Less than a week to go!

[FLArmyBrat]

One more pool dive on Wed. then our OW dives this weekend!!! I'm so excited I can't see straight.

Last night's pool dive was a bit rough though. Couldn't seem to get the weight right. I was struggling way to hard to get/stay down. I really worked hard on using my breathing to help but it seemed I was taking in less air than I was putting out to stay down. On more than one occasion the b/f or instuctor had to help me get down or stay down for exercises. But I refuse to give up!!! My weight belt is already set up for Wed. night and this time it is right!

If weighting is my biggest problem then I am happy. I seriously feared the mask removal exercises, but I survived all of them too so the rest is a breeze.

Our instuctors let us try out thier BC's and Shannon went right out and got his. He loves it. Mine will be next week. Of course it won't do me much good for the OW dive now will it?? lol It will be nice just to get those weight bags off my hips. They HURT.

Well, thats my update. I hope it doesn't boore you to tears lol.

Learn-Scuba...get those stickers ready...I'll be contacting you Sunday night when I get back from WPB.

Later all...
Laurel, Queen of the Frogs!
:royal:

 

[learn-scuba]

Laurel --

You go girl! ~smile~

(the stickers are sitting right here on my desk... just waiting for the word)

 

[FLArmyBrat]

I can't wait!

I was talking to a guy in my class last night and his son got Certified over the summer at La-No-Che. He's going on our OW dives this weekend. Were/are you involved in that? Do you recommend the boys go about getting thier certs at summer camp? We are planning on starting my son next summer anyway (he turns 12 in Nov.).

Just wondering
Laurel
:froggy:

 

[learn-scuba]

Laurel --

There are quite a few SCUBA instructors on this board that are affiliated with the Boy Scouts. NetDoc, for example, is here in Central Florida and involved with the SCUBA Ducks (BSA Venture Crew).

I'm probably a bit biased, but I think adults who are comitted to the BSA are both accustomed to dealing with the boys and perhaps a bit more interested in their wellbeing than the Average Joe. OTOH, I don't know I would just want to send my boy off to be certified by some unknown entity at summer camp... I would have wanted to talk to the person and get to know them a little.

Aside from that one concern though, I think BSA leaders who are also instructors are probably among the best at teaching kids to dive. Just my $0.02 -- I'll let NetDoc and the other BSA instructors we have on the board speak up.

Oh... one other thing... boys have to be 14 to participate in SCUBA in conjunction with Scouting according to the current BSA Guide to Safe Scouting. So I'm pretty sure he'll have to wait a couple more years before he could do it in conjunction with the Boy Scouts though he could do it outside of scouting. In fact, SSI will issue a special certification to 10 and 11 year olds that allows them to dive open water but only when buddied with a parent or guardian. Junior certifications which allow kids to dive open water with any certified adult are available for 12, 13 and 14 year olds and standard open water certs for age 15 and up.

FWIW -- I'm going to be certifying all of the 1st class and above in our troop starting this coming February (they just finished getting all the classes and a certification campout on their calendar this week).

 

[Wendy]

Where are you doing your ow check out dives? If its in salt water don't forget that you will need more weight.

Also may I suggest before you go and buy your BC, try out several different ones, so you make sure you get the one that you are going to be happy with.

Good luck and let us all know how it went.

 

[FLArmyBrat]

We considered going ahead a starting him now, but figured that we should get comfortable and get OUR gear paid off before we start him. So summer will be good! LOL


Thanks for letting me in on the 14 yr old minimum for BSA. I probably should have known that...but alas in my enthusiasm/addiction to diving I forgot!!

The b/f has an 8 yr old daughter so we'll be doing a lot of snorking anyway so that will be a good way to get him more acclimated. He has plenty of merit badges to work on in the mean time.

Thanks again,
Laurel
:froggy:

 

[FLArmyBrat]

We are doing our salt water dives in WPB. Between me and Shannon we have lots of weight (for our belt/BS as well LOL).

I have a question though...how do you go about "trying" BCs? Can you go in and rent what ever model you want? All I know is I want those weights off my hips!

Any and all BC/weight advice is appreciated.

Laurel
:froggy:

 

[learn-scuba]

Laurel --

Getting your own skills, experience and comfort level down before going with your Son is probably not a bad idea. That said, I'll add that it's usually the kids who get it the fastest and leave Mom and Dad in the dust. So are you just looking out for him or afraid he's gonna show you up? ~grinning~

As for the BC... you should be able to ask the shop to let you try the various BCs they sell. Most shops I know of will loan you one to try out so you can determine (a) you're comfortable with it and (b) it really does fit right -- ask. The worst they'll do is tell you no (in which case I would consider a different shop).

As for weights... no comment. I'm not a fan of integrated weights, so I'll hold my tongue and leave it to others who are more objective to put in their $0.02.

 

[Panzer70]

have you tried an underwater bc removal yet.... my problem is that I am very positvity buoyant... and I was using a intergrated wt bc... so i started b-lining it toward the surface (it wasn;t that bad... actually it was kinda of fun...) congrats on almost being done my cert dives were great (even thought the viz was about 1.5 meters)...
stay hep
tom

 

[learn-scuba]

Panzer70 once bubbled...
<snip>my problem is that I am very positvity buoyant... and I was using a intergrated wt bc... so i started b-lining it toward the surface<snip>

Well, there's one reason why I'm not a fan of integrated weights ~smile~