IDC & IE

Instructor Development Course & Instructor Examination - PADI (Professional Associations of Diving Instructors)

A lot of people have been wondering what I have been doing out here in Hawaii and what it means so I thought I might take a brief moment to explain the training and examination process I just completed. Feel free to ask questions in the comments and I'll respond :o).

To become an Open Water Scuba Instructor (Open Water Certification is the first level of certification that allows you to go to 60ft. deep) you have to go through a series of certifications. Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver, Divemaster, Assistant Instructor then Instructor. Each having different knowledge assessments, exams, practical assessments, skills, projects, etc. to be completed and signed off before you can advance to the next level. Divemaster is the first level of "Professional" diving.

IDC is the training necessary to prepare you for the IE. Can't go on to IE without getting the ok from a PADI Course Director at the end of the IDC. My Course director was a co-worker named Joanna or "Jo" for short who whipped us into shape for the IE. We started first with training to be an Emergency First Responder Instructor (yes, I can now teach CPR & First Aid). Then we dove right into the IDC course work... literally. For a week we spent every day either in the pool, ocean, or classroom going over skills, standards, theories and learning about what it takes to be an instructor. It was exhasting but very rewarding. We had a group of 5 candidates and shared moments of frustrations, confusion & laughter. One evening in particular after being in the pool for 3 hours, we all broke into the most contagious laugh I have experienced since who knows when. It was wonderful! My favorite day of this training was the last day when we spent 4+ hours in the ocean going over skills and resue scenarios. It was a long day, but so worth it.

IE Day One was held at the Univeristy of Hawaii's campus pool. We started the day off with 2 exams. One on PADI standards and procedures, the other on Dive Theory that covered 5 sections: Physics, Physiology, Recreational Dive Planner Tables, Skills & the Environment, and Equipment. I knocked the Dive Theory out of the ball park and it felt great to be done with it. We had knowledge presentations to give to the head examiners (which we got the hardest ones!) that we got notice of that morning. My topic was Coral Reef Formation. I had an hour to prepare a lesson that I had to cover specific points, reference, etc. So happy it was a topic I knew inside out. After the knowledge presentations we had to do skills in the pool. My name was called first which was nice to be done first! I had to demonstrate partial mask flood and clear, neutral buoyancy, equipment removal underwater, mask removal and clear, hovering and controlled emergency swimming ascent.

IE Day Two was held at Electric Beach where I first taught Hovering and Efficient Fin Kicks then went out in the ocean and was tested on my mouth-to-mouth breathing of an unresponsive diver at the surface. Basically giving rescue breaths while kicking and towing the diver. We then dropped down and finished the skill circuit. Getting that final handshake underwater caused me to start dancing and the examiner just laughed at me. I was so excited and so relieved! We got out of the water, finished our debriefings and then they had a ceremony for us. There was a big group of candidates from Japan so it was neat to see them teach and translate everything. Scuba diving is such a wonderful sport.

At the end of the IE, Jo took us out to Sushi and the boss man said he would cover the bill and treat us to lunch. We looked like little kids! We were so hungry. You burn 5 xs as much calories diving than other high intensity physical activity because your body is working harder during the dive to account for nitrogen and afterwards when the body is "off-gassing". Needless to say... I ate a lot of sushi. Went home, put a towel out in the sunshine and slept for 3 hours straight. It felt wonderful.

Now what? Now I prepare for the next step... Master Scuba Diver Trainer which I will complete this weekend. This will allow me to teach the additional specialties, such as: Deep (certification to 130ft. deep), Night, Underwater Navigation, Naturalist and Underwater Photography. My hours are crazy, when I'm not at work, I'm in training which means its been a month since my last day off! But... I am doing what I love and I am thankful that I get to live in this magical place. I love it here!

Stay tuned for more adventures from my crazy life swimming with dolphins, turtles, sharks!

