Scuba diving News across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Middlesex and the Chilterns

Covering Basingstoke, Guildford , Windsor and High Wycombe

3rd December

Everything including the kitchen sink 

Here is the weather for today’ said the weather reporter on the radio, as I drove west along the A303 towards Frome.  “It will be raining all day in South of England with winds heading towards 70mph” 

‘Great.  It’s going to be a challenging day then’ I said to myself as I turned up the car heater.  I was heading towards Vobster for a 2 day Navigation course and was feeling a little apprehensive, so the news about the weather did not ease my mood. 

Turning off the A303 the weather turned worse, so that by the time I arrived I was faced by very heavy rain, dark skies and very strong winds, so the order of the day was ‘concentration, speed and execution’.  After 2 hours in the car I parked the car next to the load stations and headed towards the catering wagon where the bacon butty and builders tea was very welcome. 

Jason was my instructor and he introduced me to the other 4 fellow students who I was pleased to find I had met on previous courses. After the detailed briefing we began to get kitted up and it was at this point my day went from bad to worse.  As Trainee Dive Master I had enrolled on the Navigation course knowing that navigation was my weakest discipline and I wanted this course to make this subject one of strongest.  

In hindsight this course was not a good time to use a new prescription mask for the first time, or a new torch, new watch, strobe light, knife or slate. Finding practical homes for this on my BCD was a challenge, which ensured I forgot to ‘weight’ my BCD.  I humbly had to ask my fellow TDM to load the BCD for me.  My embarrassment was mounting.  Next I was unable to find the correct fitting for my new ‘slap strap’ for my new mask. 

Reflecting that I should have prepared last night only increased my feeling of stupidity. 

As I gracefully entered the water my mask filled up and my fellow students and colleagues groaned as I removed my mask in the water to try to fix the issue.  Now my mood was blacker then than the weather, and adrenalin was increasing. Finally I started the exercises, but had to abort the dive early as I had run out of air.  I was so wound up I had ‘eaten my air’ 

Back on land Jason saw the signs and managed the situation perfectly, reviewed my equipment ‘set up’ and we agree to remove 7 items that were strapped to my BCD.  The second dive was much better and my confidence and good mood returned.  Sadly the weather didn’t but that was the fun part.  The drive home on Sunday night was very satisfying and warm but most importantly I had learnt more about dive planning this weekend than at any other time. 

I am happy to report that despite my efforts to fail due to task overload and self induced stress, I am now have my Navigation specialism and have learnt that “although you may have bought it, you don’t have to use it on the next dive.”  Obvious, I know, but easily forgotten.

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