Yes I Am Swimming

Our dock and boats!

To find today's theme song, click here.

I chose this particular theme song because, well because for much of the day I was not actually swimming. A combination of flailing and drowning is more accurate I would say. But lets backtrack a little bit.

Yesterday was the first day since arriving that I did not go diving. Tough life I know. It actually felt really strange as I have become so accustomed to jumping in the boat for a couple of dives each day that not doing this felt unnatural. Yesterday I began my Rescue course which is the last prerequisite before I can start my Dive Master Training (DMT). Since arriving I have heard horror stories about the Rescue course and how exhausting it is, and I can fully verify that. Yesterday was spent in the classroom in the morning and then off the end of the dock practicing skills for a couple of hours. So I guess I was technically diving, using a regulator and everything underwater, but it hardly counts in my book. We got out of the water and I went home and collapsed into bed. I was already pretty tired and I hadn't even done anything yet!

Today the real fun started. We jumped into the water to do a few last minute skills and then put all of our gear onto the boat. The boat motored a short ways away and as soon as we were properly moored the two DM's assisting with the class "fell" into the water and became panicked divers. Nikola, the only other student in my class, and I were immediately forced to jump into action, throwing on fins and a mask while trying to find a damn flotation device. We more or less managed to pull them to the boat and it was then that I realized how tiring the day was actually going to be. Of all the days I have been out on the water, this was by far the "worst" in terms of conditions. There was a pretty decent chop (honestly, just imagine Howard Prairie on a windy day. Not really that bad but certainly not glass as it has been so far) and a fairly strong current ripping along parallel to the shore. We clambered back onto the boat and began to gear up for our first dive. I was on edge the entire time, expecting another emergency to arise at any moment. Luckily we got into the water without incident and descended down to about 20 feet (6 meters) to begin practicing our search patterns. These were a little shaky because you are meant to use a compass and count fin kicks. The compass they have us use is not as easy to use as the one on my dive computer and so the simple task of maintaining a straight line becomes anything but simple. It is also difficult because I am not using my own gear for this portion. My setup contains an Airsource 3 instead of what is called an "Octopus" or "Octo", which means that the secondary air source for my buddy is built into the BCD rather than being another regulator like the one I use.

The yellow is the "octo" while the black is the primary regulator.

This is what I have as my backup, built into the device that inflates my BCD.

 For the purposes of this class Declan wanted me to use an octo so I am using rental gear from the shop. It is decent enough but a far cry from my gear. It showed me just how comfortable I am with my own stuff, and how worth it it was to purchase and bring it. But I digress.
Apparently we executed our search pattern well enough because our instructor motioned for one of the DMs to start leading the "fun" portion of our dive.
Again, I was on edge the entire time, monitoring the divers to make sure that they didn't start drowning on me or anything. Yohni, one of the DMs, was clearly having a lot of fun but was also giving me a panic attack every few feet since I never knew if he was goofing around or simulating an emergency. The rest of the dive went without incident and in the shallower depths it was actually one of the more exciting dives I have been on, in terms of sea life and whatnot. I saw a beautiful Angel Fish like the one below (not my photo) as well as a plethora of other fishes. I have come to realize that Utila is not the best place for seeing tons of fish, but there certainly are some truly stunning ones that you can find.

The blue parts of this are absolutely stunning underwater.

After our dive we took a quick break on the surface before jumping back into the water, this time because Yohni's "buddy" was missing. His buddy was actually a BCD that they had hid somewhere but we were to treat it as a real person and do exactly what we would do if it were a real situation. Nikola and I immediately jumped into the water and began executing a search pattern, desperately trying to find the BCD before its 6 minutes were up (after six minutes brain damage starts to set in). After only a few sweeps we were able to locate it, at which point one of the DMs acted like a passive underwater diver. Our job was to safely bring him to the surface and begin giving rescue breaths while towing him to the boat. Everything went without a hitch until we surfaced, finding ourselves being battered about by the ever growing waves and current. I stripped off my mask and began giving rescue breaths, desperately trying to keep the victims face clear of water, which was next to impossible. We eventually reached the boat and were given the thumbs up. Part of the process is taking off your gear and the victims, to better give them the care they need. Once back to the boat everyone started giving gear back and when it was all said and done I found myself without a mask. Crap dice. Luckily we had just practiced a search pattern so I borrowed a mask and several of us descended back down to see if we could locate it.
Five minutes later no one had found it. I decided to give one last wide sweep and see if I could locate it, already deciding in my head that it was a lost cause and thinking about how expensive it would be to replace down here. As I headed towards the edge of the coral and onto the sand patch I noticed a small disk like object in front of me. It wasn't my mask, but it was a small little turtle! Measuring only about a foot long, the thing was adorable. To hell with the mask I thought! I followed the little guy for a ways, marveling at how delicate and yet strong it was. Kicking nearly as hard as I could I was still having trouble keeping up with it. Finally I decided to let it go but it was a hard decision. Easily one of the coolest things I have ever seen diving. As I swam back to the boat I decided that seeing the turtle blunted the blow of not having a mask a little bit.  I approached the boat and noticed Declan, our instructor swimming towards me. Something seemed strange about him though. It took me a minute but finally I realized that he had my mask on! Upon surfacing I discovered that he had seen an eagle ray and as he followed it off the wall he glimpsed my mask hanging on a bit of fire coral. An incredibly lucky find!
In the end I am glad that I lost my mask because it allowed me to run into the little turtle, which was really cool! It also allowed me to use Yohni's mask which showed me that I need a new one! Mine doesn't fit exactly right and water seeps in incessantly, which isn't terrible but is nonetheless annoying. Yohni's mask was infinitely more comfortable and enjoyable to wear. It was a useful lesson if nothing else and first thing I am going to do once I return home is buy a new mask!

The rescue course continues tomorrow, except this time we don't practice skills, we simply respond to random scenarios as they are thrown at us. I've got to say that I am a bit nervous for it, but I think that it will go well. We did really well today and I am mostly confident in my skills. I think it is great that we are put through this kind of situation because it simulates real world stress as much as possible, and reinforces many of the lessons we have learned. We'll see how it goes!

For now, I am off to a UDC BBQ in which several of the newly minted DMs will go through what is called the snorkel test. I foresee this being the most challenging test I will face in the DM process. As a snorkel testee you are given a mask with snorkel attached. What is unique about this snorkel, however, is that taped to the end of it is an upside-down 2 liter coke bottle with the bottom cut off of it. The test begins as people pour their beers, rum and punches, tequila, raw eggs, hot sauce, and maybe a touch of mayonaise into the coke bottle. Yup, you guessed it. The DM must chug this vile concoction until it is all gone. Sounds like fun right? I was thinking it would be a good game to play at Thanksgiving with the family maybe? Juicy did it at the party the other day and took it like a champ. We'll see how the young bucks do tonight. I will be sure to report back. I only hope that my rescue skills will not have to be called into play!

I hope this finds everyone well! Much love and I look forward to writing more soon!

Until next time,
Hesitant Future Snorkel Testee signing off