Dive #135 - Rich Torkington's Dive Log

After finishing the final two scenarios, we're pretty happy.
Videograph by Rich Torkington in Cozumel 2003

Dive Journal: For the second scenario, we again start out on the shore without our gear. This time Ron swims out about 50 yards, then begins to call for “pizza” to us on the shore. As we watch him, he play-acts losing consciousness and slips beneath the surface. It is our job to swim out, locate him, bring him to the surface, begin rescue breathing, and tow him back to shore. We again assemble our gear and make the swim out, submerge to locate Ron, and bring him to the surface. We start rescue breathing and begin a tow towards shore. Anyone who’s done this training will tell you that this can be fairly exhausting work. Linda and Janel and I trade tasks providing steady rescue breathing, assistance with the towing, and management of gear removal (both ours and the victim’s). There is plenty of drag and some current to fight as well, and we manage to steer a pretty curvy course towards the shore. Eventually we reach the shallows and it’s finally time to packstrap carry Ron onto the sand. He’s not a big guy, but not a small guy either, and after the exertion of the rescue towing, it is not an easy effort. However, we manage to lift Ron and carry him up past the waterline and then (groan) plunk him not too clumsily onto the hard shelf there. We continue our rescue breathing and almost forget to check for a pulse and start CPR until Ron gives us a quiet hint that his heart may not be beating.

The whole second scenario has taken us about 16 minutes, although it certainly seemed longer than that. Christy timed us at 2 minutes 40 seconds for the first scenario, a commendable time. After sitting down and reviewing further details of both exercises, we’re finally done with our Rescue Diver water skills!

Picking up the site for our departure, Christy asks to take my wetsuit and gear for rinsing. I feel guilty about this, because I feel both grateful and indebtedned to her and Ron for the excellent training we’ve received. However, it is also an offer I can’t refuse and I know it’s part of the great Blue XT Sea service, so I reluctantly give in (grin).

We jump in a taxi and head downtown to a place called Rock ‘N Java, sort of a tidy Jamaican grill. The food is good and the air conditioning nice, and we feel good to be through our training. [Note: The Mexican chicken soup with avocado is quite good.]

In discussing the course, we decide it is by far the funnest and toughest PADI course we’ve taken, and we’ve learned a lot, especially combined with the Medic First Aid training we received prior to the trip. Again, Ron and Christy couldn’t have been better as our instructors. They are both extremely competent, are sensitive to their students, set high standards for the training, and maintain a good sense of humor throughout. PADI should be proud.

Following a great afternooon nap, we taxi again downtown, stroll around a bit, and finally end up at the Acuario Sunset Grill. There we run into Steve, an instructor from Reef Scuba back in Gilbert. Steve is a genuinely nice guy and, to our entertainment, is already pleasantly loaded. He’s just completed leading a seasoned diving charter here, and is enjoying his final 24 hours topside before flying back to Arizona. He’s just spent the afternoon at the Jamaican Rasta places on the southern tip of the island. Steve buys us a round of drinks and we reciprocate. Steve is especially having fun with an upcoming ceremony for his charter, something to do with a skullcap award for technical diving achievements. The food at the Acuario is quite good and we like checking out the huge fountain-sized pools stocked with big Caribbean reef lobsters.

Whew. What a day!