The NEW Underwater Adventures of an OLD Fart

[Drewski]

OK, the First "Update."

Well, I stopped by the dive shop the other day to finish registration for classes. The SSI Openwater Course cost $239 a person which included everything (yeah, I mean everything!), even mask, fins, snorkel boots and weights during the class along with all OW gear on certification dives. Even diver's insurance (what a GOOD idea!) books and training materials are included. Cert dives are boat dives on the regular charters ran by the dive center with an instructor tagging along. The first dives are done in a local lake. Costs for cert dives are the same as the charter prices.

Now, help me here, $239 seemed pretty reasonable for what you’re getting. My shop charged $110 for an OW course in 1985 and then an additional fee for equipment rental of like $75 that DIDN'T include MFS. Plus, people needed to buy MFS and a weight belt for the class, they didn't get to use them. I'm sure most participants will buy this stuff during the class we're taking now, but it's cool that they let you try stuff first (this is probably why my old shop went bust and this shop is still in business!). BTW, they require you to have your own MFS gear by the time cert dives roll around.

They also registered me for a "rusty" diver class so I can take the same class as my nieces and even waived the fee because I'm an instructor. I'm beginning to like these guys...

So, last weekend I opened the SSI training materials, had the kids over and went to work. The "package" contained a book, tables, log, stickers and other stuff that they found fascinating. A DVD was also included that we were supposed to watch before the class, which we did. My one niece, Natascha, pulled out paper and started taking notes!

I thought the DVD was well done. It's HD in spots and I have a DVD player with a DVI connection, so it looked awesome. The graphics seemed good too, along with the instructional "pace" and by the end of about 3 HRS we finished it. The physics were a little tough, but the girls were doing basic dive table problems without difficulty after only a few trys. NOT bad! I'm having them review sections 3 and 4 of the SSI book this week as homework ("Uncle Drew, it's the first week of SCHOOL... not MORE homework!") All in all, I have to admit I was impressed with the training materials. It was straight forward, easy to understand and well produced. We start the "real" class on Monday, so I'll be interested to see how it all comes together.

Anyway, if you're still reading I'm AMAZED! I'll post more soon...

 

[Drewski]

Drew I wish you had been in the class i just finished the class and pool portion, and will be going out to openwater this weekend with the students. i've been teaching for LDC since 85. what shop did you run?

HOLY underwater coincident BATMAN! A local who might know me!

OK, I took the instructor course at ODU when I went to school there in 1983. The ITC director was Gerry Putnam who owned Scuba Ventures in Virginia Beach (THAT's a WHOLE other story). When I left school I went to work for Aqua Lung Diving Center in Norfolk (and Newport News), working for an "old" Navy Master Diver by the name of Hiram Mulliken (? spelling) who owned the stores. He had another shop on Colley Ave. in Norfolk in the 70's, I remember going into it but not the name. It was two letters, something like "M and J" or something like that.

I started out at ALDC as a counter guy along with teaching, DM'd the boats on weekend dives and eventually became manager (for a whole MONTH) before I left to become a Paramedic in Norfolk. After I left the shop I ran my own boat and still taught for ALDC with Maylon (whom I'm sure you know) for about another year. I also knew Mike and I think one of the firefighters from Norfolk who I worked with became a boat captain with you guys. ALDC went bust after MUCH abuse and is now a Pawn Shop in a BAD neighborhood (sigh).

My roomate and I both became NAUI instructors at about the same time and he's now the owner of Outer Banks Dive Center in Kittyhawk.

Anyway, PM with some info and we'll talk...

GREAT hearing from you...

 

[erparamedic]

Drew...

That's great!! It's awesome that you can do this with your nieces! I'm so excited for you! I like reading your updates... so please keep posting!

Again... I can't wait till my kids are old enough... they're 6 and 8 right now... soon to be 7 and 9 . They did get their first snorkelling experience at Shell Key, FL... of the coast of St. Pete Beach. They really liked it! My son did better than my daughter though... he's the older one. She had trouble with her mask flooding, so she gave up on it after a while... so we put her in a life vest and let her bob around with us! LOL Jonathan liked pointing out all the little sand crabs and the lizardfish, and a big school of little silver fish, etc. He had a real blast, and is looking forward to learning to Scuba dive. My dad is the one that's the most excited though.... he can't wait to dive with the kids. My mom and dad travel all over the world to dive... so I'm wondering what kind of exotic trip he has up his sleeve! LOL I wanna go too!

