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I always kind of wanted to scuba dive. I grew up, and lived some of my adult life, in St. Thomas, and naturally snorkeled alot. Now, living in New England, I often kick myself for not taking up scuba when I was there. Basically, I'm a warm water guy and I love the colors of tropical seas. Within the past several years I've "discovered" Hawaii. I love it there, manage to visit every other year, and hope to make it my home some day.
 My biggest hurdle in signing up for a scuba class was not being in shape, although I have no medical conditions. I've managed to put on some girth from working long hours in an office, and being a "terrific" cook (I'm told). Finally, with another trip to Hawaii on the horizon, I decided to "just do it." Sink or swim, you might say. I signed up for the class and pool sessions with SSI instructors at East Coast Divers in Hyannis, MA, (http://www.ecdivers.com). I had made the big leap.
The classes were held on four consecutive evenings. The first part of the session was classroom instruction, followed by pool skills at the "Y." Since I didn't receive my study materials until the first class, I did what reading I could, always playing a little catch-up. The classes were casual, and we ten brave souls, including three kids, were encouraged to ask lots of questions. Of course, what questions do you know to ask when you don't know anything? No mind, because Lee Duncan and his associates Carl and Joe planted in our heads questions that we should be asking. I was psyched. The material made sense despite my failure to read much in advance, and there were no Charles Atlases among us.
After a classroom introduction to the dive gear, we proceeded to the first pool session. Anticipation ran high. I was happy to have my sister (a seasoned diver and great motivator) along for moral support. She also "volunteered" to carry some of the equipment -- what a great sport scuba was going to be! The first thing we did was the swimming test of six pool laps, any style stroke. Here's where being out of shaped showed up, but I managed to pace myself better and was able to complete it without actually appearing to need oxygen. Next we were assigned buddies (mine was Tony, the shellfish warden), and put on the gear at the shallow end of the pool. Belts, hoses, straps, weights, gear everywhere: my gear, Tony's gear, gear floating, gear sinking to the bottom, bubbles, free-flowing regulators-beginners' chaos. A few instructions relative to weighting, buoyancy and constant breathing and we were under water! Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for that first time breathing under water. It was so cool, even at our maximum of 8 to 10 feet at the deep end!! I'm comfortable in the water anyway, and this facilitated my learning and made this pool session, and the ones that followed, a really enjoyable experience.
Our classes and pool sessions continued each evening, and I noticed that other students that weren't "getting it" at first, were becoming more relaxed and able to perform the pool skills with more competence, myself included. We had 2-3 seasoned divers/ instructors-in-training with us at all times, giving individual attention, as needed. On the last night I felt I was swimming like a fish, albeit not as coordinated. Thank you, Jacques Cousteau! We bade a fond farewell to each other and exchanged phone numbers. It was late February so the open water dives in the local lake would not happen for another month or so. Except for my dives! I collected my pass-go papers from Lee, to certify my instruction to this point, and started to hum "Sweet Aloha."
I did have obligations in Hawaii. Traveling with other people means that you must often fall in with the group of non-divers. Lee had provided me with a list of SSI-certifying dive shops, plus I had found a good online review by a Hawaiian marine biologist. Putting it together, Seasport Divers (http://www.kauaiscubadiving.com) on Kauai offered a reasonable price, good reputation, and was close to our condo. I phoned them a week in advance, and went there a day before the scheduled class to introduce myself and check them out.
The next day I met my own personal instructor, Anita (I was a class of one!). Five dives were required for certification, over a two-day period. Basically, it was one open water snorkel and four actual dives. Koloa Landing was to be the site of these beach dives. On the south side near Poipu, this area is horseshoe-shaped and slopes out to a 30-40 foot depth with a sandy bottom. It looked like there might have been a boat way there at one time, which was welcomed since the rocky shore and surf from 3-4' swells made entry and exits tricky. Anita was good-natured but firm in her strong emphasis on self-reliance and responsibility. Now I found out how I was to progress as a diver. Instead of a pool buddy helping with the BC, I learned to hoist it on myself. My weights had to be adjusted at every dive to compensate for the salt water and depth, until I was as good as I would get as a beginner. I was too heavily "back-weighted" with a weight belt, and discussed the possibility that a weight-integrated BC would even me out. I was starting the problem solve. We did all the pool skills again, plus a 30' emergency swimming ascent. Everything was much more intense with a blue ocean at your back. My 3-mil shortie wet suit was keeping me comfortable in the 78-degree water.
But I save the best 'til last. If I thought the pool was great, well, the real thing was just outstanding. The fish, the colors, the ease of weightlessness. Despite much dead coral killed in Hurricane Iniki ('92), the area supported parades of trigger fish, and smaller fish that were a enumerator's blur to me; there was a sea turtle resting in the rocks, moray eels, and even octopus. Anita pointed out many of the hidden creatures to my unpracticed eye. It was better than I ever expected. I was in heaven. Then Anita brought to my attention a faint whirring noise -- I thought it might be a boat motor. She told be later that it was a whale! Most cool. My last dive was over, and as luck would have it, time was too short to fit in another dive before our flight.
The seasons are trying to move into spring in New England, and I'm thinking about my experience and what I want to do. Even though I am a professed warm water addict, I realize the importance of keeping up my skills, both for my own enjoyment and to be safe. So I will be diving in New England waters this summer, with the help of a wetsuit (or drysuit) and the encouragement of Lee and my new diving buddies.
Some of my experiences might be helpful for the diver-to-be to consider:
1. Check in advance of your class to pick up any reading material and find out what you need for the pool sessions. Reading ahead will reinforce both your class and pool sessions, and help to reduce stress
2. Ask lots of questions, in different ways, to different people. Most instructors are not professional teachers -- they are professional divers. You will get a more complete answer from a combination of their perspectives.
3. If you're concerned about the shape you're in, walk to increase stamina. Swim if possible. Breathing efficiently is all-important.
4. You will need some personal gear, but most is included in the course. You'll want your own mask and snorkel. I bought my own booties, and Anita told me I had to have a watch. I bought a $40 watch at the shop because I didn't want my Seiko to disappoint me at 30 feet.
5. Take the opportunity to try out different equipment -- BCs, weight configurations, regulators. On the second day of the open water I used a Mares Volo fin. They made a huge difference on my previously tired legs.
6. To stay actively involved and get as much as you can from this sport, associate with people who dive! They can always be found at your local dive shop. Buddy up and go diving!
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