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One Response to “Recreational Diving Courses”

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1. Comment by David Horst — August 7, 2011 at 6:01 pm   Reply

   Hello,
   I just wanted to tell you that I wish I lived closer to you as there would be no doubt which instructors I would rather have. While I feel that I had good training, I know some of it was rushed and though I “got the card”, I know that I am not proficient in the skills as I would like. When it comes to your life, I would much rather be taught by someone like the two of you than someone who does the minimum and signs off on it. I feel that while I had very good instructors, that the demands of teaching many people at once showed and each of us got the bare essentials of the skills. As much as I respect the instructors that I had, reading the answers to a test together and then writing them down may get me “the card” but not the real knowledge or experience that I feel is needed. I don’t want to “pay for the card”, I want to earn it. Though at the time, I was trying to cram allot into a little and it seemed to justify the expense. I live outside of St Louis, MO. I recently fell in love with diving after a snorkeling trip to Jamaica in April of this yr. After this trip, I knew I wanted to stay underwater for longer than 30-60 sec so when I got back, I began taking classes with a very good club. I then took an 8 day vacation to St Croix and finished my Open water, Advanced Open, Deep and Photog cards. Yes, I was trying to get as many as I could in 21 dives. By mid week, I had decided that at 53 yrs old, that despite my 33 yrs of nursing at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital as a flight RN, where I make good money, I wanted to pursue diving as a new vocation and ultimately become a dive instructor and move back to St Croix. Since being back, I have been reading and learning more about diving. My home is now for sale in an effort to get back to St Croix and continue my diving and working on my skills. I even rent a dive pool 1-2x a wk just to practice my skills. The other day, I went diving at Bonne Terre Mine and had a terrible experience. I was in a rental suit that had holes and didn’t fit well. There was one experinced care dive instructor and two other experienced dives at the mine with us. There was just me and another couple on the dives. The first dive was fine but cold. After, we went topside and had lunch. Then after 2 hrs, we did dive #2 lasting 40 min at 40 ft. I started to feel cold after this dive. We then came back to the cave dock and hung out for 30 min or so. I stayed in my wetsuit as there was no place to really warm up and I didnt have anything more than a towel on hand. On dive #3, the one girl diver opted out because all she had was a 5 ml suit and was too cold. I was cold but wanted to dive so I thought “Oh I can tough this out” attitude because I just wanted to dive. By 20 min into the dive, I became sooo cold but didn’t want to end it for everyone so I stuck it out. The dive ended after about 40 min and I was shivering when I got out. I was never so glad to get out of the wetsuit and get up top. Even then, I was cold and rode home with the heater in the car on. That night, I felt as though I had flu symptoms with chills and achy muscles. Yesterday, I got on ScubaBoard and they told me to call DAN, I did and they said that I was most likely mod hypothermic and that I am still suffering the effects. These dives scared me and made me realize how little I do know. The divers on ScubaBoard sent me a link to your site and some “911 episode” of divers trapped in some cave in FL and that’s how I found your site. In short, I am very excited to learn more but want to learn from the best. You sound like the people to do this with. I want to get my 40 dives in before I get back to St Croix but I want to be good by then and not just “log the dives” As you and your wife are definetely someone for me to aspire to be like, do you have any suggestions. I already know I will make less, allot less money than I do now being a scuba instructor but I fell in love with diving after my first breath under the ocean. I know that I am just a novice, but I have the drive and energy to learn more. But more than learning, I want to be good and ready to advance on my own merits and not because I paid for it. I ask the dive instructors that I have been with what I can do and they all tell me I do fine but to just dive more and it will come to me. Perhaps, but after reading how you instruct, I wonder if I shouldn’t move down by your classes for awile and take some of my dives with the two of you. I would really like some personal help from experts like the two of you. Need any help with jobs around there lol. I’m a hard worker. Right now I have been working 7 days a week for the past two yrs and am no stranger to long hours or hard work. I would appreciate and tips, pointers or advice you may have as it seems as though the two of you have been there, done it. Thank you for whatever thoughts you have to share.
   David