 

[Shallow Draft]

Great to see older people return or start to dive.
I was NAUI cold water certified in 1975 at Vancouver. I dove pretty steady for a few years and then other things and prairie mud holes ended the fun.
Last dive was 1979.
Skip ahead to 03 and a trip to Cuba and I was talked into a trip to the Bay of Pigs for a two tank dive.
It seemed like i had never stopped diving. When i got home it was all new gear[old gear was long since sold] and a drysuit.
I was on my way to get a free air fill at the local fire dept and ended up on the dive team. This was a great oportunity for skills improvement. There is nothing like an hour underwater doing entanglement drills without a mask to make you comfortable. To bad it was disbanded [for insurance reasons].
Since then I have my wife cold water certified [PADI].
She is much happier with 80 degree water but I have been able to dive the west coast of Canada[see two month old National Geo].
We are now off to Cuba for two weeks [Sept 16] of diving. It is a good deal this time of year. From Calgary 2 weeks AI is 1230 CAD and dives are $20 each.

Yes "OLD" [53&50] people can have a great time returning to diving or learning to dive.

 

[Scuba Brad]

I agree with Rex.........I'm over 50...........heck at 40 your farts aren't even old yet. Give it a few more years youngster.

But they way..........I'm a dive shop owner and love it. Its not my primary source of income but it sure is my primary source of outflow. Dive shop owners are just hobbiest on steroids.

You have fun with those cute little girls and be sure and tell all your stories.....including the mostly true ones.

Happy Diving

 

[Frog Dude]

Déjà vu, reading your story.
Imagine learning to SCUBA dive in the gin clear waters of the East China Sea. Coral topography to match the landscape of the Grand Canyon and sea life of all shapes, sizes and colors. Even the nasty ones. Then being transferred to Oklahoma where they bragged about 10 foot visibility and seeing catfish big enough to swallow you whole.
At the end of my government endenturement returning to Florida where the Keys and blue water springs are a few hours drive. The re-infection was immediate. Staggering weekends between sky diving and SCUBA diving. Safety diving for a local instructor for air, sleeping in the truck to afford two days diving in the Keys.
Those were the days, no wife, kids, mortgage, BC, SPG.
When my wife and I were married we went to Eleuthera for honeymoon, she took the resort course and I dove the wall. When we returned she got her PADI card and we spent at least one weekend a month during summer in the Keys diving from our own boat.
Then came the kids, one was easy. She would ride in her car seat like a queen, strapped to the console while mommy dragged daddy around Florida bay looking for lobster.
The second child slowed down the Keys trips.
The kids are older now, but so are mom and dad. I retook the PADI AOW course and NITROX to brush up on the skills and get a new card. My old NAUI card from 74 is held together with tape. It got a lot of strange looks from the dive shops when I went to get air.
I guess retaking the AOW course was a good idea. My old NAUI dive tables showed a NDL of 60 minutes at 60 feet. The gear, tables and acronyms have changed somewhat but the enjoyment is still there.

Old Frog Dude

 

[fire_diver]

Then being transferred to Oklahoma where they bragged about 10 foot visibility and seeing catfish big enough to swallow you whole.
Old Frog Dude

Hey! I resemble that remark!

FD

 

[Drewski]

Hi All:

Just to put some faces to the names, Tyler (13) is on the left and Natascha (12) is on the right. You can see my mug by clicking on my profile...

 

[glynneco]

Great Story. I took up diving when I turned 50. Dragged my two younger brothers(44 and 35) through cetification with me. They are my best dive buddies. In the last year my 25 year old daughter and sister have also been been certified and are diving. My self and the next oldest are now DM's. Family diving is a blast. Not one of those young punks have yet offered to carry any equipment for me yet!

 

[Barracuda2]

Drewski, welcome back. I too am an "old timer"; took my first drag off a scuba tank in 1958 and still heavily addicted. In two weeks I get to dive with my son, something I've always thought would be really cool. He was certified at the age of 14; did maybe 5 or 6 openwater dives with me and then life happened for him and he got away from it. At 32 he has just finished his PADI retake course and we're headed for Little Cayman and Bloody Bay Wall for a week of father-son bonding. Can't wait!

PS At 43 you are not allowed to call yourself an "old fart" yet.

PPS If you're a Polish diver (Drewski) so much the better; we are a rare breed.:lol: