Yesterday was the classroom.
Today was the pool.
Today included a long swim. Treading water for ten minutes. Putting on all your scuba gear. Breathing underwater. Getting water out of your mask underwater. Simulating running out of air underwater. Learning to equalize your ears. Taking off you weight belt in the water. Putting your weight belt back on in the water. Taking off your BCD and tank underwater. Putting it back on. Buddy breathing. Towing an injured diver. Getting into the water with all your equipment on. Getting out of the water.
You get the idea. There was tons more but I'm too tired to remember it right now.
The bottom line is though that I passed all the elements. Did them all successfully. Somehow!
I think, all in all, we were in the water for four hours straight. Well, we got out to go to the bathroom once but otherwise, four hours.
Here's what I have decided. So far at least.
- Diving requires a lot of equipment.
- Diving equipment is heavy.
- Putting on a wetsuit is very hard.
- Divers get legs cramps frequently.
- Wendi gets legs cramps frequently. (Although not as many as when I was pregnant.)
- Wendi + diver = even more frequent leg cramps.
- Weight belts hurt my bony hips.
- Being in a pool for four hours is tiring.
- It's cool to breathe underwater.
- Hanging out with my husband is fun.
- My husband has an incredible amount of patience for his novice wife.
JB is very good in the water -- it was obvious to everyone that he had done this before. I'm sure it was obvious to everyone that I hadn't. JB told me that I did a good job. He was very supportive and encouraging. But it was hard. It was really hard. There is a lot to remember. It doesn't come naturally. But I think I got the hang of it.
Next week we will do two dives in the real ocean on Saturday. Then on Sunday we'll do two dives in the real ocean again. I am still nervous about diving in the real ocean. But I feel a little more confident. It is all still a very awkward and overwhelming sport to me, but I'm getting the hang of it. And it is fun to do this with JB.
More to come next week. Stay tuned!
5 comments:
Wendi, you rock!
yea Wendi!!! Good job!
You are doing great Wendi! Getting water out of the mask was the hardest part for me so now that you have already done that, it is smooth sailing!
yes! congrats!! that was an accomplishment!
Wendi, this reminded me of snow skiing. I'd never snow skiied before I met N. He and his family allowed me to go with them on a family trip back when we dated. We got into a HUGE fight when he and his dad tried to teach me to ski. He was frustrated, I was mad, his dad was stunned. LOL! So we all decided a professional lesson might be in order. It was the absolute best thing. I LOVE to ski today, but like you, all the elements I had to remember did not come naturally. (Is it natural to zip down a snowy slope at 50 miles an hour when all you have is two sticks attached to your feet? I think not.) But today I always look forward to going to the mountains and am so glad I stretched myself in that way.
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