I think I have a secret nickname among the staff. "Unsinkable Molly Brown" or "UMB" for short.
A few water exercises in the pool this morning--upon which I became increasingly frustrated because my body just WOULD NOT GO UNDER WATER---one of the instructors, Andrew (who was my human Prozac today) fetched lead weights meant to sink me and my floaty ankles and I finally found the bottom of the pool. One objective achieved.
[Above: Brook and Roy--Often called 'R&B'--Instructors at Dive Connections and awesome providing tips for adjusting to the new diving environment, movement and equipment.]
But--after all of that, I was feeling soooo unnerved/jittery/like a failure. I couldn't sink, my weights weren't staying in my BCD pockets and when they fell out I couldn't get them back in again and I struggled so hard, which got me more frustrated. And I looked around. Of course, the entire class is filled with young boys and tall male teens and one mom helping her boy. I'm the one "grown up" 59 year old woman and I should be the one doing okay---right? These little fishes--babies--- are blowing little bubbles around me and I'm like--but--but-I climbed Mount Fuji three times. I went on deployment training and learned how to release myself from a humvee when hanging upside down in full battle-rattle! I've fired 50 cals, taken apart M-16s, cleaned them and put them back together (actually you can find how to do that on You-Tube so don't be too impressed)--I was in Afghanistan for. 10 months. I've run a marathon in Gibraltar, helped pregnant women have babies--I'VE had babies---why can't I hover a few inches off the pool floor for a minute? WHY?
Inhale. Exhale. (Don't cry. Don't hold your breath. It's gonna be okay. You have a problem that you will overcome. It just takes practice.) And there is Prozac Instructor Andrew doing Zenmaster "calming" motions. When I'm ready, I go under water. I sink. Finally I'm ready and feel able to achieve the exercise/skill of taking off the dive mask and breathing just with the regulator. It feels weird. You think the water will go up your nose but it doesn't. It still isn't comfortable. My eyes are closed. Instructor Shelley said she'd tap me when I can put my mask on. I'm waiting--waiting--breathing--waiting---did she forget about me? Go have a conversation? Go get lunch? Waiting? FINALLY a tap. I get my mask, the snorkel goes every which way--and I'm like "Damn it, I can't get the booger to go right . . " and tell myself "I've got nowhere else to be . . .just take a moment and get it right . . ." and I do. I clear my mask. It's awkward, But I do it. Air displaces water, And, we just proved we can breathe without the mask so---if it takes a bit to clear it, then it takes a bit to clear it. The exercise is supposed to look like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYTiieCm2Mg&list=PLCUuvQZKvEE_AbiwBAqIznFZZGln4ZQTZ
Next, we had to go into the deep end with our buddy, Instructor Shelley points to which student she will shut the air off on, we are supposed to give the signal for "out of air" and then "give me air" and get our buddy's safety regulator/additional regulator gather to each other by the BCD straps and then swim together to simulate a slow ascension together, then do a manual BCD inflation (that was hard while nearly sinking). I was anxious about that at first. My poor buddy---I know he's like, "God, I hope I don't get the old chick next week . . ." but in the end, we did okay. I didn't drown him nor him me. There was much rejoicing--- (yayyy). I felt better by the end of the day than the beginning and the middle. I'm glad I stuck with it and ZenDiver Andrew and Encouraging Shelley helped make it happen all the way by just staying relaxed, remaining patient, showing me the skills over and over and bringing my focus back to center.
By the time we were finished today, there were many folks nearly shivering. Hypothermia hadn't set in but it was cold after 4 hours in the pool with a short break in between and the water around 72F. Doesn't "sound" cold, but it was cold.
Later this week, some classroom and the test and then Sunday the final confined water exercises and then the last week of April I'm going to do my open water skills dives in the Grand Bahama. Yep, Never been before. Really psyched and looking forward to seeing "under da sea!"
Last bit before signing off and going into cryo-sleep for 4-6 hours (cause I might cry, yo)---eyerolls allowed---you'd think easily flipping around in a pool wouldn't make you sore even if you are "fit." Wrong. Even the fit dudes admitted it. Using different muscles--you end up pretty sore in different places. It's surprising. So, probably DON"T think about doing a major workout before going to your scuba course. 'Say'in.'
More later as I know and experience more. Hope you all are doing well as you can. I join all of you in prayers and community efforts to help our world right now. Keep the faith that the best of human nature will overcome.