Don't Smile With A Regulator!

[fishfreak44]

Last year on my 13th Birthday my dad took me to an inland dive spot, because he knew how much I wanted to learn to dive. It wasn't really a certification class we just kinda took a crash corse and got in the water. On my first dive ever we went down with our instructor about 40ft to the bottom of the spring to see if we could find the four, eight foot nurse sharks that dwell there. Well, we did and proceeded to pet and stroke them. It was incredible, I grinned and felt my regulator start to fill up with water! I didn't know that pressing the dumb button on the front would clear it out, so I panicked. I signalled the instructor that there was an emergency and that I needed to go up. She grabbed me face and we shot to the surface. I was sure that my lungs had exploaded. (You know those beginning dive videos, they totally freak you out.) Luckilly the instructor didn't take me up until she was sure I had fully exhailed. Needless to say I was a little lerry to go down again right away.

 

[Henryville]

Please...take...a...real...class

 

[MSilvia]

Yeah... if you want to dive, get certified. This isn't like most other sports and activities. What you don't know about scuba diving can kill you.

Flooding a regulator isn't a big deal, if you've learned how to remove and replace one. I grin with one all the time!

 

[Quarrior]

Personally, any instructor that takes a brand new diver to who had never been in the water with gear to 40ft on their first dive needs to be shot.

 

[fishfreak44]

I totally agree with you guys. Now that I am certified, I see how stupid it was for us to let her take us down like that. I didn't have the first idea of what I was supposed to be doing and neither did my dad. I could've died!

 

[underwater daphne]

please please please don't touch anything underwater!

 

[MSilvia]

Now that I am certified, I see how stupid it was for us to let her take us down like that.

You might want to mention it to the instructor's certifying agency. I'm sure they'd want to know.

 

[MSilvia]

please please please don't touch anything underwater!

Except anything you plan to eat.

 

[fishfreak44]

I'm not sure I understand the posts about not touching anything underwater. Maybe I'm nieve but I don't get the joke. Clearify?
~Thanks~

 

[SueMermaid]

It's not a joke, you really aren't supposed to touch anything for several reasons.

Glad you are okay, Fishfreak. And glad you are now certified.