April 12, 2008 - Divemaster Log

Hello everyone!

Saturday April 12 finds the Video Dude donning his Divemaster hat once again and assisting with a class of Open Water students with Instructor John L. of Scuba Network in Deerfield Beach, FL.

The morning began with getting the students and their gear to the beach, getting everything set up and checked out and getting the gear carried down to the waterline for easy entrance into the water. After another equipment check, the students were instructed to don their snorkeling gear for Dive #1. After our required surface swim, we arrive at a spot of required depth and have the students begin to demonstrate their surface snorkeling skills and their tired-diver tows, then it's back to the beach to don scuba gear for dive #2.

After a final gear check, the students head back into the water for their scuba skills checkout dive. A short surface swim and a short underwater swim later, we arrive at our spot for skill testing and the students begin to demonstrate their ability to clear masks, remove and replace masks and remove and replace regulators. Then it's back to shore for gear changeover and a break before getting back in for dive #3.

Now that gear has been changed over, checked and re-checked, it's time to head back out to our scuba skills location so that the students can finish demonstrating their skills. This time around we do some navigation, alternate-air breathing and controlled emergency swimming ascents (CESAs). Once more it's back to shore to break down and clean gear and get everyone headed back to the dive shop to work on their log books.

Terri, an instructor friend and often-times dive buddy of mine once gave me the best description of a divemaster's job with open water students - "Herding Cats" - and more often than not this is very true. Still, it was a beautiful day at the beach and a great opportunity to "get wet".

The Video Dude