Fin For YourSelf

Saturday

The pool at Shawnee Mission North was one busy place this weekend!  There were 3 different classes being held simultaneously!  Fortunately for us, the pool there is a big one, and there was plenty of room for all.  We didn't even bump into each other!   Mike and I assisted one of my favorite instructors,  Beau, with the biggest class.

The class consisted of 10 eager students who all did a great job.  Saturday we covered the usual...   appropriate gear assembly, entries, gear donning,  purging the regulator (2 methods), retrieving the regulator (2 methods), mask clearing, and buoyancy skills.  Most got to work on ear clearing and proceeded to the deep end to practice their skills in the deeper water.  One remained behind, as 'in the mouth -  out the nose' breathing was quite the challenge for her.  Mike went with Beau and the class, while I stayed behind with the one student to let her get used to the idea of breathing under the water.

For my student, as with many students, anxiety was playing the largest part of the problem.   Sometimes it takes a little longer for people to get comfortable with the procedures, or just to get comfortable with the idea that they're depending on equipment to breathe underwater.  Clearing the water out of one's mask always proves to be the biggest challenge.  That's usually where I come in.   I always hang back with the students having a little more of a problem mastering their skills or relaxing in the water.  I generally try to provide a 'no pressure' experience, because pushing a student too fast can lead to even more anxiety, which only worsens their problems.  It's very important that the first experience with SCUBA, even in the pool is a good one.  Without a lot of patience, and letting people get used to the idea at their own pace, you can push students away from what I consider to be one of the most awesome experiences in  life.   Proceeding at their pace, even if it takes more than a weekend to complete it, in my opinion, is the best way to introduce someone to the sport.  Honestly, I much prefer to work with the more challenging students, as I get a great sense of accomplishment helping people relax, and being around during their "ta-dah" moment, when everything falls into place, and they're finally relaxing and 'getting it'.

My student ended Saturday on a great note.  She finally made it through her skills in the shallow end, and came down to play with us in the deep end.  She learned lots, and was obviously feeling more comfortable by the end of class.  We still had a ways to go to get there, but she had made giant strides from the beginning to the end of class.  The rest of the class was a group of fish and made Beau look smart, as usual   Everyone had smiles on their faces when leaving which was a very good sign that they would return the next day, and complete the confined portion of their SCUBA training.

Sunday

Didn't know if my 1:1 student would feel more comfortable entering the pool on the second day, or be just as nervous the first.  She came into class with a smile on her face, but still had some trouble getting started with flooding and clearing her mask.  After much practice she was finally able to pull the mask completely off and place back on her head to clear it.  YEAH!!!  Suddenly there was a change in her demeanor.  We proceded toward the deep end and she performed every skill I asked her without hesitation!  She whizzed through the air sharing, the emergency ascent and even donned and doffed her gear underwater.  Even though it took her awhile to get her gear back on, there was never any panic, she just calmly worked it out, which was where I wanted her to be.  For starting the weekend taking 2 hours to master regulator purge and retrieval, she finished with a bang!!  I was so proud of her!   She overcame her fears, and actually finished her skills with enough confidence to head to her open water class in 2 weeks.  She had a trip to Costa Rica planned, and I think she might make it in fine form!  One other student spent some time with me just on mask clearing, but after adding a mask strap to her gear, her task became so much easier, and felt much more comfortable with the idea.  Funny how just a little tweak here or there makes a big difference.  Everyone else in the class passed with flying color with Beau and Mike's assist.  Our class did so well, that Michael actually ended up helping a young boy in another class that was in the pool, also.

All in all fears were conquered, skills were mastered, and there was a lot of fun had by all.  They all planned to complete the open water portion of their training either down at Beaver Lake in Arkansas, or on their upcoming vacations.  They were 1/2 way to becoming certified divers, all with great potential to do so.

Mike and I are looking forward to our next class.  Will keep you posted on the details!

Ciao for now!

Training Session from Shawnee Mission North