SCUBA: Round 1

My first SCUBA class was Saturday evening. The pool we went to was at some rich guys house out by the Elkhorn river, west of Omaha. After taking a test on the first two chapters in our SCUBA training book, it was time to get in the water. Before we were allowed to don the gear, we had to take a swimming test. It sounds just like what it was, basically prove we could swim. Four laps in the pool, and tread water for 5 minutes. It had been a while since I had been swimming, and even longer since I had tested myself to see how long I could tread water. Back in my thinner and trimmer days, I beat a friend of mine in a water treading contest. I had to beat 15 minutes and I did. But I was a little nervous and wondering if I still had it. One thing I forgot, fat floats. So, I got through the treading water part of the test with flying colors. Sad, but true. Finally, it was time to get strapped into our gear and see what this breathing underwater thing is all about. The instructor, Skippy (yes, Skippy, and very aptly named), who is a computer programmer by day, and SCUBA instructor by night, showed us how to get the tank set up properly. Next, we got into our SCUBA outfit and it was time. He told us to put the air breathing thingy (regulator, or second stage to be technical) in our mouth and take a breath. Next, he told us to put our face in the water and take a nice slow deep breath. So, I did, and came up choking on the water I pulled into my lungs. Skippy said, "Put the regulator in your mouth first, dummy!". I told him he needed to be more specific next time. (That part was made up.) So this time, I put my face in the water, and took and a nice deep breath out of my regulator, and then exhaled. It's a very strange experience. Here you are, underwater, and breathing out of a regulator, and it feels the same as breathing the way God intended. Then, for the following 2 hours, we went through our training. There were two things that freaked me out a little. The worst thing was when I had to take off my mask, and then breath through the regulator for one minute, then put my mask back on, and clear the water out of it. I am one of those people that almost HAVE to plug there nose when they go underwater. Which, I was allowed to do this, but it still is kind of a weird experience. It's almost like that mask is your own little dry room, separate from the underwater world you are actually in. A safe-haven, if you will. To remove it is like removing your last vestige of familiarity. However, I survived. The other thing I didn't enjoy, however, it was more because we were simulating my buddy running out of air, and I had to give her my spare regulator so she wouldn't die. So, she gives me the signal that she is out of air, I reach for my spare regulator and the hose was caught on something, so I took the regulator out of my mouth and handed it to my buddy and I had just enough hose to get it to my mouth. My instructor then used some hand gestures that I am unfamiliar with, but I think he was trying to say I was an idiot. Because I am never supposed to take my regulator out and give it to someone else in an emergency situation. Because then, even if it is just a second or two, you have two divers without any air. But, when we got to the surface, we explained to him what had happened and he said that was actually some pretty quick thinking on my part. You're darn tootin'! But, I felt bad that I had almost killed my best friends wife. I wonder if we would still been friends had she died? Anyhow, later she said her regulator was in her hand the whole time, so if she needed air, it was right there. So, then I didn't feel so bad. But that still hasn't taken away the sting of those gestures from the instructor.

So, tomorrow is lesson #2. I will probably give you an update in 24-48 hours. Until then, keep your regulator in your mouth and take slow, deep breaths.