Posted on 26th October 2009 by Tara in Training
Dive Mistress, New Zealand, PADI, Scuba Diving, Scuba Training
It is sink or swim time. 
In the last month, I have moved from team teaching and assisting Anna into taking complete charge of my own classes. And it was a scary break to make. However in the spirit of my entire diving career to date, I tried not to think how nervous I was/am and am instead channelling all my energy into preparation and planning.
I have recently completed an Open Water course.
I quite enjoy teaching this course and am feeling comfortable with the way I teach. In fact, evening pool sessions are one of my favorite days of the week.
This weekend, I have an Advanced Open Water course – and with being on Pacific Hideaway for the weekend and out at the Poor Knights, I know I have all the equipment I need and most of the dive plans have been completed.
But I was not 100% prepared to teach my first Rescue Diver course.
And I spent a lot of time preparing for it.
Perhaps I could have done more.
The course was scheduled to have one night and one morning in the classroom.
Each of the student divers had previously completed their First Aid and CPR course (which is good because I need to complete my EFR Instructor course).
We all watched the Rescue Diver DVD and answered the Knowledge Review sections – and I had planned to lead the students through discussions that would be applicable to their environments. Two of my students were travellers – one as a seaman on board a yacht so not every situation that might occur in New Zealand would be relevant for them.
Nervous at first, but I was pleased that I had also reviewed the Rescue Diver student manual and knew the skills descriptions and key places where other groups had gotten stuck.
There is also one evening pool session and one afternoon. The main worry for me was that I would be able to understand the performance requirements, complete the briefing and the demonstrations in time and that everyone would complete all their tasks in the time that we had available. I completed as much as I could the first night – including time to see what level their skills were out and how comfortable they were in the water and I also used ‘Open Season’ to have the whole group participate in some scenarios to see how they coped under pressure. On Saturday afternoon, I had AnnaR as a divemaster and that was a lot easier! We completed scenarios and had time to repeat them and the team dealt with pretty much everything we threw at them.
By Sunday, our scheduled Open Water scenario day, I was even more comfortable with the course and the way that I was running it but even more importantly; with how my students were mastering the skills and knowledge.
We made our way out to Matheson Bay on Sunday morning to find several groups of divers.
Anna and I had driven up together and we had run through all the required scenarios. I planned to combine the open water dives into 2 dives – 1 & 2 and then 3 & 4. We also threw a couple of gnarly ones at them through the day – including feeling sick before diving – to see that they were always paying attention.
The day went well!
We completed our debriefing and logging of dives at the pub in Matakana – and I came home with a light dusting of colour on my face. And a couple of ideas about what to do better next time, which is the way I like it.
I enjoy the challenge of completing something new – and the rush of doing the job, and doing it well, but always taking a learning home.
Posted on 7th July 2008 by Tara in Diary Entries | Training
Auckland, Dive Master, Dive Mistress, Global Dive, PADI, PADI Divemaster, SCUBA, Scuba Diving, Scuba Training, training
i started my divemaster course today.
i was planning on taking the rest of january off when nell and i got back from south america – but certain property purposes whilst i was away meant i had to get my unemployed ass into employment as soon as possible.
leigh and i were going to spend a month up in tutukaka doing the course full time when andrew and anna were working there, but now that they are back down in auckland and working at Global Dive (westhaven marina), squidleigh and i are going to do the course now, together and with them.
woooooo! plan the dive and dive the plan?? something like that.
squidleigh got his dive name through a very unfortunate incident on our advanced open water course.
i think its a whole nother blog entirely.
in fact, just about everyone we know has dive names.
advanced open water dive course, poor knights, december 2006
squidleigh on the left, me (chichi) on the beanbag and anna (sensei) our instructor on the rightjanuary would have been a much better time to do it – considering new zealand is right in the middle of the icy grip of winter.
luckily enough for me, the first round is an open water course being held in the heated olympic pool in newmarket.
and i want to give the big ups to mr cossie who managed to collect my dive computer after it had its battery replaced (nearly three months ago). luckily he works near the shop – cos i am too unorganised to do it myself!
so here we go …. PADI Divemaster! the next button on the list.
PADI Divemaster Course Details
Your adventure into the professional levels of recreational diving begins with the PADI Divemaster program. Working closely with a PADI Instructor, in this program you expand your dive knowledge and hone your skills to the professional level. PADI Divemaster training develops your leadership abilities, qualifying you to supervise dive activities and assist instructors with student divers.
During the PADI Divemaster program, you learn dive leadership skills through both classroom and independent study. You complete water skills and stamina exercises, as well as training exercises that stretch your ability to organize and solve problems. You put this knowledge into action through an internship or series of practical training exercises.
- Knowledge Development: 12 topics ranging from dive theory to assisting student divers in training
- Prerequisites:
- PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization)
- PADI Rescue Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization)
- 20 logged dives
- 18 years old.
- Minimum Number of Logged Dives: 60 for certification as PADI Divemaster
Posted on 21st November 2006 by Tara in Diary Entries | New Zealand | Training
PADI, Scuba Diving, Scuba Training, Work
‘i finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it’
— rita mae brown
i have a new job.
well not a new new job.
i have been in my new job for about 6 months now. but i was in my old job 5 and a half years.
so you can see why this one is new.
not only is it new, but if my old job had a stress and responsibility level of 6 then this one is about a 0. a big fat round zero.
and its not for lack of trying. but hey – i am a contractor now. and its not really my responsibility to find the work – just to do it when it comes in.
the money is good, although some days i am really tempted to call in sick and race off all over the country spending my squillions on doing really cool things, and a lot of shopping!
speaking of doing really cool things …….
i learnt to dive. yes, me.
the original whale. oh yea.
at one stage (my near heaviest) i was 147kg. i say near heaviest as i stopped weighing myself after that. but i seem to remember buying another pair of trousers. a larger pair.
my friend nell. shes the greatest. shes been instrumental in getting me off the couch and out of the house this year. and guess what. now i weigh 95kgs. and i’m closer to my goal than my starting weight. go me!
so anyways, back to the cool stuff.
we went to fiji. for a week. and it was warm and sunny.
i was petrified. actually of more than just the diving. but i did it. and it was amazing.
we wanted to go back about a month later. but we were too scared to ask our bosses straight out for more time off (shes a contractor too – for the same company). and the bloody fijian military thought they might kick up a stink and it looked like they were going to have a coup.
so the moral of this story?
dont work for a huge corporate and get paid like a minion.
leave. become self employed. make loads of money.
and travel the world freaking yourself out and doing things you never thought you would.
believe me, its more fun than staring out a window.
