Archive for February, 2009

Rescue Divers to Divemasters

2 years ago

by dive mistress in Dive Training, New Zealand

This week i have been team teaching a PADI Rescue Diver course with Anna. And on the course was my friend lindsay – as well as a friend of my old flatmates friend; who i now count to be my friend.

Long story short – Saturday was their final classroom session and then exam before we headed off to the olympic pool for the final set of scenarios. at any one time, i was working with two student divers and anna was working with two and then we would mix them up and get the buddy teams to change as well.

yesterday morning we met at the dive shop at 8.30 to get the cars packed up to head up to matheson bay for the open water scenarios.
there are four scenarios to be completed and in the car on the drive up there, i reviewed the performance requirements and anna helped me to structure the dive. we had icaro as a divemaster and pete came along to give us a hand. the first dive, we ran through self and team rescue culminating with anna cutting her leg and icaro panicking at the surface (all planned off course) and both of them needing to be towed in.
unfortunately one of our new rescue divers didnt quite weight herself properly and decided she’d be right even though she was a little light. she had a really hard dive and even though i kept signalling to her to see if she was alright – and she was giving me the ok back – she wasnt really okay. we surfaced and she was very ill. two of the student divers took care of annas (fake) cut leg whilst one of them took care of icaro’s (fake) exhaustion and the other diver and i hung on to the float and i slowly kicked us across the bay and back into shore. she was starting to feel a little better but due to the chop making her feel queasier, she couldnt lie on her back and kick so it was a pretty slow trip.

the day went really well. icaro and pete went off for icaros (fake) guiding certified divers while anna and i debriefed the student divers. icaro lost pete so we sent them off to manage the scene, find and surface the diver and provide first aid and CPR til EMS arrived and the whole group did great! then it was back to the shop for a couple of beers and a couple of sausages on the BBQ.

i am very very happy to add that globaldive has two new divemaster trainees out of this course – welcome on board anna and lindsay!

Sea and Sea DX-1200HD

2 years ago

by dive mistress in New Zealand, Underwater Photography

Leaving Buenos Aires last january, i lost my casio exilim in the back of a taxi. this was the camera that i had the underwater housing for.

the new plan was to buy an ikelite housing and port for my Nikon d80.
i talked to dave moran about the cost of said housing and port but with the current exchange rate (new zealand dollar to united states dollar) its just completely out of my reach. i will need a new macro lens and a strobe so all up, i’m well up and over the $6000 mark.

what to do?? what to do??
i’ve been a little lost with my diving in the last 12 months. well not lost in too much sense of the word because most of my diving has been focused on training; however i really miss floating around and taking photographs underwater – as well as composing the shot and working on improving my photographs as well. marcia will tell you that i am a really good spotter for her, but i want to take my own photographs again.
andrew has organised a globaldive liveaboard trip in april with some professional photographers – richard robinson to name one – and pete mesley and andrew simpson will both be there. there will be an underwater photograph exhibition at flagstaff gallery in devonport in july i think. these really talented guys; ritchie, pete, andrew and ian skipworth will be showing their pictures for a couple of weeks.

so what about me?
well i knew that i couldnt justify over $6000. not with a wedding to attend and other committments so i did a bit of research and had a few conversations with a few people. i made a purchase – a sea and sea DX-1200HD camera and a 12Y strobe.