PADI DM finished, hints to others

[ScubabunnyCR]

Congratulations endurodog!!! Welcome to the world of professional diving. May your path be full of happy bubblers and other enthusiastic divers!!!

 

[tracydr]

Congratulations! I'm sure you feel a huge relief and a sense of accomplishment!
I'm currently looking for instructors to do more classes for my internship portion. Since my DMC is through a private instructor, it's important to get out and experience classes with other instructors.
Unfortunately, I'm hitting a few roadblocks, since the local shops would like for me to pay for a DM course through them in order to do any internship classes. Seems silly to pay for another, entire course just to complete internship?
I've been trying to find some local, private instructors. It's not easy but I've just started looking, too. I've met a couple and do have one class hopefully lined up.

 

[endurodog]

Thanks guys! I have enjoyed it so much I just got back from my IDC/IE that I completed in Florida on Sunday. It's been a hell of a journey.

 

[wizard1325]

What is drownproofing?

 

[Aguablanco1]

Drown proofing is basically sinking to the bottom of the pool and then pushing off the bottom to return to the service where you take a breath and repeat the cycle. Being a "floater" I have a challenge with this technique.
RichH

 

[Tortuga68]

Drown proofing is basically sinking to the bottom of the pool and then pushing off the bottom to return to the service where you take a breath and repeat the cycle. Being a "floater" I have a challenge with this technique

No, that's not drownproofing at all. Firstly it's an open water (no bottom) technique, and secondly it favours floaters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drownproofing

 

[supergaijin]

Drown proofing is basically sinking to the bottom of the pool...

That would be drowning...

 

[tracydr]

All good stuff. I found the academics OK, with the physics toughest. A ton of studying since I hadn't done anything like that since H.S. But being a good "studier", I did fine. Course was harder than all of my other courses combined. Wish I had had the skills video(s), would've helped. Also, a pool closer than 50 miles would've helped both with the swim tests and actual classes. Would have been nice to get more than one OW class to intern. But you've heard all my whines before. Congrats. Now it will be fun to get your "black" card and all the stuff they send, and get ready to pay your money.

Access to a pool is a huge help. I spent everyday in the pool for a few months practicing skills and even figured out a way to practice the buddy gear exchange without a buddy. I would take off each piece of equipment while with the regulator out of my mouth, pick up my reg for a couple of breaths and on to the next piece of gear. I did this for 4-5 days and I think it really made my equipment exchange to much more smoothly.
I did the old test so I'm not sure about the new test but I did study a lot.
For the swim test, I was 47 when I took the test and not in great shape but I've done a lot of laps in my life. I had no difficulty with either the swim test or tread water. I think its more about being a comfortable swimmer than about being in shape.

 

[Aguablanco1]

Sinking to the bottom would be drowning if you stopped reading there, however there is more to the sentence that would likely prevent drowning. To clarify, while in the Navy I was taught the method I previously described. I used this description to answer the OP's question since I assumed he would take his test in a pool. I will certainly apologize for my inaccurate description.
RichH

 

[supergaijin]

I was having a bit of fun with the quote there Agua- the apology is mine to make. I'm sorry.