Did the courses. I now have 'technical' certifications. Entry level stuff, quite low down on the scale of 'technical' courses.
I don't like to pigeon hole people but when you deal with the public in large numbers on a regular basis you can't help but catergorise them. Unfortunately you're often correct as well.
Take the big guy that comes to sign up for diving, quite tall, stocky but his main mass is around his gut. Ginger as well, but that's more a passing comment rather than a catergorising factor.
First impressions? Going to patronise me as a woman in a male dominated environment. Will be very vocal about his diving 'status' though probably did his courses in quick sucession and hasn't logged that many. Will no doubt dive overweighted and will more than likely own his own new equipment which will very probably be a wing. He will probably own a D9 and use the air transmitter thing rather than the good old fashioned safely attached gauge. In his bag will be a multitude of gadgets, gizmo's and thingymebobs that he will attach to himself 'just in case'.
I'd of liked to be wrong, but I wasn't. To top it all off he wants to register with us using his 'technical' card.
Anyway, if it makes him feel good then alls well.
I did enjoy my courses but it really did seem a load of hassle. wearing 3 tanks rather than 1 makes you off balance, I spent the entire dive on my side as the effort to rectify myself was too great in my opinion, I was told off for finning too slowly, I had to wear a dive plan written on a slate, a stonking great fancy computer and a back up computer, too much hassle for me, sorry. Too busy trying to dive to actually enjoy the diving.
Great instructor though, she totally knows her stuff and she's very happy with what she does. However the idea of holding her breath and diving is as freaky for her as wearing a multitude of tanks is to me. Swings and roundabouts I guess.
So, conclusion? There's a place for technical diving, but let's keep it in context, it's not at 60 feet on a tropical reef........
Now the rebreather is something I'm curious about. You don't blow bubbles so the critters don't see you as the threat they normally do, thereby you see much more. Now THAT sounds intriguing.........
Josie xx
