I haven’t been entirely truthful with you all the past 5 days or so…. I wasn’t lying… just wasn’t telling the entire truth – that being said, I have spent the last week getting my PADI certification. Something I have been thinking about for awhile now, but never pulled the trigger. Kinda weird…. I’ve always been so used to just charging into damn near anything full steam ahead and worrying about the consequences and outcome after I’m in it. Is it getting ‘older’…. who the hell knows, but I was actually hesitant about charging into this one… especially after I read some of the requirements. 15 – 20 hours of on line training. Had to be able to swim 14 laps in the local pool (about 50′ long), without touching sides or bottom – followed up by 10 minutes of treading water (in 5’ of water no less, which made it even tougher, because you weren’t allowed to touch the bottom) so you had to keep your legs pulled up the entire time. Factor in sitting at the bottom of that pool and taking your mask completely off then putting it back on and clearing it, intentionally ‘losing’ your regulator (breathing device) and recovering it and a just a whole myriad of other crap that just didn’t seem ‘normal’…….. which in of its self seem really FUBAR’ed – but then have to do all of it again, [repeatedly] in 60′ of salt water seemed almost unreal.
Luckily I had a very supportive wife who encouraged me the whole time – plus a dogged determination to do “whatever the hell I want” – kept pushing me….. nerves took a little bit of a beating and as I write this, and I can’t hardly keep my eyes open right now, from being just dog assed tired…… (yes there is some celebratory drinking involved)but I can now honestly and proudly proclaim – I am now a PADI certified Open Water Diver~!!!!!!!!!!!
I would have loved to taken some pictures during my 4 open water dives, as there were Sting rays, Barracuda, Lion Fish and so, so many more fish to photograph- but safety first – and my instructor absolutely held me to the no camera rule…. The young man that went through the course with me, had some (SCUBA) friends on our last dive, that snapped some pictures – so I will share them as soon as I get them. Kudo’s to the young guy as he battled an UGLY case of sea sickness on the 3rd dive – but he powered through it and made the last dive like a champion — way to go Gary — you done good and I enjoyed having you as a dive buddy in the course~!!!
So not a lot of pictures for today – but will share what I can, when I can….. and my pictures should be a lot more interesting going forward as I can now freely dive to 60′ when ever, where ever, I want~~ 🙂
