tennis, life and a few things in between

Our third training day & 2nd day in the pool at getting the SSI certificate.

We did review of Chapter 4 at the store, with the kid answering most of the questions, then headed to the pool.

The temperature is similar as yesterday, and rained heavily at time during the day. But with all gears have selected (less chaos), and having done one pool practice one (a little experience), I feel more at ease. The skills we practiced:

1. remove the regulator (Magnum-primary; repeat)
2. tilt to the right (repeat)
3. losing the regulator, use yellow hose (repeat)
4. drain the water (half/full) from the mask

The five of us also have the benefit of Ralph, and assistant coach with us, so it’s more fun than yesterday. Also not as cold – we got rained on yesterday while in the pool and as we were leaving.

It’s our first time hitting the pool @ dive. We lingered in the store and then headed to the pool at 6:30, after everyone has his gears picked. 

I got there at 4pm, as the coach asked, to select my gears from the package.

The choices are hard to make: so many colors and styles … here is my most favorite suit but it’s 7mm which isn’t too suitable. 

The air delivery system 

• BCD buoyancy compensator device: Sherwood Luna/avid | Genesis Celeste 
• regulator: Sherwood magnum 
• octopus: Sherwood
• Genesis 2 gauge console 
• Genesis Centauri dive computer: the manual.

… the personal snorkeling system

• Panview mask w/ purge valve
• surf snorkel
• booties
• fins
• Akona 1mm exposure suit ⇒3mm wetsuit
• SMB w/ spool, scrub, spit
• Akona huron DLX mesh backpack

What/how to wear to an open water dive:

1. pick your cylinder and test it
2. sink bc to the cylinder and secure it (shake it)
3. hook up the regulator to the cylinder and then bc
   1. test regulator (Magnum; grey) – primary breathing apparatus
   2. test octo (Sherwood, yellow) – secondary/backup breathing line
   3. hook up the LPI (low pressure inflator) hose to inflate the bcd, and secure it into the hock on the left chest
   4. secure duel gauge (Genesis: tank pressure/depth), left side; test the gas pressure (should be 3k psi)  
4. lay the tank down, to prevent from falling 
5. add weights if needed
6. put on wetsuit
7. put on booties
8. attach snorkel to the mask, put in on your head or wear it 
9. put on the bc with the cylinder
   1. close waist velcro
   2. buckle waist
   3. pull down the two shoulder straps 
   4. buckle the chest  
10. get into the water
11. (it’s a good habit to test 4 lines again)
12. put on the fins …
13. if dive off the boat, put on the fins first, then into the unknown
14. have fun

The watch is huge and weighty. I also purchased the goggle/mask strap, upgraded the snorkel, etc. 

There are many other items that we should buy: knife, flash light, weight.

The pool is at his father’s house where Ed grew up. It’s a mile from the store. We practiced a few basics in the pool. I used 8 pound weight (4lb each) in the fresh water.  

The tall and sleek cylinders on the right is made of steel and cost more. 

It’s so heavy [Lol] there’s more [Flushed]

以前去🎿觉得用具又多又重又肿
…
那都不是回事儿 小巫 而已
…

一个氧气瓶重的就可以砸死人
三条氧气输送管 够俺手忙脚乱的
还没有加上重量

⌚️都好重 好像核潜艇
俺问教练 这⌚️ 怎么这么大 又重
教练停了二秒 笑笑纠正俺 … 术语是’电脑’
好吧 您说啥就是啥
…

常常看见年轻女孩穿着个脚蹼 戴着个🤿 在大海里游啊游的
那些都是忽悠人的
…
连课堂上都是清一色男的
…

平衡心理 就天天戴着核潜艇 招摇撞骗 – 只能看看时间 其它的功能都不会
今天早上 🎾 ‘够胆打回来 俺有核潜艇炸你’ [Happy] [哇] nuke you lol 

… 不过小靴子倒是挺漂亮的

This is my second attempt at open water scuba diving, and I’m taking it at Woods & Water with master diver / instructor Edward Ciesla, who issues SSI Certificate.

SCUBA: self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, co-invented by French naval officer Jacques Cousteau (1910-97) in 1943, with Emile Gagnan. Cousteau was also an oceanographer, filmmaker and author.

