Divemaster Class Begins!

The Divemaster course is in full swing now.  This is the first Divemaster course I am teaching under the new format. We did the intro and initial presentations a week ago. The candidates have been working on Dive Theory and the Divemaster lectures on line for the past several weeks at their on pace through e-learning.

This weekend we spent two days in the pool testing skills and stamina. It is great fun taking good divers and helping them become diving professionals. You can see the change and improvement as they work their dive skills to teaching level. It is great to see the candidate realize this it tougher then it looks as you start the weekend. Then they see themselves changing and realize this is fun and achievable. It does the instructor good too to see the progress. We had a great time this weekend!

Want a great challenge, are you a Advanced Open Water diver as well as a Rescue Diver and EFR certified, then if you are ready you can become a Divemaster candidate and join us.

Scouting Discover Scuba Lake Rawlings

This weekend I met up with Troop 295 for a Discover Scuba Saturday. We had six scout and adults that wanted to Discover Scuba.  We chose Lake Rawling because they were camping and the water is warm and clear this time of year.  

Broke them into two groups. We started out on the shallow platform. Once we completed all the skills we went for a  dive cross the quarry to the bus.  Found the computers, rocking horses, the stove and B Ball court. One the hoop is looking kinda sad. Found the bus the odd chacater that was driving it. Then dove our way back to the shallow platform.

Did the same trip with the second group but the scouts wanted to see the hubcap tree and since we had plenty of air, why not.

All in it was a good day if though it rain most the time we didn't mind we were already wet.

Thinking about trying Scuba Diving, this is a great place to start.

PADI Rescue Class and EFR this weekend

What a GREAT weekend! PADI Rescue and Emergency First Responder (EFR) courses. Those participating in the course ranged from the reasonably new diver to the former military diver starting work on his civilian certs.

Friday afternoon covered Primary and Secondary care (First Aid). Most everybody had some past training it made the flying gauze and bandages easy to work through.

Saturday morning we hit the pool. Worked on self rescue and tows.  Learned something new about myself today. I found when acting as a victim needing rescue and you dive down and grab one of my ankles as your rescue option, you stand a better than even chance of being punched when you surface. Not much in water bothers me, the got right next to me, fast.  Also learned Tige can move really quick in the water when he wants to.  It's all good. We worked out other options.  The students did excellent. One of the best Rescue pool classes I have done.

Saturday afternoon we work played with Resuscitation Annie and her unnamed friend practicing scene assessment and CPR.  During the EFR course we discuss how it can be used in diving, the course is a ILCOR recognized First Aid and CPR class. This training could be put to use whenever the need arises.

Sunday was a great day. The weather was wonderful and it is late enough in the year Millbrook is about as warm as it is going to get.  We went out over  the sandy bottom near  the row boat off of beach 1 and work on our skills, loosing, finding, and ascending with divers. Worked stripping gear off of "victims" as we swam them to shore.  Hid the VA Scuba lost diver dummy. Tige and I waited a while for the student to find him. The student started in either the wrong direction or  turned around and figured out where the dummy  was lost at.

If you are an Advanced Open Water Diver looking for a new fun and rewarding diving challenge consider both the EFR and Rescue course, contact me and we can add it to the schedule. Or if would like to become trained as a Emergency First Responder (EFR) or need to renew your certification, it only last for two years, let me know this is a stand alone course.

ScubaJam 3 - another great time

This was year 3 for ScubaJam Virginia.  As regular reader of this blog know each ScubaJam is held Labor Day weekend at Lake Rawlings in Rawlings VA .

ScubaJam is where  Boy Scouts, Ventures crews or any other organized youth group from Virginia, Maryland, DC and North Carolina get together for a weekend to dive for FUN.

This year was no exception.  Diving, all you wanted, Games, in-water challenges, I think while underwater limbo and the balloon contest are always favorites, the new underwater ping-pong spoon race was a blast the dive teams were very competitive.

The new challenge this weekend was the rain. it did not rain often but when it did it poured. The rain on Saturday I missed, I was diving. The rain on Sunday during dinner made it hard to fit everyone under Ford's pavillion. It did stop in time for the award presentation. A ton of dive gear was donated by manufactures and given away, There was three door prizes as well as $3000 dollars of continuing dive education scholarships given away

ScubaJam just keeps getting better and BETTER!

I am running behind this year with the video but I plan to have it done soon.

Get your group together and plan on joining us Labor Day weekend 2014 at Lake Rawlings!

What happened to July?!

The month as been hot, busy and I have not been diving, what is up with that. Have to fix this.  :-0

Junes Dive Classes

Okay so it has been a little slow on the dive training front. But the end of June was very busy; for me at least.

I had two Discover Scubas and one Scuba Tune up. In between my classed I took pictures of Steve and Rachel's Confinined Open Water class.  All of the classes and student we had did great. The OW students are signed up for thier open water dives in the coming weeks. 

Here are some pics.

Diving the Duane

June 13, 2011 Second dive of the day USCG Duane, sister ship to the Bibb which was the first dive today.  Same class of ship but two very different dives. The Bibb landed on it side, the Duane sits upright. Lots of sea life in the forward part of the ship. I want to do this one again, hoping we can use the bow or mid ship ball to drop on. Water temp 84. Viz +/-100 ft Depth avg 85 ft.

Double Dip on the Spiegel Grove

June 12 2011- Arrived in Tavernier, FL last night checked in with folks at Conch Republic Divers. Headed out this morning to dive the Spiegel Grove. Up until day before yesterday they are saying the weather was crappy. The winds changed and the sea laid down. Today it is beautiful. The ocean is as flat as a swimming pool. Water temp was 82 degrees. Could not ask for a better day to go diving.  There were two of us on the boat we opted to do both dives on the Spiegel. My dive buddy Jeff has at least 100 dives on the Spiegel and I was glad for it. Got to see things I would have miss with another buddy and  it was my first time down. Two great dives.  Only bummer was I did not change the memory card in by GO Pro between dives and I did not capture the last part of  dive two. That's okay there is no video proof I got turn around inside the boat, almost got stuck in a set of closets. It's all good.

Diving the Bibb June 13 2011

June 13 2011 - Dove the Bibb this morning. Water temp 84. Viz +/-100 ft Depth 104 ft no current. Good reef. Next up Bibbs sister ship Duane which is sitting upright. 

Diving conditions on the Vandenberg

June 14 2011- Here is a quick video on the surface conditions the day I dove the Vandenberg off Key West. It was a fantastic week for diving. I have videos for all dives from this trip. I am working on editing them and will post them soon.

New Video from ScubaJam Virginia 2011

Just finished the ScubaJam Virginia 2011 video. We are sharing it everywhere. ScubaJam Virginia 3 will be Labor Day weekend 2012.  

ScubaJam 2011 Video