Kailua = Happiness

Kailua = Happiness. I have been blessed tremendously by two amazing people, Craig & Irina. We are on the same train headed straight to Master Scuba Diver Trainer Town scheduled to arrive within the month. Which means we breathe, dream, live and study the wonderful world of Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatuses. I met them soon after I arrived and heard everyone buzz about "Craig & Irina" which of course only made me more intimidated that I would be training with this infamous couple. They took the Divemaster exam before I sweet Irina made it a goal to help me do well on the test. She would sit for hours with me going over the theories, equations and laws behind the physics of diving. She insisted that I come over to her house the night before the exam and stay so she could help me go over anything. She stayed up with me that night and got up to continue in the morning. I could not have done so well on the exam without her. They had me over again the next couple nights and we sat on their balcony while Craig BBQ'd and we nibbled on delicious octopus poke. Previously that morning we had all been out on the boat together as part of our Divemaster certification to assist and observe certified divers. After reliving the events that took place topped with Craig's new signs for herding cats, I was laughing so hard my stomach was aching. That night I remember having this feeling rush over me that these dear friends are in my life for a reason and I am so thankful we finally crossed paths... in Hawaii of all places!

There are so many moments these past few weeks that make me look back and smile. We've been diving a lot together, obviously, which also includes going over skills that we have to be able to teach to new divers as well as various assessments on our personal abilities. One drill was to test our comfort and confidence in the water, almost like an underwater obstacle course. It consisted of Irina and I exchanging gear underwater while sharing one air source, my regulator. We first found the rhythm of 'buddy breathing', basically I take a breath in my reg then hand it to Irina and she takes a breath while I slowly and continuously exhale. (Rule #1 when diving, NEVER HOLD YOUR BREATH!) After we established that rhythm it was off with the BCD's (jacket) which we did simultaneously and who ever needed to breath would take the reg while the other continued on with the gear. We continued with each others fins and eventually our masks. Now that was interesting for me. I didn't open my eyes because of my contacts so there I am, underwater, weighted to the ground with no mask, no regulator and no idea when I'm getting that reg back. I just remained calm trusting that Irina would slam that reg in my mouth while pushing the purge just as soon as she could. It probably took us close to 10 minutes, but we did it very calmly and successfully. It felt great to have conquered it so well.

The photo above was taken from their balcony one morning just after I had left the house on my way to work. I was watching it unfold as I was driving and I am so glad she snagged it on her camera. I hadn't seen colors so perfectly accented by the blue ocean and the bright green ragged mountains before. I have seen some beautiful sights since I moved here and either don't have my camera on me, or I'm driving. Go figure!

Right now I am sitting on the couch at their house and had to take a break from studying and write. Writing is a like a pause button in my life. It helps me to slow down, catch my breath and reflect. This blog is proof that I haven't been so diligent in pushing that pause button very often. At least I'm pursuing a dream in the meantime right ;). Its storming outside and the lightning lights up the whole sky as it strikes down over the ocean, the wind is howling and I look forward to crawling into bed and closing my eyes. I came over here after work while Craig & Irina were out on the night dive tonight. Craig dropped a key off for me at work and I was able to have a peaceful evening with me, myself and I. Equally great company.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we finish up Divemaster and begin our Emergency First Responder Instructor next week followed by the Instructor Development Course. First thing is first, so I will sign off so I can catch up on some reading for Search & Recovery. I will admit that knowing we are going to sushi after we are done tomorrow is very distracting. We went to this place last week and I already know what I want to get! hahaha!

Sushi = happiness too!

Aloha and goodnight

Snapshots

Here are a few photos from my new life over here in Hawaii. They are random, but it's better than nothing. I will try and get more photos of diving, but we can't take a camera during work/training so it's been difficult to document any of that. I will try and ask around to see if anyone has some photos I could borrow :o).

This first pic is from my first dive out on the boat the first weekend I was here. It was a 3-tank night dive and it was spectacular. The first dive was in about 70ft of water followed by a twilight dive and night dive at the Land of Oz. Named for its long windy strips of sand between the reefs. The night dive was incredible. We heard whales singing and I kept thinking I would turn around and see one, but we didn't. Sound travels 4x faster in water which made it feel like it was right over us. Regardless, I could feel it's presence and that alone was amazing. This is a picture of Shawn (aka Sergeant Slaughter)

Andreja, Angela and I spent a day hiking, exploring and introducing Frozen Yogurt to Andreja herself!