Instructor Specialties for the June 09 IDC

Instructor Specialties for the June 09 IDC

Are completed and there were some interesting dives after this June 09 IDC. It's always good to leave the classroom and go out for some diving and the dive site we visited included Sail Rock and around Koh Tao; Hin Mong Bay, the always fabulous Lighthouse and Japanese Garden which currently holds a small wooden wreck.

A very common nudibranch, this one at Hin Mong Bay; Phyllidia Varicosa

The specialties covered varied and included; deep diving, dry suit, underwater navigation, Dup (Digital Underwater photography), underwater naturalist (PADI's specialty of the year), DPV (Diver Propulsion Vehicle), equipment, Search & Recovery and Nitrox.

Acropora digitifera coral, also at Hin Mong Bay

This post hosts some pictures that I made during the Specialty Training dives at the various sites we visited.

The new wreck at Japanese Garden, a rather small wooden, yellow dive boat

Somebody had a nice crab meal

Tubastraea faulkneri coral at Sail Rock

Hope you enjoy the pictures, have a look at my Scubaboard gallery for more pictures.

Camille

The PADI IE for June 2009 is done and over with!

The PADI IE for June 2009 is done and over with!

After 3 days of a classic case of sweat, blood and tears scenario during this PADI IE, we have a handful of new PADI Instructors or OWSI's and a new PADI IDCS Instructor. Well done to Vadim, Richard, Sasha, Remi and Mike.

During this PADI IE they participated and successfully completed 5 theory exams and a General Standards & Procedures exam, a classroom presentation, a confined water presentations plus a skill circuit consisting of 5 skills, see the picture above, all at World Resort and last but not least, an Open Water presentation at Centara Beach resort at Chaweng Beach.

Rob Scammell, the PADI Examiner, giving a general briefing before they get in the water. There were two more IDC candidates from another PADI Course Director present during this PADI IE.

Remi, the Japanese candidate enjoying herself after the Open Water dive, looks like she is pretty confident of the outcome! Right so, she was.

The official group picture on Chaweng beach in front of Centara resort, from left to right; Vadim (OWSI), Mike (IDCS), Sasha (OWSI), Rob (PADI Examiner), Camille (PADI Course Director), Akira (IDCS), Remi (OWSI) and Richard (OWSI).

Camille

The June 2009 IDC is completed

The June 2009 IDC is completed

This morning we will finish this June 2009 IDC and than a couple of hours later the actual PADI IE will start and in the meantime Mike finished his IDCS course.

The candidates presented some more Knowledge Development presentations and here Sasha is talking about and showing a SMB or Surface Marker Buoy.

We also spent more time in Confined and Open Water and here Sasha and Richard can be seen practicing the Alternate Air Source skill in Confined Water.

As usual we had some excellent meals at World Resort.

Keep tuned for updates on the IE.

Camille

EFR Instructor course is in the bag

EFR Instructor course is in the bag

Since PADI recently changed the conditions for becoming a PADI OWSI or Instructor, meaning that you have the be an EFR Instructor or equivalent before you receive teaching status, providing you pass your PADI IE successfully.

That's why the EFRI course is now scheduled during the actual IDC, well, that is, at least in my program.

Alexander in action during the practice of using the AED or defib in between giving compressions and ventilations at a ratio of 30:2.

After the course, which as usual was conducted at the local recompression chamber a short introductionary tour was given to the actual chamber itself, where we took this group picture; From left to right; Vadim, Richard, Alexander and myself.

Tomorrow we continue with the IDC again. Stay tuned for more.

Camille

IDC June 09; a work in progress

IDC June 09; a work in progress

A few days ago the Prep course for the current June 09 IDC started, after Mike kicked it all off a day earlier with starting his IDCS course.

So far we have completed two days of the prep course and two days of the Assistant Instructor or AI course. Another two days to go and we can move on to the OWSI course, which completes the IDC course.
Due to a recent standards change, we will complete the EFRI courses now before the PADI IE starts.

Interestingly enough, this class has three Russian born person, one with a Russian passport, one with an Israeli passport and one with an USA passport. A couple of firsts here, my first Russian and Israeli candidates!

During the prep course, from left to right during this IDC; Vadim, Mike, Sasha and Richard.

Part of the skill circuit, the giant stride entry at the deep end of the pool.

Anybody for a rescue exercise # 7?

Stay tuned for more updates.

Camille

June's IDCS course kicked off today

June's IDCS course kicked off today

With Mike as participant in this IDCS Course. Mike completed his IDC in December '08.
We completed a couple of IDCS presentations and practiced evaluating candidate presentations plus he completed a General Standards exam.

This picture shows Mike at work during the evaluation practice.
There's plenty more for him to tackle, amongst others a set of theory exams, a Knowledge Development presentation and a confined Water presentation. The interesting part of all these tests is that he needs to get higher scores as during the actual IDC, so it's quite challenging.

Tomorrow the actual IDC will start and Mike will attend the whole IDC, however, now he sits at the 'other side' of the fence and will observe how an IDC is conducted without the added stress of a PADI IE waiting for him at the end of this IDCS course. On top of that he will get more practice and learn about evaluating IDC candidates.

Keep tuned in for more updates on the up and coming IDC over the next days.

Camille

New business cards

New business cards

Had some new ones made and like them so much that I like to share them with you.

One is taken when I encountered a whale shark last year at Chumpon Pinnacle (hi Richard!) and the other one, with the clown fish, is one of my fave Similan shots from earlier this year.

PADI Specialty of the Month June 2009; Peak Performance Buoyancy

PADI Specialty of the Month June 2009; Peak Performance Buoyancy

To have good buoyancy is essential for every diver. It took me a while to finally have that light turn on above my head and I figured out what my instructors were always talking about. This was partly due to the fact that I was a 'holiday' diver and in the beginning of my diving career I only dived once a year during my holidays, usually just a course and maybe a days worth of fun diving.
After I completed my Open Water diver course it took me almost a year before I completed the next step, the Advanced Open Water course.

The feeling of having control over and understanding the concept of buoyancy came a bit late and looking back now, the PPB or Peak Performance Buoyancy course would have been very good for me.

During the Peak Performance Buoyancy course you learn how to streamline yourself, so your equipment doesn't get damaged but more importantly, you don't damage any fragile marine with your dangling equipment. You also learning how to adjust buoyancy by your breathing technique. A deep breath in and you move up quite a lot and breath out deeply and you loose some buoyancy. The same with small(er) amounts of breath breathing in and out and the less you move up and down.

Eventually you learn how to glide effortlessly and cleanly through the water, without bumping in to marine life.

A course well worth investing in at any stage during your dive career.

A prime sample of hovering practice in a confined water setting during the February 2009 IDC.

Camille