May 21, 2008 - Divemaster Log

Hello Everyone.

Wednesday, May 21st finds the Video Dude once again donning his Assistant Instructor "Hat" and heading over to the Pompano Beach Aquatic Center to get started teaching a class of Open Water students on their pool skills.

Under the watchful eyes of Scuba Network Instructor Mat, I get the students geared up and entering the pool in the shallow end. I review and brief the students on buddy gear checks, compass navigation, descent and ascent procedures, underwater communications, how to switch from snorkel to regulator and back while swimming on the surface, and cramp releases.

At this point Mat takes over and we run through the alternate air ascent procedures in the shallow end, then the procedure for entering the deep end (both giant-stride entries and following the bottom contour). Once in the deep end of the pool, we run the students through all the skills, and all too soon the class is over. We get everyone out of the pool and over to their cars to stash their gear and clean up, then we have a de-briefing on everyone's skills.

So I got a chance to teach a little as well as evaluate student skills, and I have taken another step towards being an instructor in Paradise!

The Video Dude