My main buddy, Roger and I went out with JDC this weekend. Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately, I am having trouble bringing the photos up here, but you can view them in my gallery. Just click on my photos. There are only 7.
In any event. Dive 1 on Saturday, yellow fins was separated from his buddy, blue fins. About 20 minutes into the dive at 77 ft, I saw yellow fins holding his console and franticly looking about. I glanced down at the SPG and I saw he was well into the red. I figured I was due for an OOG event. I moved over to yellow fins and he bolted. I thought "Oh well. Surface support will handle it." Roger and I were back on the boat about half an hour later and we saw that yellow fins was fine.
Dive 2 on Saturday. Blue fins was overly protective of yellow fins. These are photos Roger took and I posted. Both divers were horribly over-weighted. Blue fins had 16 # on a belt; diving with board shorts and rash guard. Don't know about yellow fins, but you can see in the pics, they were both trashing the soft corals (and my head. I'm the handsome fellow in the black full suit.) I am not knocking these two divers, but rather whomever certified them.
So..the point of my story. On Sunday, Roger and I went out with JDC and 16 JDC students. It was a Groupon offering of all things. The class started with 18 students and 2 instructors, David and Heather Anderson. They washed out 2. Roger and I wanted the trip because our friend Kieth was one of the students. So..first dive..Roger, 2 other certified divers, Jupiter Mermaid and I made our own drop. The students made separate drops. 8 with David and 8 with Heather. We met back on the boat 53 minutes later.
Here's the thing..Dive 2 on Sunday, the instructors decided we could all dive together. These 16 students set up their gear and were lined up like "Band of Brothers" for the drop. Roger, the other 2 certed divers, Mermaid and I went first and understandably got to the bottom faster. But I did roll over and watch 16 students giant stride into the water, descend without "unicycling". They all levered over into horizontal or head down descents. SECOND BOAT DIVE! Anyway the 5 certed divers did our thing for a while. Roger and I decided to head North (northerly current so we finned) to hook up with our friend Kieth.
First we spotted David's Blue fins, then Kieth's purple fins. Kieth and his buddy were drifting like 18 inches above the bottom. Roger tried to take a pic, but his battery died. Kieth even assumed the "Warhammer" position for the pic. I had explained that to the students.
. (this was 70 fsw. 2nd boat dive)
I glanced up and saw maybe another half dozen students. All in decent trim and cruising the ledge. The students bailed about 30 minutes. Roger and I (as well as a solo diver I met, but don't recall the name, stayed another 20 minutes or so. I shot my marker and we ended the evening at a sports bar.)
Again..this was a Groupon group and they did exceptionally well. I spoke with Heather and David (Anderson, JDC instructors) on the ride in. David said it is certainly easier for instructors to overweight students. He dials in the students' weighting in the pool with the anticipated exposure protection then does the math for the salt water conversion.
I'm telling you. These students earned it. The 5 certed divers on the boat gave them a standing ovation. (did I mention this was a Groupon event? Nice that David and Heather do what it takes, no matter the fee.)
In any event. Dive 1 on Saturday, yellow fins was separated from his buddy, blue fins. About 20 minutes into the dive at 77 ft, I saw yellow fins holding his console and franticly looking about. I glanced down at the SPG and I saw he was well into the red. I figured I was due for an OOG event. I moved over to yellow fins and he bolted. I thought "Oh well. Surface support will handle it." Roger and I were back on the boat about half an hour later and we saw that yellow fins was fine.
Dive 2 on Saturday. Blue fins was overly protective of yellow fins. These are photos Roger took and I posted. Both divers were horribly over-weighted. Blue fins had 16 # on a belt; diving with board shorts and rash guard. Don't know about yellow fins, but you can see in the pics, they were both trashing the soft corals (and my head. I'm the handsome fellow in the black full suit.) I am not knocking these two divers, but rather whomever certified them.
So..the point of my story. On Sunday, Roger and I went out with JDC and 16 JDC students. It was a Groupon offering of all things. The class started with 18 students and 2 instructors, David and Heather Anderson. They washed out 2. Roger and I wanted the trip because our friend Kieth was one of the students. So..first dive..Roger, 2 other certified divers, Jupiter Mermaid and I made our own drop. The students made separate drops. 8 with David and 8 with Heather. We met back on the boat 53 minutes later.
Here's the thing..Dive 2 on Sunday, the instructors decided we could all dive together. These 16 students set up their gear and were lined up like "Band of Brothers" for the drop. Roger, the other 2 certed divers, Mermaid and I went first and understandably got to the bottom faster. But I did roll over and watch 16 students giant stride into the water, descend without "unicycling". They all levered over into horizontal or head down descents. SECOND BOAT DIVE! Anyway the 5 certed divers did our thing for a while. Roger and I decided to head North (northerly current so we finned) to hook up with our friend Kieth.
First we spotted David's Blue fins, then Kieth's purple fins. Kieth and his buddy were drifting like 18 inches above the bottom. Roger tried to take a pic, but his battery died. Kieth even assumed the "Warhammer" position for the pic. I had explained that to the students.
. (this was 70 fsw. 2nd boat dive)I glanced up and saw maybe another half dozen students. All in decent trim and cruising the ledge. The students bailed about 30 minutes. Roger and I (as well as a solo diver I met, but don't recall the name, stayed another 20 minutes or so. I shot my marker and we ended the evening at a sports bar.)
Again..this was a Groupon group and they did exceptionally well. I spoke with Heather and David (Anderson, JDC instructors) on the ride in. David said it is certainly easier for instructors to overweight students. He dials in the students' weighting in the pool with the anticipated exposure protection then does the math for the salt water conversion.
I'm telling you. These students earned it. The 5 certed divers on the boat gave them a standing ovation. (did I mention this was a Groupon event? Nice that David and Heather do what it takes, no matter the fee.)
