Starting to Look the Part
When we arrive in the classroom this morning we each get handed a compass. Today we’re going to practise underwater orientation. The dock is great place for that, considering you can barely see the hand in front of your eyes, which makes it hard to use underwater landmarks to “cheat”.
I always liked that exercise during my Divemaster training and am looking forward to giving it a try in zero visibility.
Once everyone has a compass we start out with a literal dry run, first in the classroom, then in the parking lot.
[metaslider id=”761″]
It’s pretty straight forward and everyone gets the hang of it quickly, on the surface at least.
When we’re done with our exercise, Tato asks Gautier to bring down the full-face masks and I can barely contain my excitement. Finally, I can’t wait to try.
Ronan and I are paired up and since we already have experience in underwater orientation, we get to try out the masks first.
We each get our regulators and Tato carefully removes the second stage in his workshop, so we can attach it to the masks.
I watch intently as he takes my breathing apparatus apart and attaches it to a crazy looking thing I’ve never used before.
The technical aspect of diving is incredibly fascinating to me. The second stage and mouthpiece of m y regulator are replaced with the AGA mask, which contains within its large outer shell, a smaller rubber mask, covering mouth and nose, a bit like a hospital oxygen mask.
Without it, too much CO2 from exhalation would accumulate in the mask and sooner or later render the diver unconscious. Inside it are two small rubber stubs to block your nose for equalisation. I admit, before this course I already googled and “youtubed” full-face masks and how to use them and feel confident that I’ll be able to use it right.
[metaslider id=”800″]
We get all our kit ready and make our way to the dock, compasses at the ready.
The instructors and Gautier help us get our masks on while, just like every day, the first buddy-team positions the buoy signalling diver’s at work and restricting boat traffic in the area.
[metaslider id=”801″]
Tanks are open, masks are on. “Prepare! Ready? WATER!” we jump in, nice and synchronized, the “OK” to the pier and down we go. We got our bearings for the target on the surface and are meant to hit it in a straight line. “This is nice” I think to myself on the surface. For the first time can’t feel the icy cold water that usually has me shivering within the first 15 minutes. This thing is covering even tiniest gaps in my suit.
But as we descend the mask soon becomes less comfortable. Both Ronan and I realise that the masks seem to give some more positive buoyancy and at first we struggle a bit to go down. Once on the bottom, my mask seems to blow a lot more than I thought it would. It’s hard to equalise, there’s a lot of pressure on my nose and sinuses and the slight cold that’s slowly been creeping its way into my respiratory system is not helping the matter. I lift my head up a bit, equalise again, there it is, that’s better. Still, this heavy blowing is quite uncomfortable.
The orientation exercise is going really well and we hit our targets spot on. But with both our masks on continuous flow, a mechanism designed for use in contaminated waters, we go through our air-supply pretty quickly. Two rounds of orientation and we’re on reserve. “Done! Out of the water!” Cesar tells us from the pier.
… VIDEO COMING SOON …
By the time I’ve climbed up the ladder to the pier, my congested sinuses and the tight mask on my face are hurting quite a bit. And when Tato stops me to explain the demand and continuous flow button, I can’t handle it any more. I rip the mask off “Tato, please! I need to take it off! It hurts!” I guess my cold was worse than I thought.
I wash the mask and carefully put it back in the box, before rinsing off the rest of my equipment. With the others still taking turns trying out the masks and doing orientation exercises, I finally get a chance to take some pictures.
[metaslider id=”818″]