time Nico did something bad, he throw a rock to a fish! Big no no Nico and he promised will not do that again. After 36 min underwater, we ascent and do some lesson practice such as change snorkel to regulator and muscle cramp recover. Then we go descent again, this time is faster than the first time descent. For ascent we need to practice the controlled emergency swimming ascent! We did that in the pool before not vertically but horizontally, and this time is easier than in the pool. Everytime finish diving, we need to write a diver’s log. In diver’s log consist of where, when, how long ,the visibility, the weight we use, temperature, depth, the air we use, comment and of course the sign from the instructor if you still on training. We will write all the information in each dive so we will know the record and the situation of the place.

For closing the week, we got some present again! Yeay! The complete equipment! We got the wet suit earlier and now we got Mask, Snorkel, BCD, Boots, Fins and regulator… We were so excited about this and we want to thank everyone who gave this equipment to us! (PADI, Minni, and anybody else who I don’t know :))

And this is one opinion from IMAM for this week ;);)
”You’ve probably seen photos, television and films about diving, but until you do it your self, you can’t really understand what it’s like. Nothing on earth matches the sensations you experience-the THRILL OF BREATHING UNDERWATER, the freedom of “WIGHTLESS-NESS” and UNIQUE SIGHTS and SOUNDS. The underwater world is not a silent world…..Ms. Minni (padi course director) you are the best, the best teacher, (Ms. Holly, Mr. Toto, Ms. Anita, Ms. Bettina, Ms. Martina) all of you are the best teachers also, PADI, all staff in Crystal divers, thanks thanks thanks very much all of you. Oke I am very very sorry, my English is not very good. Already 9 days, my head will explode. My head fatigue, labored breathing, a feeling of suffocation, weakness, anxiety, headache ( kind of symptom of overexertion!!!!!). I’m panic, I am panic. Help – help ….. give me CPR (NAFAS BUATAN!). I am a panic diver in the surface (in the class room). Everything in English, books in English, teacher speaks English, quizzes and exams in English, watch video speaks English also. ONLY underwater no speak English ( of course, we cant talk in English! Only sign language) too much pressure in my head and I get deco in the surface help…help…help. One more thing that makes me headache.. SWIMMING!!!!!!!!!!! Everyday I need to swim 400 meters and 10 minutes floating! BUT everything gonna be okeeeee. This is my process, process to become successful, process to become instructor. I will always try and act to be the best, better than yesterday! I can do it, thanks very much for all. I love you full. Go pro with Crystal diver and PADI. (@_@) ……. (^_~) ………..”