Scuba Training - Days One and Two

A long-overdue continuation of the travel tales...

Scuba Training – Day One

Monday dawned bright and already warm. We woke up individually, and all scattered to find some breakfast before we walked the short distance to the Cairns Dive Centre (CDC), where we’d be doing our training. After meeting our trainer, a swarthy red-headed South African named Renaldo, we filled out paperwork and waited for everyone else to trickle in. The group numbered about 15, mostly Brits with a smattering of Germans, a Norwegian, an Aussie, a Dutch girl with whom we made great friends with, and a few more people. The morning was spent in theory, the afternoon in the pool, where we got into gear and had our first play underwater. I wasn’t sure if my ears would hold up; I was getting pain when I tried to dive past a few meters. Luckily, I learned to equalize quickly, and the problem subsided.

Scuba itself is a great experience. The gear is relatively simple to use, and while heavy when you first put it on, obviously loses its weight on your shoulders when you enter the water. The pool was tiny and cramped with 15 people in large metal gear and fins trying to swim around in it.

After a long day in the pool and classroom, we were able to get back to our hostel, take a kip, and then head out for dinner. A local pub had a nice deal for hostel-goers that provided a free meal with purchase of a drink. The food was plain but good and plentiful, and the vibe was just right. It made it a great and inexpensive way to eat dinner in Cairns while we were staying there.

Scuba Training – Day Two

Tuesday started even early than Monday, with more classroom and pool training. We learned new skills, and ended the day with a written exam (I passed) and diving physical to make sure we were healthy enough to endure the rigors of a dive. We ate at the same pub as the previous time, meeting with Berdien, the Dutch girl who was also doing the training course. We went to bed early again, as the next morning we were heading out to the Reef!