I’
ve never have been the type of person to sit around
and do the same thing day in and day out. I used to
teach Open Water and Introductory courses, which was
fine for a while, as at least I was working, and I did
get to be on a dive boat quite a lot. however after
eighteen months things started to get a bit boring and
I started to make some decisions and set myself some
goals. It was at this time I spotted a picture in a
magazine, it was of a guy carrying loads of tanks and
curious looking equipment and I thought to myself, that's
for me.
A friend and colleague had just came back from England
and was talking about all of these neat technical diving
courses he had done. I believe he had just finished
a NITROX, Gas Blending and Service technician course.
This was different than what everybody else was doing
at the time and it sounded quite interesting. A few
weeks later we were talking and he said he was going
to Dubai to do a bunch of other technical courses with
a agency called "American Nitrox Divers International"
or ANDI. I did some checking around and found out that
this was one of the first agencies to teach these type
of courses and it all sounded good. It was not long
before plane tickets where purchased and phone calls
made to put together the trip that would change my life!
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We
arrived in Dubai which was quite a culture shock: however
I grit my teeth and figured I would make the best of it
and get through the courses as well as I could. We spent
quite a few days in the classroom and then the fun began.
Diving twice every day. The instructor had us doing all
sorts of skills and drills again and again. In some cases
we were doing dives down to around 70 metres, which was
excellent, and if I remember right wearing four tanks
and what ever necessary accessories you could think of,
but always putting safety first! Regardless to say we
all survived and passed the course.
If
you are getting bored with the daily routine but want
to stay in the diving Industry, why not check out what
other courses you can enroll in? The self-satisfaction
after completing another course can do wonders for you.
Working at Neptune SCUBA Center brings a whole new meaning
to the world of diving; you can learn everything from
basic open water to full Trimix. The newest addition to
the centre is the AZIMUTH rebreather; formerly under the
MARES logo and of course, made in Italy. It was recently
sold off to AZIMUTH and what a great job they did with
this impressive unit. The other addition to the list is
the INSPIRATION, which is a fully closed rebreather produced
in England. I enrolled in both of these courses and quickly
found that these two pieces of kit are amongst some of
the most fascinating pieces of equipment imaginable. In
all I did four dives with the AZIMUTH and what a joy it
was. I was diving on sites that I quit diving years ago
because of boredom. Amazing what changing your equipment
can do to bring out the excitement of a dive trip. New
conversations, new challenges and new thrills.
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The
AZIMUTH rebreather is one of the most comfortable I have
tried yet. The craftsmanship is out of this world. The company
did not skimp on anything, everything was top of the line.(I
haven't had the chance to fully test the INSPRIATION yet
but that will come after I have completed a bit more pool
training).
At Neptune SCUBA Center we work with some highly advanced
equipment. For mixing gases, we have a Haskell Booster pump
that helps us to boost pressures of gases for filling our
decompression tanks. On another note, we get plenty of opportunities
to experience Farallon Dpv's that are rated to 120 metres.
Now how many of you can say you've had the opportunity to
do that?
Working in the dive industry for almost nine years I can't
remember the last time I was bored, the level of training
courses that is now available to the everyday diver can
keep you busy and enthused for quite some time. I always
seem to say that I will participate in just one more course,
but come to think about it, that must have been about five
ago. If you are getting bored and looking for something
different head down to your local dive centre and see what
they have on offer. You might be surprised!
Bruce
Konefe
ANDI Instructor Trainer
Neptune SCUBA Center/ International Technical Diving Services
Mobile: 01 299 2968 Home: (038) 411292
Email andibk@loxinfo.co.th
post@neptunedive.com
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