Scuba diving training, it is not as easy as it seems! In February of this year, I decided to learn how to scuba dive for my upcoming cruise, in May. Scuba diving lessons consist of 8 weeks of 4 hour classes. These classes consist of 2 hours in a classroom (which I have not been in, in many years) and 2 hours of pool time. In these classes, you learn everything from safety, diving environments, and safety.
Like many people, I grew up “a fish out of water”. I have been swimming since I was months old, and swimming without floaties quickly. I was a competitive swimmer for a lot of my childhood. I joined this class with the idea that I would be a master scuba diver without even trying! I was proved VERY wrong. In my first day of Scuba Lessons, I was asked to complete a “mask clear”. This is when the diver has to swim 15 feet to an individual who is holding their mask, and then you are required to put the mask on and clear your snorkel and mask without coming up for air. Once asked to do this, it felt like I had never been in water before! I panicked every time I put my face in the water. “How do I get my mask on and get the water out without breathing?” “What happens if I lose my mask while trying to put it on?” This is only a few of the thoughts that went through my mind, while completing this activity.
It is almost like working on your own website for the first time. They instructors/developers have made everything easy to understand. They have even trained you on how to make changes on the backend? Well, why does it feel like you have been thrown out of a moving car when the task comes down to you? My best answer is overthinking! That is exactly what I did! Once I calmed down, I was able to put my face in the water without panicking. I was then able to tell myself, you have been swimming all of your life and this is no different. It was just something new I was adding!
As much as I would like to hope, that was not the only hard part! Not too many weeks later, we became comfortable swimming underwater with our full gear on. Isn’t that how it goes, once you feel comfortable, they make you uncomfortable again! This is where buddy breathing came into play! What buddy breathing simulates is what you would do if you were 60 feet underwater and you run out of air. Of course, you are not going to race to the surface, your body could not handle that! You are taught to share your regulator with your buddy (diving partner). You take two breaths and then they take two breaths. Sounds easy, right? That’s what I thought too, until I was underwater struggling to hold my breath!
Just like adding information to your web page, remember, we will always be there if you are struggling! We would never leave you out 60 feet in the sea with no hope in sight! All you must do is calm down, reach out, and we will walk you through the difficult time!
Now if these don’t seem difficult enough, we were expected to do a bail out with no gear on. What a bailout simulates is if you were on a boat with your gear off, and suddenly the boat catches on fire. The only place you must go is out and fast! You hit the water with fins and mask in your left hand and your buoyancy compensator and tank in your right hand. The first step is to make sure you can breathe. When you hit the water, you put your regulator in your mouth as soon as possible, the rest is easy! Or so they said. From there, you push the tank underneath you so that you can ride the tank to the bottom. This method is used because it is a lot easier to put on gear why while you are still, instead of mobile. Once you are at the bottom, it is time to put on your mask and fins! Only one step to go. Last but not least, it is time to put on your buoyancy compensator. Once you complete this activity, you feel invincible! The scariest thing you could imagine happening, in the ocean with no gear on and the struggle to safety!
Again, this is similar to the thought of having your first task on your site alone! How will you make it through? The answer is easier said than done. Just remember everything you have been taught, research, and reach out! Taking the dive into your own site is not as scary as it seems! All you have to do is brace for impact!