How I Became a Certified Scuba Diver
I never would have thought, not in a million years, that I would be a scuba diver. I became one out of necessity for the safety of my husband, Erik. He needed a consistent dive partner. The one he had was wishy-washy at best. Since he was diving as a paying job, he needed a reliable partner and competent partner. He needed one who could get in the water with him and not just someone to watch from the docks and worry. It’s your dive buddy that helps keep you safe before and during a dive. Your life, at times, is in their hands. Needless to say, I had no other choice. We needed the money. He needed a partner to help keep him safe.
I had made the decision, as much as it scared the Hell out of me, I made it. I was scared for one reason. I wasn’t a swimmer. I had fooled my family for years. Of course, they never questioned why I never went into the deep ends of pools. It had never been an issue. I never had a need or desire to swim. I did now. I needed to be there for the safety of my husband for his boat cleaning job as a scuba diver and my peace of mind that he would come home.
In comes Divin’ Dawgs Scuba, owned and operated by Tim Stelma. At the time I took my lessons, Tim owned a small local gym with a pool. The dive shop was right next door to the gym. This made it easy for the initial closed water sessions of the dive lessons. I took the PADI courses with Tim, through his shop and one of his dive instructors, Daniel Chase. I would not be a scuba diver if it weren’t for the patience and encouragement of these two men. But first, I had to know how to swim.
I confided in my husband, that I couldn’t swim, but that I would learn, to the best of my ability. To do this, I had to pass the swim test for the scuba certification. I had only ever taken one swimming test in my life. I was twelve at the time and at church camp. The only reason I even attempted this tests, was to try to impress the boy scouts who were our life guards since the church was using the local boy scout camp for our church camp session.
Growing up in Idaho, I didn’t have a need to swim. We waded at lakes, in rivers, and in creeks. We would go to pools, but I never went over my head. I never went in the deep end. I stayed where I knew I had control and could save myself. My family didn’t own a boat. There was never a need or a call for me to know how to swim. It’s not like we lived on the ocean or participated in watersports of any kind. At any rate, this one swim test let me know I could do anything I set my mind too. I just had to make a choice and do it. Jump right in and do it. That’s exactly what I did at twelve, and that’s what I knew I needed to do now.
However, now was most definitely going to be different from when I was twelve. Now, I had to complete this test. At twelve, at the scout camp, I didn’t. I just had to swim as far as I could from one dock to the next. I had to do it four times in total and the last one was required to be backwards, then we had to float for one minute. I made it there and back one and a half times. I had no more to give, so, stopped the test. I hadn’t failed. I just was labeled an intermediate swimmer. My best friend never tried, she was too afraid and let fear make her choice. As a result, I stayed with her and the other non-swimmers. I limited myself, for her. But, I had done something I had never done before. It was this moment that told me I could do this now.
I’ve been certified for nearly ten years now. I am grateful for every minute of it. I now have a hobby I love and enjoy and I know it would not be possible without my dive shop, Divin’ Dawgs, in New Bern, North Carolina. Nor would it be possible without my husband, Erik, or Divin’ Dawgs owner, Tim, and Daniel, one of Tim’s many dive instructors.
I didn’t tell Tim or Daniel I couldn’t swim. I feared they would tell me I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t going to let that happen. I made a choice and I was going to let nothing get in my way of finishing what I was starting. I was determined to be a scuba diver.
I was working at a call center, so getting time off on the weekends was a bit difficult. But that was great. I stalled the lessons and work was a perfect excuse to allow that to happen. While I waited to get the time off, I used the time, when available, to practice swimming. Tim and Daniel had said that I could swim using any stroke as long as I completed the swim and could tread water for ten minutes after the swim. I am not a floater. I am a bit negatively buoyant and tend to sink. As my husband worked with me, we discovered I was very comfortable on my back. A simple backstroke did it for me. Mostly because I had trouble getting my face wet. I didn’t like it. It bothered me and kinda freaked me out. I practiced and practiced the back stroke. I wasn’t very fast, but I could do it. I will never be a great swimmer, but this I did. I still practiced forward strokes, but I am not very strong when it comes to this type of stroke and then there was my little quirk of not wanting water in my face. The back I could do. I know I will improve and get better with time, but for now I had to go where my strength was, the back stroke. I practiced treading water too. It was not that hard, not once I became more comfortable in the water. I had made the decision and now it was time to do it.