I took a basic open water dive and followed by two speciality courses:

• Advanced Adventurer: flash light ^2023.10.27
• Advanced Adventurer: navigation  ^2023.10.25
• Open water diver ^{2023 Oct 10-22}

My dives: 10 minutes SIT (surface interval time) within 12 hours

1. ^2023.11.04 Blue Grotto 4:09, 72.6F, 38.2′, 24:57
2. ^2023.11.04 Blue Grotto 3:29, 72.8F, 27.1′, 16:15
3. ^2023.11.04 Blue Grotto  11:37, 72.1F, 61.9′, 25:18
4. ^2023.10.22 2nd checkout dive @ Devil’s Den, to 34′
5. ^2023.10.22 2nd checkout dive @ Devil’s Den, to 34′
6. ^2023.10.14  checkout dive @ Lake Denton, to 37′
7. ^2023.10.14  checkout dive @ Lake Denton, to 37′

Training Day is Denzel Washington’s crime thriller film that came out in 2001, directed by Antoine Fuqua.

The beginning of a new journey.

The two week training begins with paperwork – online self study materials.

There are five of us in this class with master diver Edward Ciesla: father Jake and son James, Bart and Ryan – all men. Why most diving photos ore videos featuring young females – sexy appeal?

With all the new gadgets, it is a lot safer but is it still fun, especially for the seasoned divers?

We also looked at equipments and tried on the vest BC (buoyancy compensator device). We hooked up to the gas cylinder, but didn’t put on – just tooooo heavy. I’ll do more fittings tomorrow.

… at the moment, I’m feeling tired already -:) … if you think skiing requires a lot of equipment, think again.

Our training days has total of  37 hours:

1. chap 1 & 2: ^{3 hr} 
2. pool ^{3 hr}
3. chap 3 + pool ^{3 hr}
4. Lake Denton dives ^{9.5 hr 7:30-5pm}
5. chap 4 + pool ^{3 hr}
6. chap 5 + pool ^{3 hr}
7. chap 6 + final + pool^{? 3 hr}
8. Devil’s Den dive $40 ^{9.5 hr}
9. graduation Halloween dive social

^{Woods & Water
124 Edward Ave
Brandon, FL 33510}

… more pix on Google Maps

SCUBA: self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, co-invented by French naval officer Jacques Cousteau (1910-97) in 1943, with Emile Gagnan. Cousteau was also an oceanographer, filmmaker and author.

A few types of dive:

1. open water OWD, which is what I’ll be doing
2. cave
3. cavern 洞穴
4. wreck
5. rescue
6. drift
7. …

SSI is a for-profit organization founded in 1970, in Fort Collins, Colorado. Their most popular program is OWD: Open Water Dive and AOWD (advanced). Their diamond motto is: knowledge, skills, experience and equipment. There are massive online reading materials.

SSI deals mostly with the shops, while Padi, which is better known, deals with shops’ customers too …

The training days

1. paperwork, chapters 1+2: class schedule
2. chap 3, pool: select gears; skills-regulator/octo
3. chap 4, pool: skills-drain the mask water
4. the 1st OWD: checkout dive @ Lake Denton
5. … big step entering the water
6. chap 5 … back into the water; gloves
7. chap 6 + final
8. pool,

The continuing education or speciality courses:

1. Navigation
2. flash light

To qualify for their popular certificate @ Woods & Water, one needs to complete

1. the digital learning material
2. academic sessions
3. open water training dives

For the open water diver, we need

1. six academic sessions
2. six pool sessions
3. four open water training dives

After this, one is able to dive with a buddy, within your training environment and depth.

The total diving system

1. the snorkeling: move, breathe & see below
2. the exposure: keep warm – suit, hood, etc
3. the delivery: life support equipment gas/nitrox
4. the information: a dive computer
5. the buoyancy: life support – float / descents
6. the accessory: extend your capability

We snorkeled with dive.is (a Padi center) @ Silfra, a tectonic drift of the Eurasian and North American plates, (the mid-Atlantic ridge) in the Þingvellir National Park, Iceland. Many said Silfra has the clearest water in the world.

… on Google Maps

We totally enjoyed it but suiting up and orientation take long time, far more than snorkeling itself, unfortunately.