Introduction to Scuba
When we arrive in the morning we’re off to the wet-zone right away. Today most of the guys will use scuba diving equipment for the first time.
Regulators and BCDs have already been handed out and we’re gathering around Cesar who is explaining how to assemble the equipment.
We will start with 12L bottles, but since commercial diving usually involves physical labor which comes with increased air use, next week we will start using 15L and eventually 18L bottles. They’ve got quite a bit of weight to them.
Step by step Cesar goes through the assembly process before each one of us has to show that we understand it and are ready to try ourselves.
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Two separate first and second stages are used and, in order to familiarise ourselves with the different connection mechanisms, everyone is given both a DIN and an INT regulator.
It takes a few tries but the guys quickly get the hang of it. And of course we’re having a bit of fun with it all too…
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Learning to Breathe Underwater
Right… well then… Presumably everyone understood how the equipment works and is ready to use it in the public pool.
Tato and Cesar have briefly explained the process of loading kit but it’s all a little chaotic. We’re only on the second day of training and struggling a bit to remember all the things the instructors have mentioned in what seemed to be passing.
“Crap!” I think to myself, “What was it? Bring it all assembled or in parts??” Everything is taking much longer than Tato would like and we can tell that he’s not happy.
Of course I have no time nor would I dare to take any photos at the moment.
Finally, everyone and everything is packed up and on their way and this time Tato’s younger daughter Helena, of course also an instructor, is with us as well.
We don’t seem to be doing much better when we arrive at the pool. Scrambling to keep up with the strict order of things while trying to remember the exercises we’re about to do, we all hustle to get ready.
“Why is there equipment all over the place?? IN A LINE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!”
No more friendly sea-captain, more angry polar bear now.
“Assemble Equipment!” He paces up and down our slightly crooked line impatiently. “First pair, get ready!”.
Who was the first pair again? “Quickly, quickly!! What are you all standing around for???”.
Ronan and I step up “PREPARE! READY? WATER!” and with one big step we manage to land in the water at the exact same time. “Phew!” I think to myself. But my relief is short lived. “WHERE THE F*&$ IS YOUR SNORKEL??” Tato yells at me from the side of the pool. “Shit!” I’m startled and slightly embarrassed. The instructors did tell us: “On the surface, ALWAYS snorkel in your mouth! Mask ALWAYS on your face!”
Luckily, I just spent two months working in scuba diving school and got accustomed to school and teaching habits. I quickly pull the snorkel out of one of my BCD pockets, which are usually filled with useful accessories.
Ronan, an experienced scuba diver and used to not needing a snorkel, forgot his poolside. “Tato? Could you hand me my snorkel, please?” he asks quietly. “What am I? Your Maid?? OFF YOU GO!!! What are you hanging around here for? SWIM, SWIM!!!!!”
Quickly we turn around and start swimming shoulder to shoulder, in our best possible buddy-team. We’re giving it all we’ve got, faces down, I with my snorkel and Ronan with his reg [divers’ colloquialism for “regulator”]. We glance at each other underwater with an understanding “Shit…! We f*&%$d that one up didn’t we?”. Oh well, better next time.
One exercise after another, the instructors are putting on a fast pace. We’re taking off masks and switching them with our colleagues under water, taking off all our kit, buddy-breathing and other training emergency procedures. Then there’s more swimming and then some more exercises. They keep us on our toes.
Ronan and I occasionally throw each other a look of “Holy s*%t am I happy I’ve already done these a number of times!”
I look over at the other guys, imagining never having seen scuba equipment in my life and having to do things I only learned in my training to become a Divemaster. I would probably cry or at the very least I would not be enjoying myself very much.
But the water in the pool is nice and warm and after over a decade of scuba diving, simply having my head under water while breathing through a regulator puts me in an almost meditatively calm state. So I for one, am having a great time. I’m even a little bit sad when it’s finally time to get out of the water.
We seem to be doing a little better in packing up all the kit this time around and after a quick shower we’re on our way back to the school. There’s time for a short lunch break before we begin with theory lessons in the classroom.
Back to School
We’re starting out with the technical aspects of scuba diving equipment, what makes up a regulator, a BCD, a tank and how to maintain all the things that keep us alive under water.
Tato is back to his calm and friendly self. He patiently explains all the details and answers all of our questions.
I haven’t sat in a classroom in about 8 years and it feels a little bit weird to be taking notes and looking at white boards again, not to mention the fact that all of this is happening in Spanish. As soon as technical and nautical vocabulary starts making up half a sentence, I realize that this might be a little more challenging than I thought. I barely know half these words in English OR German! So far I’m still following, but mostly because we’re still talking about things I’ve learned before. What’s going to happen when we start talking about topics I know nothing about?
