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Excited/excitable Open Water student post (mixed with a bit of blondeness)

3K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  alexd72 
#1 ·
Seeing as I've already done the more formal introduction, I had a poke around to find the best place to indulge my new addiction by posting some more. Hope I'm in the right place? (As a follower of the banter, I'm expecting to be told in no uncertain terms if I am in the wrong place lol)

Anyhoo - I feel like I've finally entered the world of diving, despite having spent the past 2 years + with a DM for a hubby. I've been fortunate enough to have been around the local dive community, accompany them on a trip to St Abbs and generally absorb some knowledge of diving through osmosis. For the past 2 years, I've been a bit of a dive widow on holidays; lounging by the pool whilst DC went off on various diving trips. I started snorkelling so that I could at least be doing something more interesting than sunbathing ;)

On a family holiday to L'Estartit in August, we went on a snorkel safari and the marine life was incredible. I think that's probably what finally pushed me to try diving again (I'd previously had 2 try dives but was crap at equalising and gave up way too quickly!)

Not long after Spain, we had 4 days in the South of France and I decided to do a DSD course (Scuba diving holiday packages, South coast of France |Diamond Diving - awesome bunch of people!!) Realised that I actually *can* equalise and managed to cope with the CW1 skills. The OW1 dive was definitely the selling point - I was hooked! As soon as we returned home, I booked myself onto the OW course at our local dive centre. I got through the manual in a few days and then did all the classroom stuff in half a day, with a 98% pass on the exam :) (Annoyingly, the one question I got wrong was one about flying after diving - and the answer was right there in front of me on my eRDP - doh!)

Convinced that I would never look back, I started buying more kit and somehow ended up with the whole kit and kaboodle (lol) So now I've *got to* pass the course and start diving regularly!!

WARNING - BLONDE ALERT: I'm getting this in before hubby does - a couple of years ago, whilst sitting in the conservatory looking out at all his dive gear drying off from a rinsing, it began to rain. Can you guess what's coming? Yup - thicko here announces concern over the fact that his gear was going to get ruined in the rain!! 'Cause, like, dive gear isn't designed to get wet or anything is it? *blush* Incidentally, I'm not really thick, just blonde. I'm a teacher so God help the children in my class hehehe!!

*ahem* Back to the plot ... my Instructor recommended that I do my Confined Water dives in the pool rather than the lake, and so I had to wait until last night to make use of all my shiny new kit :) Got off to an ominous start when I was assembling my kit, full of confidence and then BANG! Bloody O Ring on my SPG went!! Had to borrow a set of training regs and hubby has fixed mine this morning, thankfully.

So - did my swim and surface float and was really keen to get started on the other skills (I'd done quite a few on CW1 in France but obviously had to repeat them for my Instructor!) Hubby was DM for me which was cool, as he was totally professional. The encouragement I got was amazing and I just wanted to keep going ... and so we did. I think we managed to tick off the majority of the skills in a bit of a mix and match sequence, meaning I just need to return next week to complete all the Confined Water skills we missed (deep water entry/breath from free flow reg/cramp removal/tired diver tow and some more ascend/descend practice mostly.) The last skill we did was kit removal and replacement underwater. Worthy of mention because my Instructor is a no-BS kinda guy and doesn't dole out compliments unless they're worthy. He gave me the best compliment I could have hoped for in the debriefing by telling me it was one of the best remove/replaces he'd ever seen and that he'd have given me 4/5 if I'd been doing it as a DM trainee :tongue: Really, really pleased with my progress so far, especially with encouragement like that!!!

I will STFU in a minute - I've just been totally bitten by the bug and need to vent it. Poor hubby must be sick of hearing about it now LOL.

There is something pretty cool about having the his n hers BCDs etc drying out in the garden!!

Our little lad is going to be 8 in a few weeks time so guess who's going to be bubble-making next??

Right, I really will STFU now and offer a GOLD STAR to anyone who read the entire waffle. I would apologise for rambling - but if I can't ramble about diving here, then there's something not quite right ;)

Looking forward to learning more from you experienced bunch :D
 
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#4 ·
I claim my gold star, missus!

Excellent post from a very excited newbie. Her CW session last night was awesome - every skill completed correctly first time. I would be lovely if all newbies were the same :p

The praise for the kit R/R was well deserved - a tricky skill for anyone, let alone a first-timer. It's great that SWMBO has finally got the scuba bug, big style.

She really IS blonde BTW - for regular, hilarious, real-life moments of blonde-ness, follow her posts (or mine, if I'm feeling a bit nasty LOL).

Really can't wait to have gorgeous missus as dive buddy and already planning trips to warmer waters.

Well done, Desi - and welcome to my world :thumbs_up:

DC
 
#13 ·
Well done to Desiderata who has completed her Open Water course today. All four OW dives completed over the last two days exceptionally well. Skills complimeneted by instructor and assistants alike.

A new natural has arrived. Well done and can't wait to dive with you some more :)
 
#15 ·
Well I was very lucky to have my husband as my Dive Master (even if you did have to give me a bollocking about my snorkel LOL) Thank you for your belief in me and for making me feel safe underwater! I had an awesome Instructor and have thoroughly enjoyed the 4 dives over the past 2 days with you both (not quite as much as I enjoyed diving in the South of France with you but you can't have it all!!)

Very much looking forward to not being a dive widow on our next warm holiday :D

welcome to the skint world of diving. Great to read this raw enthusiasm! Once you have all your kit, take up underwater photography to discover a new level of skintness.
I can seriously see me getting into that next. Hubby (divechuck04) promised me his underwater camera when I qualified (although I think it was just an excuse to buy himself a new one LOL) and he handed it over today! Rarrr!
 
#14 ·
welcome to the skint world of diving. Great to read this raw enthusiasm! Once you have all your kit, take up underwater photography to discover a new level of skintness.
 
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