fosterboxermom
Contributor
My Husband and I just finished taking Jim Lap's AOW class July 30-Aug 2. I can't express how much we learned. Jim's dedication and expertise to diving is unsurpassed.
I also want to mention his kindness and professionalism made us feel relaxed yet challenged.
We spent a whole day just in class room instruction. (Unlike a course you can take on line or be given a book and you pass automatically) We were able to focus on what we were going to be doing on our dives, what would be expected of us and the importance of safety. Above all it was taught to us not just given to us and expected us to read something and the Instructor would sign off on it.
We revisited some old things we learned in OW just to refresh our memory and to get us back to knowing how important our buddies are to each of us and that we can rely on ourselves as well. The class gave us the extra confidence we needed and were looking for to be better buddies with each other.
For our dives we went to the mountains in W. VA, Mt. Storm where the water temp was 86 degrees. We worked on our advanced skills, propulsion, frog kick, helicopter turn, determining our trim, determining our positioning as buddies and we did a pony bottle swim where we one of us had to signal we were out of air and the buddy held a pony bottle with reg and we swam in position using that out of air technique.
Next we did a Nav dive. Used the compass to do a reciprocal out and back, used to judge current using the reciprocal info from first dive to adjust second line. One buddy used the compass one used the depth gauge to keep us on course and on depth. Kept our positions correct. Learned to measure distance using kick cycle.
Next dive was a night dive using communication skills with dive lights. Worked on positioning and trim as buddies.
Deep dive worked on descend techniques getting horizontal and staying together, compared gauges, air, depth, did a narcosis test (simple math). Did ascents at 50'-1 min, 40'- 1min, 30' 1 min, 15' 3 min. did final ascent. Felt much better doing more safety stops to gas off.
Last dive was a buddy rescue and assist. The skills we worked on were air share swim, buddy assist using pony bottle to surface, loss of buoyancy ascent, unconscious diver up from depth,deploy safety sausage, tow to shore, simulate call for rescue.
Again, if you are considering taking an AOW class Jim Lap can give you what you are looking for. He can tailor it to your needs and expectations and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Jim, for all you did for us we feel so much better with what we learned and now know better limits for ourselves and being buddies. I think we also gained a new friendship that we hope will continue throughout our diving adventures and life. We owe you our gratitude and many more thanks.
Peace, and Safe Diving, Robyn and Wayne Robinson
I also want to mention his kindness and professionalism made us feel relaxed yet challenged.
We spent a whole day just in class room instruction. (Unlike a course you can take on line or be given a book and you pass automatically) We were able to focus on what we were going to be doing on our dives, what would be expected of us and the importance of safety. Above all it was taught to us not just given to us and expected us to read something and the Instructor would sign off on it.
We revisited some old things we learned in OW just to refresh our memory and to get us back to knowing how important our buddies are to each of us and that we can rely on ourselves as well. The class gave us the extra confidence we needed and were looking for to be better buddies with each other.
For our dives we went to the mountains in W. VA, Mt. Storm where the water temp was 86 degrees. We worked on our advanced skills, propulsion, frog kick, helicopter turn, determining our trim, determining our positioning as buddies and we did a pony bottle swim where we one of us had to signal we were out of air and the buddy held a pony bottle with reg and we swam in position using that out of air technique.
Next we did a Nav dive. Used the compass to do a reciprocal out and back, used to judge current using the reciprocal info from first dive to adjust second line. One buddy used the compass one used the depth gauge to keep us on course and on depth. Kept our positions correct. Learned to measure distance using kick cycle.
Next dive was a night dive using communication skills with dive lights. Worked on positioning and trim as buddies.
Deep dive worked on descend techniques getting horizontal and staying together, compared gauges, air, depth, did a narcosis test (simple math). Did ascents at 50'-1 min, 40'- 1min, 30' 1 min, 15' 3 min. did final ascent. Felt much better doing more safety stops to gas off.
Last dive was a buddy rescue and assist. The skills we worked on were air share swim, buddy assist using pony bottle to surface, loss of buoyancy ascent, unconscious diver up from depth,deploy safety sausage, tow to shore, simulate call for rescue.
Again, if you are considering taking an AOW class Jim Lap can give you what you are looking for. He can tailor it to your needs and expectations and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Jim, for all you did for us we feel so much better with what we learned and now know better limits for ourselves and being buddies. I think we also gained a new friendship that we hope will continue throughout our diving adventures and life. We owe you our gratitude and many more thanks.
Peace, and Safe Diving, Robyn and Wayne Robinson
