And in the east, the sun was rising

Not hard at all really, but which of our Southern Hemispherical outcasts sang it.

Now, I think I may have mentioned that I have the lung capacity of a blue whale and would hoover the entire atmosphere into them if I needed. Well today, one of the instructors, (an ex STAB (but really a good bloke actually)) took me to get sorted out along the Roman wall in the harbour area. Now anyone can breath, but can you breath with the frugality of a humming bird eecking the last gram of power from its little body to suck the nectar from a plant too far away to get back to its nest??? Well after today, I can! Usually, I can pull a 15 lt tank with 200 bar of air inside out with my ability to make air disappear. But I was strapped to a smaller tank (cylinder (12 lts only)) and dived for 37 minutes, granted it was shallow, but that’s NOT the point. I was learning to work with the air I had, how to relax and swim with as little effort as possible. A couple of exercises, (breath in, remove regulator and swim,  blowing bubbles for along 5 count). All in al I came back to the surface with 100bar in the can. That’s only half a tank, now if I can repeat these exercises at death, then I’m sorted, if not, I’m dead! 

I was handed a book before I disappeared for lunch (I had no intention of a second dive today) but the book was all about something called “Peak Buoyancy  (something or other) ” and it explained all about the need and use for getting yourself sorted. Mark asked if I could read the book, do the knowledge assessment at the end and came back in the afternoon to do the second speciality dive (I didn’t know I had done the first bloody dive) so a second dive beckoned. A fat boys breakfast first and a coup,e of glasses of coke to smooth it down and I was set.

I must admit that I got in a little too early just to use the toilet. I exploded, it wasn’t nice, I cried! 

Into the wetsuit and the knowledge assembly marked by my instructor…Mark and it was time to enter the salty sea water again. This time mark was instructing a young girl, a ten year old girl. Now with this added pressure (I couldn’t fall apart in front of a girl) we all went to the stores and kitted her out. Then took. Wonder to the steps (a walk in spot) all SCUBA stuff sorted we got I. The water and the young lass wobbled a bit (this seemed like it could be a long afternoon.) the initial exercises done and we were diving into the deep blue. She was great, didn’t panic didn’t wimp out and came back down when she was directed too. The dive for me was all about putting what I did In the morning into practice, and it worked perfectly, again, I surfaced with over half a cylinder of air left. Now thats good. 

Today ended off with me having a look at the brakes on Marks scooter (I’ll fix them tomorrow when I get in really early now. I just didn’t have the time to strip the system down and properly clean and sort it) . Tomorrow I have been given a fun dive, is back to the ‘White Star’ a wreck that I have been too before and got the pics with our shades on. But this time I’m just seeing if I can do it on less air, if I can, then I’m on my way to success. 

This day has been a cool one, always a school day. 

For my friends (and family) wherever you are X