DAY 19 Friday March 31
Leo continues his Open Water course, he seems to be doing fine and seems happy with it. I am so glad it plays out so well with him.
I have a dive day today, afternoon boat.The weather is a bit better than the last days, sun is out and you have a chance to warm up between dives on the boat. I have never had that much rain on Koh Tao, this is my fourth time here.
From the dive log:
Air, not Nitrox. Young Divemaster Nora and a DMT Franz are my team, both in their mid-twenties.
We jump between Green rock and Buoancy world, on the small western cape of Nang Yuan, want to dive down the coast, rocks left side, and then head westsouthwest at the snorkel line or when we see Buoyancy World. I have my compass with me, getting used to it again. Finally we made the new course SWS at Buoancy World.
Different style of guiding, no looking back where is the customer, especially in and against current. Safety stop everybody by himself, no grouping at 5 m, at least once
I was pumping air quite a bit just to keep pace with them
Second dive that day. We want to explore No Name, off the beaten track, some 100 meters west of Twins. The site is new to all of us, mostly, I have been there two years ago. We jump and swim west to the mooring lines.
DMT Franz takes the guide, I follow the course thoroughly on compass (after longer time not using it). It's fun to see how the dive plays out, when you know where you are goin.
On the buoyline a bearded filefish, deeper Glass Anemone shrims.
No gathering for Safety stop again, but the DMT takes more care of his Team than the Pro Nora
I came up with the same Air as the DMT. So it's clear: Nice and easy consumption ok, working hard consumption rockets up.
The visibility was not good, I will find the pics later and update
First dive was a bit demanding, left ear gets worse.
Decisions
After coming back from the dives, I had an interesting talk with one of my best trusted instructors here,
about my plans to do the Stress and Rescue Specialty and my worries of
not being fit enough for the physical exercises and stamina tests at the
moment.
Snorkeling 400 meters, ok, but tow a diver 100 meters at the
surface, probably against the current (given my luck in these things)
and then get him up the 6 steps on the swinging ladder of that dive
boat here, no way at the moment.
"I don't like all this rescue
stuff anyway" the instructor lowered his voice, "talking against the
business interest of this dive center, I recommend you to enjoy your
diving, and leave the Rescue course alone. What's your certification
level?"
"Advanced Adventurer, Nitrox, 122 dives in 3 years."
"Do
one or two more specialties, like navigation, which is a very useful
skill and makes sense, that will make you a better diver than that
Rescue course." said the instructor , I thank him for his advice, we
shake hands and he goes home.
I stay a bit longer, evaluating the
odds and the situation: a 59 year old man, tenacious but not really
trained, not the best stamina, missing right foot, with a prosthesis on
the right leg, at the moment left ear slightly deaf with problems down
to equilibrium issues...
No. On that friday afternoon I decide
to skip the "demanding and rewarding"(Agencies advertisement speak)
Rescue course and go diving only every second day on Koh Tao, until my
ear gets better. That feels right.
Listen to my intuition, stay
within my limits, stop-breathe-think-act. Don't let myself be carried
away with cert-cards galore, I am not a collector, I want to dive.
I'd rather become a chilled, confident and better diver than a bad rescue diver at the end of his powers...
I start taking Ibuprofen to fight the inflammation I obviously have.
Have some kind of fever attack in the evening, sweating a lot. This does not feel ok, not at all.😷
DAY 20 / Tag 20 Saturday, April 1st
I am very happy with my decision to skip Rescue after one night sleeping over it.
The
three specialties I plan to do instead will cost me more. But I don't care. I'm
here for learning and gathering experice, I'm not here to save money.
If I want to save money, I stay at home and eat cold Ravioli from the can...
Sent a Thank-you-Email to my boss, for making this trip possible I am really grateful. She answered her only real concern is, that I come back as planned.
I wrote back I swear by the Boy Scouts' honor and the Big Indian Chief that I'll do so.
Slow day, finally get my first laundry back, aaah, that smells so good. Could not wash out anything on the two liveaboards, the crazy korean and chinese chicks used up all the water for taking showers fifteen times a day...
Finish the day with a shot of Fireball Whisky at Fishbowl Beach Bar (Huhu, Yvonne, thank you for the recommendation🤠)
See you under water
