On Saturday, September 26, 2009, Lauri and I met Shawn McElravy at Electric Beach to do the four open water dives to finish my Rescue Diver course.
Putting together the scuba unit and getting ready to go down to the beach for the dives.
Gearing up.
Shawn and I chatting with the other two individuals from my Rescue Diver class. They finished up their dives back in August, but I was at home, so I waited until today.
Timing our entry between wave sets. The forecast was for very large surf, but it turned out to be moderate and spaced so that it wasn't too bad.
Dive 1 - Problem Underwater
The first of the four dives was a simulation of a problem underwater. After swimming out a ways on the surface, we descended and went on a little tour of the site and somewhere in that tour, Shawn would suddenly do something to simulate a problem. I had no idea where or when.
We got out to the end of the outfall structure and then turned back. After a little while, Shawn suddenly turned to me and signalled out of air. He took my spare regulator, we locked arms and slowly ascended. That was Dive 1.
We swam in a ways on the surface before doing the second dive, a panicked diver on the surface. Shawn wanted to find the Open Water Class and do it in front of them.
When we found them, one of the class members was in a state of passive panic - facing away from the group and instructor and just clinging to a rock. Shawn went down and helped her get oriented back to the class and in contact with the instructor.
Dive 2 - Panicked Diver at the Surface
After he came up, we did the panicked diver at the surface. I figured it would be the most difficult since I knew Shawn would try to fight me off, but I did it very quickly and efficiently. Dive 2.
Dive 3 - Unresponsive Diver Underwater
Shawn left me and swam about two minutes north of where we were. I had to go search for him and then bring him to the surface when I found him.
This is the skill that I had the most trouble with in the pool, but it was a piece of cake. I even got the ascent rate perfect, although that was not one of the things I was concentrating on. Dive 3.
Dive 4 - Unresponsive Diver Tow and Exit
Because of the conditions we did the tow in two stages. Shawn gets seasick laying on his back on the surface with any wave action, so I initiated the tow and went a short way and then we stopped and swam in together.
Shawn decided that he wanted to put our scuba gear and masks onto the beach and then go back out and do the exit so we did not have to fight the waves and get everything covered in sand.
Everything went along well until the actual exit. A wave deposited us on the sand and then I could not get my fins off before the next wave came and rolled us in the sand. Shawn bailed at that point - he figured I had it down and could make a rescue if need be. Dive 4.
