Last Known Position: August 2011

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Monday, August 1, 2011

Our Divemaster Trainee

Sami, from Canada, came to Ratu Kini's in March for a week. She wanted to do the PADI Open Water course with her friend, who was a little delayed as she'd lost her passport. In the end her friend never arrived, so I set out to train Sami.

Early on in the course, while teaching basic skills, I asked, "so, you've snorkeled before, right?" as most people had... NOPE. But that didn't stop her in her SCUBA endeavors. We had a lot of fun during the course, in spite of the fact that the equipment seemed to break around her with every turn... and by about the second dive (only) Sami came to surface and asked, "what's that Divemaster thingy you have advertised?" She was talking about the first professional level of PADI certification... one that took me almost 20 years to get around to! And to add to that... she's only 18!

So by the end of a couple of weeks (she already extended her stay) Sami left to go back to Australia to pick up the rest of her stuff, promising to be back in a month to start the next course and head towards becoming a Divemaster.

She did come back.... and she's STILL here!

Despite more broken equipment and some damage to herself (I hope you're seeing the trend here!!) she continued her education.

But it seems she may also be allergic to coral!! Having become distracted by some creature or other, Sami knocked her leg against some fire coral (we know now!). No biggie... except for Sami didn't heal... and worse than that the strange blisters kept spreading. She went to the nurse and the fancy resort next door to us... and was told it was sea lice... we were like... huh?! A little research confirmed that they don't exist, as we suspected, and it was just the coral toxins still going through her... so when the cure-all vinegar didn't work... Tadd went for the scolding hot towels (this is what we have been taught to denature the toxins of bites and stings).

I think Tadd kind of enjoyed torturing Sami a bit... payback for the days she was late (now she has to swim laps!)

We gave her some our powdered vegetable extract stuff... to help cure her from within. And a few days off on the mainland seemed to do the trick.

So when she came back it was straight into her Rescue course.

PADI Rescue diver... check!

And on to training to lead dives and not drown the guest....

between bad weather... breaking compressors... and yet more injury and illnesses (hmmmm!) Sami finally passed all the exams (they've made them sooo easy now... just about anyone could pass.... when we took them.... eh Sami!)

Once certified, there is a tradition in the diving world for all newly certified Divemasters... one last test...

The Snorkel Test!