The Diver's Log: Back to Basics... and Hypothermia?!

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you're all sat at home enjoying our yummy Choccies. Spare a thought for me, as I can't have any because I'm still on my March dechox for the British Heart Foundation, and as they say, I'm no Easter Feaster! I have spent my Easter Sunday in a somewhat unconventional manner: in a quarry, somewhere in Wales, being bloody cold. However, there is method to my madness. (I promise.) A Year ago when I came back from a family holiday in Gran Canaria, I befriended the very wonderful owner of the dive shop and the even more wonderful diving instructor team; Trust me, they've got to be wonderful for putting up with me for 2 solid weeks! I digress, I began speaking to them about the possibility of a Dive Master Internship during one of my summer breaks from uni. But after I  completed my Advanced Open Water course out there, I was smitten. I love diving, I truly and utterly do. So, two days after I touched down back in the UK, I was furiously sending e-mails too Scuba Sur and lo and behold in just a few short months time, I will be spending my uni break working out there, training to become a dive master. However, I have one small problem. The training course is designed to be 3-6 months long. I have 2 and a half. And as some may know to become a DM you have to be a qualified Rescue Diver and have completed 40 dives. So, I am on a mission to get as much of my training done here in the UK to take some of the pressure off when I'm in Gran Can.

Hopefully that explains why I was in a quarry, in Wales, freezing my tail off. I was doing my PADI Dry Suit Diver course so I could be qualified to dive in British waters and therefore, complete my rescue diver when I go back to uni! Before I get onto what happened during the dive, I must stress that I am not a qualified professional (yet.) and please don't take any of this post as "advice" nor should you EVER undertake a dive beyond your level of training and experience! (Hence why I was doing this course today.)

I woke up this morning, bleary eyed, grumpy and tired, it was 6:30, the clocks had gone forward and I'd lost an hour of sleep. And if you know me, you know I know I'm not the nicest person in the mornings anyway! But before I knew it, we were packed in the car and driving to NDAC (National Diving and Activities Centre) in Chepstow. It's here I met my wonderful instructor for the day, Simon and my dive buddy and on site DM, Gareth. After a quick Scuba Review quiz to refresh my memory as I hadn't dived in about 8 months, we went through the course manual's knowledge reviews, going over what I perhaps didn't understand about the dry suit itself, such as how to work the exhaust valve and add air to my suit when underwater. Then it was time to get kitted up, I can say now, getting that dry suit on was 10 million times easier than a wet suit in 30 degree C heat! It took me a few minutes to remember how to put my BCD together but with Simon at hand, it all went smoothly.

It was time to brave the water in my dry suit, I was getting a little anxious at the surface waiting to stride in. But don't we all when we do something new for the first time. After successfully entering the water without concussing myself with the back on my tank. we could begin to descend! (Technically, these "skills" dives were meant to be split into two but I completed them quickly and to a good standard so they got merged into one.)

The skills were pretty simple if you've done the Advanced Open Water PADI course, fin pivoting, hovering, and then you get to the final skill... Learning how to cope if you get excess air in the legs of your dry suit. It went absolutely fine for me as I tucked my legs under my butt and somersaulted forward, then hitting my exhaust valve to dump out the air. What I shouldn't of done though is move my neck so much that water absolutely flooded my suit! I was getting cold beforehand but at this point I was noticeably shivering. Thankfully, Gareth noticed and terminated the dive immediately! But even though It took me 45 minutes after my dive, a warm shower and a cuppa to stop shivering.   (NEVER have a hot shower if you develop even mild hypothermia because otherwise you cans end your body into shock, warm up slowly!) Despite this - I had the best day ever getting used to the dry suit and my passion for diving is still an eternal love affair, in fact, it's stronger than ever.

Many, many thanks to the team at Cardiff SCUBA for putting together such an awesome day. And thank you to Gareth and Simon for being such wonderful and genuine people/instructors too! My next diver's log instalment won't be until my rescue diver and that could a few weeks away but until next time. Dive on, my friends!