The trainee weekend arrives and we head out to Killary where we will need to complete 5 dives in order to obtain our 1-star status. I meet up with Orna, one of the trainers, as we are travelling together, and we transfer all my scuba gear to her vehicle. Orna takes the scenic route to give me a great introduction to the west part of Ireland. It feels like I have stepped into a Western movie. What beautiful landscape all around us. I am in awe as we drive through the mountains and arrive at the K2 where we are staying for the weekend. We check in on the Thursday and start diving on Friday.

On the Friday we dive out of Scuba Dive West. I am extremely nervous, but I am diving with the most qualified instructors, so I have nothing to fear. My first 2 dives are with Niall and he is very patient with me and explains everything in detail and tells me not to worry about anything but feeling comfortable in the water and breathing. He will take care of everything else. We descend into the sea and another world opens up to me. I am still nervous and Niall indicates that we should just kneel on the sea bed and he then shows me to close my eyes and just breathe. After a while I am calm and Niall gives the sign for me to follow him. We just glide through the water and Niall points out all the interesting things under the water, like dancing clams, crabs, spider crabs, and the landscape. All too soon the dive is over and we are surfacing. On our second dive we reach 11 metres and the descent is an amazing experience.

The 2nd day arrives and we are diving off a pier and there are no changing facilities. This brings a whole new challenge to me as a trainee. Not only do I have to manage getting in and out of the gear, but I now need to try and maintain my dignity somewhat by covering up with a towel whilst trying to get in and out a wetsuit…interesting. Let’s just say that dignity soon goes out the window when you are cold. Nonetheless, we are ready for the second dive and need to negotiate a very slippery slope. Again, thanks to very experienced trainers, like Irene, I manage to do this and we are in the water and off on our next dive. Irene is very patient with me but when we start snorkelling back after our dive, she becomes firm and lets me get on, on my own, whilst not leaving me on my own. I needed this as it gives me confidence to know that I can actually manage. This is very empowering. We get changed and it is freezing cold out of the water. Orna and I sit in the car having a sandwich, with the heater running. I just cannot get warmed up and decide not to do the 2nd dive that day.

Sunday morning arrives and the weather does not look too bad but the decision is made that we will dive from the same pier as the previous day. We go for our briefing and I am diving with Steve. I tell Steve that I am still very nervous and he allays all my fears by giving me an exact outline of what we are going to do. We get ready and to my amazement, I can actually reach my feet and put on my own fins, with all my gear on. Anyway, we are in the water and we snorkel out, descend and dive. On the second dive, I need to do my ‘tricks’ i.e. buddy breathing, etc. and this all done, I follow Steve again. All too soon I realise we are surfacing as I see a wall in front of me. I wonder where we are as I surface, until Steve says “you don’t get any closer than that”, and I realise he has brought us up right at the slope where we got into the water. Wow, what an awesome day and I have now done everything to qualify as a 1 star diver. All that remains is to get my logbook signed.
We all head off to the pub, as we did after every days diving. Everyone is talking about their experiences and log books are being passed around for signatures. The trainees are congratulated for getting to the 1st milestone in diving and we all look forward to the next milestone, which is ‘club diver’.

I am looking forward to spending many years to come with this club as I would never have thought I was capable of achieving this, but with the encouragement from people like Jean, Niall and Orna, I managed to get there. Being South African, a lot of people think I am crazy to have attempted this in the cold Irish Waters and all I can say is that I would not have had it any other way. The experience has been awesome and the people in the club are committed to the sport.
Thanks to everyone who made this possible.

Pamela

Newsletter Articles

Notes From the Chair
Beyond Lambay
Borneo
Breathless
Cuba 2008
My Trainee Weekend