The brief outline of the course is to understand and dive to depths and times where you must complete decompression stops before surfacing to prevent Decompression Sickness (commonly known as "The Bends")
Studying the large manual on our recent visa run, the first 50 pages informed me of how many ways I could die, how risky it was, and how I should not do it??! Encouraging eh?
On the first couple of dives, we went to 10m and did a few skills... I found my buoyancy so different wearing 4 tanks instead of the usual 1, but managed to sort it after a while.
Over the next few days, building up slowly to deeper depths, I was put through trial after trial, testing my problem solving skills, ensuring that I would be able to solve multiple problems at depth, even with the effects of Nitrogen Narcosis.
The final day of the course was spent at Sail Rock, which is a couple of hours away. On the way out, I prepared my gear, thought about my plan for the dive and the potential problems I could face. After thinking everything through, and having a moment of quiet to chill.... I was ready.
The first dive, we descended to 46m and stayed there for 20 minutes. This amount of time at this depth put me way into needing decompression stops on our ascent. We started up and I switched gases from my air to a mix with a higher percentage of oxygen. Then we spent the next 30 minutes completing stops to the surface.
The final dive, we hit 48m ! Completing the drills that I needed to do at this depth needed me to be super focus since narcosis was a factor that would slow down my thinking. However, I focused and got the job done. Coming up for our decompression stops, this time I gas switched a couple of times, ending on my final gas mix at 6m which was 100% Oxygen.
All done, and I got a big round of applause back on the boat, which was nice... After all that, its time for a day off... not really a day off, but just from diving...
xx
1 comment:
You're amazing Simon!! I LOVE YOU!!
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