I recently enrolled in a PADI Open Water Scuba class. After two ‘Confined’/Pool dives, there was four separate Ocean dives at the Halifax Park Aquatic Reserve and Shoal Bay, in Nelson Bay. We were told there were a few nicer spots to dive, but the conditions weren’t up to it that weekend– plus, us newbies always kicking up the surface and murkying-up the water didn’t help. :-)
Everyone showing up at Fly Point– the first dive was planned for 8am, at the high tide.
The actual dive site at Fly Point. There were two areas that we trained in, at 5 and 10 metres down.
I had continuing middle-ear equalization problems on the first day. Fortunately, the next day I discovered more effective methods of equalizing (for me) that allowed descending at more than a snail’s pace.
Everyone in the class waiting around for someone’s mother to return, after she was told that the dive was only going to take 30 minutes… She didn’t return, and there was a very hungry teenage girl by the end of the day…
The woman sitting on the right of the park bench was Kate, the assistant Instructor– who I have to thank more than anyone for helping me complete the course :-) … The guy on the far-right is Luke, the dive buddy, and the one on the left is Todd, who lives just around the corner from home, and provided my transport to Nelson Bay.
My first in-the-wild Dolphin I’ve ever seen!
A pair of dolphins also appeared ‘while my back was turned’ during the first day near to the training dive site, but I missed out on seeing them above or below the water.
Random Nelson Bay photos…
I’m now officially a Scuba noob!