MORE DIVE TRAINING...

Now that I have completed all my training for teaching recreational SCUBA diving, it is time to continue my education with the fun stuff that I enjoy. I am continuing my technical training and will wrap up the following courses this week:
DSAT Tec DEEP
TDI Advanced Nitrox
TDI Decompression Procedures

If you were wondering what technical diving is, let me give you a brief description. Recreational diving (what most people do when they get certified) allows you to dive up to 130ft (with proper training) and not stay at depths long enough that would require decompression stops. It is all "no stop diving." You can always ascend from where you are to the surface.
Technical diving you may get certified to dive to depths of up to 335ft (with proper training) on open circuit scuba using different gases other than air or Enriched Air and involves decompression training (yes you may have to hang at 20ft for 3 hours some times if you went deep or long enough).
Why do I want to tec dive? Simple. Wrecks. That is what I love. Many of them are in deeper water than 130 ft, and the ones that are not you can spend more time and do some deep penetration on them (that's what she said).
Tec diving includes a lot of time, training, and expensive equipment. As you see from the picture, some times you may have to wear an entire dive shop.

SCUBA CLASS

10% OFF SCUBA CLASS for father's day gifts.
Classroom Jun 16-18 6-9pm
Pool Sessions June 21 9am-12pm, June 22 1:30-4pm
Ocean Dives June 28-29 in Monterey

Get more information HERE

Aging Wine...

You may have noticed you haven't seen any wine reviews in awhile. Well with the wife being pregnant, I really haven't opened anything at home. I just can't open a really good wine by myself, it just doesn't seem right. I have no one else really to enjoy wine with (if you are my friend and enjoy wine, come over, I have been dying to try some things). Well the good news is my cellar is well stocked. Here are a few things I have obtained over the past couple months I am anxiously awaiting exploding in my palate:

2 bottles of 2004 Scarecrow, 312 cases made, current trading price $899 per bottle (I paid no where near this price, thanks to Trelio for tracking it down for me at retail!!!)

1 case Keever, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 (850 cases made), Trading Price $135/btl

1 bottle Barbour, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 (182 cases made), trading price $150/btl

2 bottles Core, Elevation Sensation, 2005 (300 cases made) trading price $50/btl

2 bottles Corra, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 (290 cases made) trading price $345/btl

Now I have put about 60 bottles in my cellar since I last took one out, but these are the prized possessions I am anxiously awaiting to consume. I would have had to sell my kidney to be able to afford these wines at current trading prices. I am glad I have connections that can hook them up even less than their retail prices.

Any takers?

Aqua Sports

I have signed a contract with Aqua Sports in Fresno (the only PADI dive center in Fresno) to be their main instructor. I will start in full force the first of June and will have several classes over the summer with trips to Catalina, Monterey, and San Diego (Wreck Alley) all on the schedule. During Jun-Aug I currently have the following classes scheduled with flexible hours (tell all your friends):
Open Water Diver (Beginning Scuba): 5 classes
Advanced Diver: 4 classes
Rescue Diver: 2 classes
Specialties: 4 classes

Check out the class schedules and calendar here.

Help, my puppy became a dog!!!

My little puppy turns 7 months old on Tuesday. Miles has grown up a lot and reminded me that I haven't posted any pictures of him in a long time. Here are a few shots of this growing boy.

Two Months Old

Three Months Old

Five Months Old

Six Months Old

Where do you Worship?

So this Sunday I had all of the kids (and I mean all of them, not just the ones who signed up for the choir) sing in "big church" for mothers day. I was still feeling exhausted from my trip so I did what I promise myself never to do. I loaded up on coffee on an empty stomach to create the energy to get through the morning.

The kids did a great job and everyone, especially the moms, loved them. That is the great part about my job, everyone loves cute kids singing on stage, so I am always a hero.

After the kids were done singing in first service, I took a trip to the men's room. I always go in the handicaped stall (I like a spacious room to do my business ok). There I listened to an amazing sermon by Pat. It was actually quite nice. I was comfortable (and relaxed if that isn't TMI). It is church so there is no grafiti on the stalls, and I was able to sit and listen to the message free of distractions. It was amazing. I know many people stay home and watch church on TV, many people have their specific seats in the sanctuary they always sit in. If you haven't tried the pot for your worship experience, give it a try.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a pic of our actual toilets at New Cov. Ours are much cleaner.

Who's your instructor daddy?

All done!!! Out of 11 candidates in my IE, 9 passed and will become instructors (as soon as PADI completes the paperwork this week). I will be egotistical and tell you all that I had the highest score out of every candidate on every single portion of the IE (who's your instructor daddy)? My Instructor, Tom Witmer at Horizon is amazing and had me more prepared than any of the other instructors (we call them Course Directors).

Anybody want to learn to Scuba Dive?

I am now qualified to teach the following:

• Discover Scuba Diving
• Bubble Maker (8-10 years old)
• Skin diver
• Discover Snorkeling
• Scuba Diver
• Open Water Diver
• Adventure Diver
• Advanced Open Water diver
• Rescue Diver
• Divemaster
• Emergency First Response (CPR, First Aid, Care for Children, AED)
• Oxygen Administration

As well as the other 13 advanced specialties I mentioned a couple posts ago.

IE Day 1

75% done with the IE. Went well today. I aced the morning confined water sessions (perfect scores on all my skills, only one out of the 11 instructor candidates who did so). Then I had the written exams. There were 6 exams (1 Standards and Procedures, and 5 Dive Theory). My scores were 98% (standards and procdures), and the 5 theory exams were (2 100%, 2 92%, and 1 83%). I was dissappointed with the 83%, but 75% is passing. And after 2 of the 11 failed out by not passing the exams, I didn't feel so bad.
The Knowledge Development Section I was so close to a perfect score. I scored 4.8 on a 5.0 scale. I think it was a 5.0, but the examiner was being picky. It was once again the highest score of everybody so I was happy.
I was reassured to see where I stood against other Instructor candidates and overall was pleased with my performances. Tomorrow morning I have the Opne Water Skills, and the Rescue Assessment then I am DONE!!!

Spiegel Grove

This, the Spiegel Grove, is the dive site that catapulted my interest in diving. I got to go into come cool compartments in the hull today. It was my 6th dive on it. Today the seas were rough (6 ft), but the current was very mild.

Here is a pic (in not great visibility) of me at the flag last year:

Today I learned how to instruct the PADI Wreck diver and Deep Diver specialties on the Spiegel. Then we had some fun on the wreck.

MSDT UPDATE

Now that I have finished the IDC (Instructor Development Course) I have moved on to the MSDT program (Master Scuba Diver Trainer). This involves getting certified to teach at least 5 specialties. I am actually going to complete 13 specialty instructor programs that will include:

• Deep Diver
• Underwater Navigation
• Enriched Air (Nitrox)
• Night Diver
• Wreck Diver
• U/W Digital Photography
• Dry Suit Diver
• Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV)
• Fish Identification
• U/W Videographer
• U/W Naturalist
• Search and Recovery Diver
• Boat Diver

Today I am excited. I am going to do the DPV class (Underwater Scooter). That is going to be fun.