First pool session on Monday...

[Beeracuda]

And I can't wait! We had our first classroom time last Tuesday night and it was great. I am taking it at the local YMCA. They charge $50.00 and include all the equipment! The instructor says the final price to be certified should be less than $90.00, including the fills for the OW dives. (then the real spending begins!)

The instructor has certified over 11,000 divers and is extremely thorough. We have 2 hours of classroom time then 2 hours in the pool over a minimum of 5 sessions. I had less time than that when I flew solo the first time...

The instructor is even going to let my GF (who is already PADI certified) sit in the classroom sessions and dive with us free of charge. She wanted a refresher and he said no problem. He even offered to certify her with NAUI, if she wanted....

 

[marine9]

Great price!!!

Almost a give-a-way.

Welcome to the world of scuba!

Enjoy your new found sport.

Best of luck on Monday and the rest of your diving life.

 

[Becca_007]

I love hearing people so excited about diving.

 

[Beeracuda]

Great price!!!

Almost a give-a-way.

Welcome to the world of scuba!

Enjoy your new found sport.

Best of luck on Monday and the rest of your diving life.

Yes, it is almost a give away. He doesn't charge for the lessons at all. The $50.00 goes straight to the YMCA aquatics program.

This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. I signed up 3 different times back in the 70's, but they never had enough to make a class. This time, there were enough people to make 3 separate groups...

 

[Beeracuda]

I had the pool session on Monday. He showed us equipment and mostly wanted to see how well we swam. I swam my laps then put on the fins, mask and snorkel. That went pretty well...

Then I turned in my medical papers. Now I have to get a medical evaluation, probably because of the Beta Blocker that I take for my blood pressure. It is controlled and I only take one 25mg tablet of Toprol a day, so hopefully the doctor will sign it off and I can continue...

 

[diver 85]

Beercuda---good luck & enjoy.....btw, you must be pretty old, @ least 50..........you gunna love it 'down there'.......

 

[nolatom]

Wait til you've got the doctor note and are in the water for the first time with the tank and regulator, you adjust your buoyancy vest til you're "neutral buoyancy" underwater, that feeling of weightlessness.......

Nothing like it in the world, I still get a big kick out of it ten years later, so will you.

 

[TSandM]

Beeracuda, WHERE are you getting certified? 11,000 certs -- if your instructor's been teaching for 30 years, that's over 300 certs a year. It's GOT to be someplace tropical.

 

[Beeracuda]

Beercuda---good luck & enjoy.....btw, you must be pretty old, @ least 50..........you gunna love it 'down there'.......

Yep, I am getting old...hit 52 in October.

Wait til you've got the doctor note and are in the water for the first time with the tank and regulator, you adjust your buoyancy vest til you're "neutral buoyancy" underwater, that feeling of weightlessness.......

Nothing like it in the world, I still get a big kick out of it ten years later, so will you.

The doctor needs to hurry up! (I only took him the form at 5:00 yesterday. ) But we are supposed to go on SCUBA this Monday.

I hope he doesn't make me do any tests or anything... I think I am in decent shape for an old fart. I've lost 70 lbs, kept it off for about 18 months and I was swimming laps non-stop for an hour, 3-4 days a week. I haven't been doing that in 6 months or so, but I can still hold my own. I hope the Doc remembers that I used to see him there at the Y almost every time I went.

 

[Beeracuda]

I got my medical clearance yesterday!

Beeracuda, WHERE are you getting certified? 11,000 certs -- if your instructor's been teaching for 30 years, that's over 300 certs a year. It's GOT to be someplace tropical.

You are correct! That is a lot. I miss typed it should have been over 10,000 and I don't remember what year he started teaching. Even at that, that a ton of students.