Try Scuba | Motherhood Unplugged | Femme CEO

Since my trip to Belize I could not stop thinking about scuba diving so upon my return I signed up for a Try Scuba class with Dive Supply. I was so excited to get started! I went to class on a Friday night and although it started late I managed to find the energy to swim after having the kiddos all day. There were about 7 students in my class including a young middle schooler. I was so impressed that his parents brought him to get his scuba certification. We sat through a lecture for about 45 mins learning about scuba equipment and what to expect when we entered the water. I tried to listen intently to everything the instructor said but learning about what to do before you are actually required to do it seemed difficult to me. Plus we were given so much information at once that I felt a bit overwhelmed. After the class ended we were instructed to get dressed for swimming. Our pool instruction lasted about 1.5 hours and included everything from learning how to put on the scuba gear, how to read the gauges, how to operate the regulator, inflatable vest, how to flood the mask and clear it, how to lose your regulator and retrieve it underwater.

Learning to dive involves three phases: academic study that includes the physics and physiology of diving; confined-water training (often called pool training) to learn and practice basic skills; and open-water checkout dives to prove mastery of basic dive skills. While there are no shortcuts to this process, dive stores and training agencies have embraced flexible training options to enable busy students like me to fit dive training into busy

lifestyles.

Traditional scuba courses meet at a local dive store one to two nights per week, or on weekends, over a period of three to six weeks. Each training session typically involves a lecture session, followed by a couple of hours in the swimming pool to build water skills. Depending on the location, these classes may also involve a weekend dive trip to a suitable ocean, lake or spring for the completion of the final checkout dives.

Overall, I really enjoyed my first scuba class. It for sure is nothing like snorkeling, not even close. There are a lot more technical skills involved. I actually struggled with losing my regulator, finding it and putting it back into my mouth before I needed to gasp for air. I panicked twice and on the third try I finally got it, barely but practice makes perfect right. In all honestly, I needed to be a lot more calm and collected underwater. I felt pressure to perform each task perfectly under the watchful eye of the instructor and class and while being timed. My mind was racing with trying to remember everything the instructor taught us and doing so perfectly to pass. I believe with even more practice I will be much more confident in my skills on how to operate the equipment, after all this was my first time. I plan on completing my scuba certification before next summer so I can book my first dive trip! I'm really considering Honduras to Little French Key, have you ever been.

Have you ever considered getting PADI certified for scuba diving?

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