Completing a Dive Master certification at Sodwana Bay.
I arrived at Coral Divers in Sodwana, South Africa, after a long, hot drive in an old Landrover that I had kindly been given the use of, while playing a mix of cassette tapes. I had signed up to do my Dive Masters, which would take 4 weeks in total.
Read more: Coral Divers: Destination Dive Master
Read More
I have now given a few dive briefings as an assistant divemaster. Fortunately we had been seeing lots of sharks on the reefs.
Read more: Dive Briefings, Sharks, Buoy Lines and Bubbles
Read More
The final week of divemaster training essentially involves scuba diving two or three times per day! The latest one involved assisting advanced students on their first deep dive to 32 meters. While keeping a watchful eye on the group, we did come across four Whitetipped Reef Sharks, which was very special. They all squealed with delight over this encounter once they could use spoken verse back on the boat.
Read more: Divemaster Fully Geared-Up and Ready to Rumble!
Read More
For the next four days I would be tasked with Open Waters Assist – accompanying a Dive Instructor with training guests who are learning to dive for the very first time. We have just two students in their 60s. Everyone’s eyes look a little strange when wearing a mask underwater, but I have never seen such terror in the eyes of these two women!
Read more: Open Waters Assist as a Divemaster
Read More
We had an awesome Coral Reef Mapping Day. There was some conflict between our two European divers on how to best to approach the task.
Read more: Coral Reef Mapping Like Fish in Water!
Read More
The Dive Master Training course officially began with an introduction to the three Instructors who will each be managing a team of three. Justyna is in my group, along with 19-year old Bianca who only just started diving a few months ago and is planning to go all the way up
Read more: Dive Master Training at Sodwana Begins!
Read More
As a child I used to put a bucket over my head with rocks in my pockets in an attempt to breathe beneath swimming pool water. Decades later, I’m in a swimming pool with proper scuba apparatus, breathing underwater. Rescue Diver exercises in the pool took 3 hours straight, with a real
Read more: Rescue Diver Achievement Unlocked
Read More