NAUI Certifcation - My First Day of SCUBA Class

I've finally made the plunge and decided to get SCUBA certified. It has been a long time in the making since I got in the reef hobby, and followed that with the photography hobby. I've waited and waited, trying to save up money and this year, I asked for it for my birthday present from all my family. I called around every local dive shop here in San Diego and got their fees and class schedule. Most of them are PADI certified instructors. The general schpeel was an incoming student would have to purchase classes, certification documents, books, mask, fins, snorkel, booties, and rent the rest of the gear. This together, by my estimate, would average about $450. There were options for weekend classes (most expensive), or two to three weeks of classes a few nights a week. I was disappointed because I only had $250 saved and had no other way of coming up with the rest.

I am a part of a local forum and I found a few people that had done NAUI certification instead of PADI. National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) is an alternate certification to PADI that is still accepted worldwide. Here is a brief intro from the NAUI website to give a little background on the organization.
I called I.B. Divers here in San Diego and it turns out they had a program that worked perfectly for me. The total cost was $268 and this included the class, books, and certification. You don't have to buy anything but booties (~$40) before the class as they will allow you to use their equipment all week, included in the price! The classes are every night for a week from 5:00p - 9:00p. Two hours in the pool and two hours in the classroom, and then the check out dives are on the following Saturday and Sunday. So, sign up I did.

My class started tonight and after the initial anxiety attack of being one of 2 girls, clad in a bathing suit in front a class of ten strapping male HOTTIES, I was suited up with a mask, snorkel, and fins. We got to choose from a whole array of gear they had available to us. I chose a black mask because I was told by a large number of my underwater photography buddies that black silicone is preferred for keeping down distractions and light reflections underwater. I chose a snorkel that had a flexible tubing and a splash guard (pretty basic) and then I grabbed a pair of fins. The fins I chose tonight were Yellow Scubapro Twin Jet Open Heel Fins. I really liked the fins. They propelled me through the water fast and without much drag. I was worried about my physical stamina because lets face it, how often do I get out from behind the computer and go swimming for two hours? But with the split fin, it was really easy and I didn't even get a leg cramp. But... I get ahead of myself.

We first had to take a swim test without our gear, which consisted of 10 laps across the width of the pool, floating for 5 minutes, and treading water for 5 minutes. This was relatively easy, except for the cold air from outside entering my lungs and being...well cold air from outside. I would encourage anyone wanting to dive but hasn't got out there for fear of physical limitations, to get out and just do it. I'm an active person, but by no means physically fit . If I can do it with one bum shoulder and a sit-down desk job, you can do it too. We got our gear on with the help of a buddy and learned how to get in the water and not lose our gear. The two hours in the pool tonight covered mostly free dive techniques and how to dive down to 15 ft properly and equalize your ear pressure, clear your mask of water while submerged, and empty your snorkel when you clear the surface. I had a little issue with holding enough breath to go deep enough to the bottom of the pool, but I worked through it and got further each time I tried.

After a very warm shower in the locker rooms and my t-shirt and jeans, I had a bit of the feeling in my fingers and my self-esteem back. Our class was very basic. A little paperwork, and some review about all the equipment we'd have to use. Our instructor took mercy on us and let us go at 8:30p since none of us knew to bring food or drink with us tonight.


I'm looking forward to the rest of the week. Just not to the part where I have to try on wetsuits in front of those hotties. I came home feeling a little sore between the shoulder blades, but nothing major. Only thing is...I've got to find a way to get water out of my ears...

On to Day Two... LINK