EFR Instructor!

I have just completed my first real instructor certification: Emergency First Response Instructor! Now I can teach Primary (CPR/AED) and Secondary (First Aid). Great course and I am very excited to get started.

So If you are in the Northern VA area and need CPR/AED training for Adults or Children, send me a note!

Thank God for Dive Buddies

Short and sweet. I've been a Diver for more than 20 Years, but it has only been the last five years that I've become really and active diver. In that time I've met more fun and interesting people than the 15 years before. I wish I would have been more active sooner!

Now that I've become a Divemaster and a PADI professional, I've bee able to both share my love of the adventure of diving as well as train and train with people of the same mind, despite coming from different generations or walks of life.

To all my new friends and colleagues, thanks for the help, friendship, sharing and the opportunity to learn! Happy Thanksgiving!

End of the Dive Season? No Way!

I just spent the weekend at Lake Rawlings helping to teach a Rescue Diver Course. The Water temp was a balmy 62 degrees, cool but nothing my Pinnacle 7mm couldn't handle. One of the crowd (about 15 of us) that came down just to dive while the class was in session commented that he came because he figured it was the last dive of the season. Our instructor said "what season is that?" and the response was, "Well, the Dive season!" Without batting an eye the instructor responded " you got it wrong. It isn't the end of Dive Season. It is the end of Wet Suit Season! Get ready for Dry Suit Season!"

I thought about that exchange and I gotta say I really agree with our instructor. There should be no seasonal boundaries for Scuba. With today's gear and technology, it is a year around sport no matter where you are! In fact a store owner in Michigan told a seminar I was in that if water temperature defined his season, he'd have no dive season! This Michigan owner in fact developed slates that help him combine Dry Suit and Open Water skills into one course.

Now I am dry suit certified, and while I don't own a dry suit yet, I most certainly will pick one up in time so that I too can help our students understand that Scuba shouldn't really be held to seasonal boundaries!

Diving in Hawaii

Yesterday I was afforded the opportunity to do an impromtu dive on the Island of Oahu, HI while traveling on business. Since this was rather short notice and I wanted a nice dive on the cheap, I contacted one of my business acquaintances, whom I had recently learned was a diver, and said "Hey I'm in town tomorrow, lets go diving!" Great news, he said sure.

Upon arriving on the island I contacted a favorite shop of mine, Ocean Concepts (www.oceanconcepts.com ), and they advised me (and later equipped me) on where the best spot for was for a shore dive. If any one is looking to dive on Oahu, I highly recommend diving through Ocean Concepts. Full service, fully equipped and very friendly.

My friend and I were able to get two shore dives in on a spectacular day. You know its amazing how many people are certified divers and you don't know it till you ask. Many times they just don't have anyone (local friend etc.) to go diving with or are overcome by very busy lives. Sometimes it just takes you to say, "hey...lets go diving!" to rekindle the spark and ta-da, a renewed dive buddy is born. So talk up diving as you go through your travels...never know where you might find a new buddy!

DEMA Show 2008

My wife and I attended our first DEMA Show. DEMA Show 2008, held in Las Vegas, Nevada was an exciting and well attended Diving Professional Conference. To the uninitiated, it was sensory overload. Vendor products from all over the world, travel, accessories and professional training as well as advice could keep a diver running from room to booth and back for a week or more. Without some sort of plan, one would only get a fraction of the value available during the four days of the show.

I am a relatively new PADI Professional (although I’ve been certified for over 20 years), only getting my Dive Master Certification earlier this year in May. My wife is a retail professional and together we are very interested in operating our own dive shop. For us, this DEMA was very special, encouraging and inspiring. Between the PADI Pro mini seminars, interactions with the PADI staff, and DEMA seminars, we learned an immense amount and made contacts that will undoubtedly help us reach our goals. Additionally, personal interactions with leaders in the vendor industry were invaluable and exciting. By the end, we were much more knowledgeable and definitely more pumped and ready to go!

If you are a PADI Professional, my wife and I recommend you attend DEMA next year (Nov 4-7) in Orlando. Try it and you’ll love it!

DAN and the Diving Emergency Provider Course

I just completed one of the best advanced courses I've taken to date. The DAN Diving Emergency Provider course was outstanding, interesting and a natural follow-on to the PADI Emergency First Responder Course. I was able to hone my EFT skills while getting advanced training and confidence with O2 (includes use of the MTG and BLG) , Neurological Assessments, additional Marine Life first aid and of course additional AED and CPR training. Great course. I was certified a DAN Diving Emergency Specialist by completing all portions of the Course. Splash Dive Center in Alexandria is now a DAN course provider and I highly recommend them. Go DAN!

DC Dive Show

This past weekend was the first DC Dive Show. Overall it was a great first show with good speakers and a great showing of vendors, travel locations and, of course, the Mid-Atlantic Scuba Retailer's Association. Attendees had the opportunity to register to win a trip to St. Croix, check out the latest gear and new dive locations. All in all the biggest short-coming was the lack of advertising. I work across the street from the Hyatt where the show was held and I found out about the show through dumb luck. Even whe you went in the Hotel, the dive show location wasn't obvious. If they can improve advertising, next year will be even better.

Discover Scuba - Discover Adventure!

Two weekends ago I was able to take my Father-In-Law on a Discover Scuba adventure at lake Rawlings, VA. As a DSD certified PADI Divemaster it was an outstanding experience to share the adventure with a relative. At age 73, Dad was a little worried at first, but came through with shining colors. He performed wonderfully, and totally enjoyed the diving experience. He is even considering getting his Open Water Certification!

Thanks Dad for the opportunity and a great dive!

Dive Master!

Well, after 6 months I have finally made it! A PADI Professional at last.

For any serious diver, I would highly recommend pursuing the Dive Master certification. This past six months I have learned more, been diving more and have interacted more with groups of excitingly motivated divers than the last 20 years of my open water certification. I have more confidence in my skills and abilities, and I've been able to share this passion others.

The next big step for me will be working on an Assistant Instructor certification. I think I'd like to get more experience as Dive Master before I jump in with both feet on that, however. But not too much! In the mean time, I'll be working on my wife to join me in the water!