Another way to have a really fun dive

[TSandM]

I played matchmaker today. Actually, I've been working on it for a while, but it came to fruition today.

I got two fifteen year old boys together to do what I'm pretty sure was for both of them the first dive that THEY planned and THEY executed, albeit with fairly close supervision by parental units on both sides. It was really fun. We (the two fathers and I) sort of prompted them through a dive plan and review, and then we descended as a buddy pair and a team of three and went through the dive. The kids got to deal with navigational confusion and team communication, and even coped (very nicely, I must add) with losing a couple of divers, when Kirk stopped to take a picture and I stayed with him. The kids stopped, turned around, and used their lights to let us know where they were. (There was no real doubt, because we were all following a rope trail on the bottom, but it was properly done.)

Afterward, we went for warm drinks, and went through a dive debrief. I think everybody involved enjoyed it.

I saw almost no marine life, between watching the kids and keeping an eye on my two teammates, but I really had a lovely dive, seeing what I'd planned and plotted actually happening and working pretty darned well.

I'll bet all of us can remember our first dive with a buddy of equal skill, where we planned it and did it and felt absolutely elated that WE were diving. Got to watch that happen today. It was cool.

[1_T_Submariner]

TSandM, Great to hear all enjoyed the dive espically the kids! Sounds like a great day.

[almitywife]

nice reminder how things were like when we newbies ourselves

when the child started diviing last year... she was excited to see a coral encrusted rock and this brought back to us how any dive can be exciting

cheers

[SparticleBrane]

Lynne, I see this at the end of every semester, and let me tell you what...it's great to watch the new divers' eyes light up.

[do it easy]

It's good to hear that Kirk has a good mentor. Maybe you should teach some search and recovery skills and task them with finding that weight I dropped. It's in the eel grass just beyond the jetty at Edmonds

[jpcpat]

It's great to see things like that!! Wis I'd been there

[covediver]

Thank you for relating your experience to us.

I have had the great experience of introducing many a diver to the ocean on their first dives. I think your strategy of allowing the teens to take part in the dive planning is the key to the success. It makes them feel like participants instead of bystanders or those who just along for the ride.

I helped teach divers that were college age mostly. 18 years later one of them and I still dive quite as often as geography and other conditions will allow.

Many new divers think veteran divers will not like diving with them, fearing that we will be bored or that they will look fumbling in our eyes. I try to explain that half the fun of diving with newbies is that the thrill of discovery they have is quite infectious. The other thing I point out is that I was once a new diver and had it not been for more experienced divers showing me the ropes, I probably would have stopped diving.

This experience was brought home a few years ago when I moved to the great white north and had to start using a dry suit, which I had used a grand total of three dives seven years before in a pond in Virginia. I was lucky, a couple of skilled Alaska divers patiently showed me the ropes and I am still learning from them. I was that new, clumsy newbie, despite more than 1000 dives. Thank goodness they were patient.

[dsteding]

Nice post Covediver.

Lynne, it sounds like the boys had fun today, cool stuff.