Chris and I went over there, met our learning buddies. Watched a couple of videos on diving and took a quiz type thing.
Then at lunch we all had our medical and I doctor failed Chris since he used to have asthma. He figures he still has it but used to be completive swimmer & hasn't used his inhaler in like 3 years. Anyway, he's not much upset really. He's going to go to New Zealand 5 days earlier and is excited to get more time there.
Then we got fitted for fins and a mask/snorkel.
We learned how to put our tanks on the vesty thing (that had a name like BCU or BOC or something.) and how to turn on the air and put it on etc.
Then we got in the pool and had to swim 24 laps using our snorkel & fins. So that was no problem. We practiced breathing underwater using the tanks, which was a little hard at first but I got used it it super fast.
Then we learned/practiced:
- buddy breathing, which hasn't been called that since "the old days" since now everyone has a second breathy thing. I cannot remember the name for these things to save my life. Oops. Anyway, everyone has an extra one for a buddy because buddy breathing was "so dumb". (I laughed, sorry mum & da!)
- how to take away said breathy thing and put it back in and not drown.
- how to get water out of your mask underwater
- how to equalize while going down
- how to find your neutral buoyancy
- different ways of towing your buddy to safety
- different underwater signs. Some of them are practical like "ok". But some stuff gets a bit complicated. Sometimes more than seemed needed.
- how to take off & put on your task/vesty thing in the water
- how to breath without a mask on. This is about a bajillion times harder than you'd think.
- how to breath if the valve breaks and gives you constant air. Everyone else had no trouble with it and apparently "I'm the first one who's ever stubbled", but well, I struggled. It sort of felt like I was being choked with air. I dunno, I did it but I hated it.
He also turned our air off so we know what it feels like, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
But he also told us that the night dive wasn't an option, we had to. hjkvcingucmviomvjck.
It was really really good though. I am so excited for everything, even if I have to wake up at 7 tomorrow to be picked up at 7.45. Lord knows why it needs to be that early.
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Here are the people.
Ryan. I'd guess he's about 45. On military leave, in 13 days he goes back to Iraq. From Idaho or Wyoming or something like that. Seems nice enough, not really my type of person.
Matt. He's 23, from Vancouver. Very much a hockey playing Canadian dude. He's been traveling around Asia & Australia since August I think. He's really loud, which annoys me a bit.
Andrias (I think that's how it's spelled?). He's 21. From Norway, been travelling in Au since before Christmas, going back home in April. When he goes home he'll be finishing his degree on journalism and photography.
There's another guy too. I feel really bad for not remembering his name.
It's like Chris or Rocky or Russ. I dunno.
He's a bit aloof. He's from Brisbane but living in Cairns. I dunno, he didn't really make himself part of the group.
And our instructor; Perry.
Long story short, I don't like him. He's loud, he's constantly name dropping places he's dived or shit he's seen. He's so sexist it makes me want to smack him. He was like "woman use less air than men since they have smaller lungs (that bit's mostly true) and since they can't talk underwater it's even less *ha ha*"
Oh for fucks sake. I understand that since I'm the only girl, I will be the brunt of jokes. But he's dreadful. Or there was an acronym for how to check your buddy before diving and 'his favourite' is "Blonde Woman are Really Always Fun." or something similar.
Like, must you?
It's kind of bumming me out, because I don't at all feel comfortable around him. He's not creepy, not in that way… it's just he's such an asshole. And he kept using other people as examples, which is fine, but he was an ass about it.
Like there was this one girl who's ear popped in the pool but when she went out in the ocean they were clearing but not popping and she got really nervous that something was wrong.
Which seems legit, if you're confused. But he was like "Don't be stupid like her"
I dunno, he's a dumb prat.
--
Anyway, I got home at 5ish. It was Pizza Night here where they order a fuck ton of pizza and you can pretty much eat as much as you want for $10. I decided to make some pasta instead. I sat at one end of the table with Chris (the one who can't dive) and this Swedish couple. Her name's Amelia or Emilia or something. And I think he's Hudrun (I'm pretty sure that's a girls name though) or Husran or something. I never was actually introduced, I just heard other people saying their name.
He's a chef and we got to talk cooking and they were both super nice and funny. They were just in Japan (which they say "Yapan", which never got old for me) and I got to hear a ton of awesome stories.
And as it turns out Chris is hilarious too, go figure.
About halfway through dinner some slightly drunk guy came over from Woolsheads (which is the place we went last night) and wanted to give all the girls "Thursday Ladies Nite" stamps for free champagne tonight. It was just easier to say yes, so I now have that classy mark.
Scottish Chris and my Swedish buddies decided to go out and American Chris was going to, but by the looks of things he's fallen asleep.
I really didn't take any photos today, these are a few of a cicada that was on the kitchen floor this evening after I made dinner.
I'm just going to read this little book we got given and asked to read, then hit they hay since I'm exhausted.
Diving is tiring.
Apparently all the gear is like 26 lbs. I think. He said it in kilos and I have trouble working out the difference.
It turns out I did book a return night here, for the night of the 31st. They just didn't see it when I booked it.
I've since paid for it, so I definitely have a place when I get back.
Then who knows. I might just fly to Alice.
I was hoping to find someone good to go with but I haven't been here long enough really. And I'll have just been away for 3 days. So oh well.
I'll be posting again tonight about today, but then we're out on the boat without internet for 3 days so I'll be writing daily but won't be able to post until I get back. Just a heads up.
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