A few weeks ago I posted about one of the mini-contests Blue Season Bali is running as part of their Best Dive Job in the world contest. This one was to win a free Suunto ZOOP dive computer. I figured that I couldn't run about talking about how great the mini-contests are without entering myself so, I submitted an entry myself. Guess what?? I WON!!! I am now the proud owner of a brand new dive computer!! Here's hoping this is a sign of things to come (and not a consolation prize because I'm not going to win the big prize I so desperately want!!)
All I had to do was write them about my PADI OW instructor and why he/she was so wonderful. Lucky for me I had 2 instructors who were very noteworthy! I've pasted my submission below. Hooray for me! I'm on a roll!!!
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| Simon leading us into the deep blue (we were following a 4 meter whale shark on our OW dive #3!!) |
Two years ago I let my friends convince me to get my PADI Open Water ticket during a week long holiday on the sandy shores of Koh Tao, Thailand’s diving mecca. I must admit that it took some serious convincing as I wasn’t sure that I wanted to spend my holiday doing something that if done incorrectly would…well, kill me. Putting your life in the hands of someone you’ve never met is an interesting prospect and one that I was not too terribly comfortable with. Understandably, as I walked into the small OW classroom to start my course, it was the one thing I couldn’t get out of my head. To my disappointment we did not get to meet our instructor on that first night. Instead we spent the first evening of our course embarking on an instructorless thrill ride through a catalogue of PADI videos on the mysterious world of dive signals and “washing all your equipment in fresh water.” Much to my relief, I managed to make it through day one of my OW experience without drowning…or even getting wet for that matter. Clearly satisfied by the fact that I was still holding my life in my own hands, I ticked off day one -so far, so good.
We met our instructor on day two of our course – Simon Garrity…the man, the myth, the legend of Koh Tao diving. Although we didn’t know it at the time, we were lucky enough to score one of the most qualified instructors at the resort, arguably on the island, and as I would soon find out, I had no reason to worry about tossing him my life wrapped up in a regulator. Even better, we ended up with not one but two instructors! Being a group of 6, the course was a little packed so Ms. Jodie Roberts, a second instructor, came along to even things out. As we soon found out, doubling your instructors definitely doubles you fun.
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| Simon - PADI instructor extraordinaire |
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| Jodie demonstrating that losing your mask will not make you drown |
Before my first descent I made it clear to Simon and Jodie that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to breathe, that my mask would flood, that I wouldn’t be able to equalize, that my air would suddenly turn off, that I’d get lost never to be found again or that I would be eaten by a shark. Although it sounds ridiculous now, to the virgin diver, these scenarios are not just possibilities, they are inevitable truths! Truths that needed to be brought to the attention of these dive instructors who clearly didn’t understand the life threatening situation they were about to throw me into! Luckily for me, Simon and Jodie were not only pros underwater, they were pros above water too. It takes a certain talent to calm someone out of their irrational fears; you can’t just tell them they are wrong, you need to convince them that they will be ok. I’m sure my slight panic was more of an annoyance than anything for Simon and Jodie but they never let on. They sat me down and went step by step through all the reasons why none of the above was likely to happen. They then went through how they would fix each of these problems (including me being eaten by a shark) if they were to arise. They didn’t laugh at my insecurities or make me feel stupid for being afraid. Instead, they made me feel as though I was going through something that every diver has experienced at some point or another and that it was totally normal. Confidence renewed, I took the plunge.
The next 3 days were spent going through the motions of a PADI open water course. Our days were filled with what I can only assume were the usual problems and panics of any OW course, all of which Simon and Jodie handled with sensitivity and professionalism. I can remember one particular moment where we were asked to remove and replace our regulators. One member of our group took a small bit of water in when replacing hers and began to cough as she took her first breath. Terrified, she tried to bolt to the surface. Simon gently took hold of her BDC and placed one hand on her regulator to keep it in her mouth while Jodie came over and made a slow “in and out” motion with both her hands to calm the girl’s breathing down. They both looked her clearly in the eyes and although they were in complete silence, you could tell that they were telling her she was going to be fine. If it wasn’t for Simon and Jodie’s quick but calm reaction, I am pretty sure that the student would have quit the second she hit the surface. Luckily, she quickly relaxed and we continued on with the skill sets. Similar scenarios played themselves over the next few days. Regulators where kicked out by accident, Trigger fish were approached unknowingly, masks leaked and fins fell off but through all of it, Simon and Jodie remained calm and supportive both above and below the water. None of us, no matter how silly our mistakes, were ever made to feel stupid or unable. Yes, we had a few beer fines here and there (of which I was usually on the distributing end rather than the receiving) but they made sure it was always in good fun and never discouraging.
I entered my PADI OW course apprehensive to say the least. I did not feel even remotely confident living like a fish and was sure it would end tragically. Yes, Simon and Jodie taught me all the skills I needed to be safe underwater but it wasn’t the skills that kept me in one piece down there, it was the confidence that they instilled in me both on the surface and under the waves. I never felt as if I was in trouble because I had seen firsthand how Simon and Jodie could remove the panic from even the most frenzied diver with simple hand gestures and a reassuring touch. The day we finished out OW we all decided that we would head straight into our advanced…as long and Simon and Jodie remained our instructors. We have remained friends ever since. Some instructors might lay on the charm and the friendliness to get the extra students or the tip at the end of the course but for Simon and Jodie, their friendship is as genuine as their care for their students and that’s what makes them both amazing PADI OW instructors.
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| Simon and Jodie (3rd and 4th from the right) enjoying their beer fines with another successful group of PADI Open Water divers J |
Cheers from the winner's circle (the mini one that is)
J