Off to Divin’ Dawgs we were. We went to the shop to pick out my dive mask, snorkel, fins, and boots. Tim was great. He cared about my needs and desires of how I wanted my dive experience to be. He showed me a mask with a purge valve. This made sense to me for the fact that it easily helped keep water out of my mask and out of my nose. It may be more of a mental thing, but for me it was perfect. As I reflect, it was having water in or around my nose that was at the root of my quirk to not have water on my face. It was this quirk that really made the choice to dive difficult. But with the care Tim showed me as he guided me in picking out equipment that would be right for me, I made choices that helped get me certified. Tim also helped me to pick a dry snorkel that helped me feel better about the possibility of getting too much water in the snorkel to clear. With both the mask and snorkel to help me feel better about my next step, I was ready to begin. And Divin’ Dawgs would be where I started this grand adventure.
I requested the two weekends off that I needed for the classroom, closed, and open water sessions. I got through the classroom stuff without difficulty. The sessions at Divin’ Dawgs scuba shop were a breeze and I passed the quizzes and final test without difficulty. However, the closed water was something different. I ended up having to schedule a third weekend. I started with one class and finished in a different one. I passed the swim test. No problem. But, it was some of the dive skills that freaked me out. Again, I was back to the water in the face and nose thing. I know it sounds strange, but it really freaked me out.
I did as well as anyone in the class, I suppose. But I know, personally, I struggled. Tim cared. He stepped in and worked with me one-on-one. I am so grateful to him for this. Daniel had the class to contend with. He got them through. I felt like a failure for not finishing with the class, but I went back and worked with Tim. He was so patient and encouraging. It took me longer than the one weekend for the closed water. But Tim was great and so patient. I am so glad he has Divin’ Dawgs. I don’t know that I would not have found such caring or consideration from any other Dive Master or from any other dive shop. Tim and his shop are worth being a friend, customer, and fan of. I recommend Divin’ Dawgs to anyone who is wanting to learn to scuba dive. Divin’ Dawgs is really a shop with instructors and an owner who really care. This genuine caring makes all the difference for someone new to scuba diving. I know.
Tim got me through and made me feel great about doing it. Of course, after completing the pool work for the closed water portion where I had to learn various skills, like taking off the mask and clearing it, taking off various pieces of gear and replacing them, and just how to be and move under water with the gear on, it was time for the next step. I loved the closed water. It was peaceful and pleasant. I enjoyed it. I hoped for the same with the open water sessions.
The weekend for the open water, we met at Divin’ Dawgs and helped load the gear. We loaded tanks, the dive gear, and camping equipment into the various truck. Once loaded, off we went. We all drove following Tim’s lead and went to a local dive park, Fantasy Lake, near Raleigh. We set up tents for anyone camping, like me and Erik, and set up a tent to cover the dive gear. Then we donned our gear and set out into the lake to repeat the same skills we did in the pool, but now out in open water. The visibility was not great. There had been storms a few days before we went, but our weather was good. I got through it and even helped another novice diver who was just as scared as I was to get through it. It felt good to help another person overcome her fear as Tim helped me overcome mine. When it was all over, I was certified. I can now rent dive equipment or go on dive trips anywhere in the world to a certain depth. I have opened up a world of possibility and a hobby I will enjoy for years to come.
Thanks to Divin’ Dawgs, Tim Stelma, and Daniel Chase, I have accomplished something I never even dreamed was possible. I am a scuba diver. Not only that, I overcame fears and I learned how to swim. I am forever grateful. I highly recommend Divin’ Dawgs to anyone who wants to learn to scuba dive. Tim and his shop, Divin’ Dawgs cares about their students, divers, and customers. Tim and his instructors feel like family.