Day 63 - Friday - PADI confined and Open Water Dives

Finished Confined Water dives and did Open Water dive 1 to 12m. Next week the rest. I'm glad of the break as I was very tired. We were in the water for at least 3 hours. It was good, very good but cold. I am very buoyant so have to carry a lot of weight, it was pressing on my bladder! Me, Freddie, Ali (another one), Laure and Abby dived. Wes and Naname did not. Wes can't swim very well, as we discovered during the swim test. We had to swim out about 50m and tread water for 10mins. I am a slow swimmer but I have no trouble treading water as, as i now know, I'm so naturally buoyant :).

Back on shore we learnt about our equipment (tack!) and how to assemble it: tank, regulator, weights, BCD jacket. Then we headed out into the harbour.  Thank god Erica was there because we could hardly hear Kim as she speaks with her hands over her face. I had to repeat everything slowly to Laure. Both Kim and Erica forgot their snorkels. 

We did various 'skill tests', descent, losing the regulator (breather), buoyancy control (I received extra weights). Hand signals and equalising (they forgot to mention that until we were just about to descend!). Mask loss, alternate air source, loss of air, etc. quite a lot covered. There is a sense of needing to hurry to beat the weather. Everyone was cold by the time we got back. It's very heavy wading out of the shallows, though quite fun to do. Then cleaning and disassembling the gear. Finally rinsing our ears in water from the rain barrels as they get a lot of ear infections from the water here. 

Saw an urchin, a small black fish and larger translucent one with black stripe (sargeant fish). Visibility was very poor though.

These are photos from google images.

Also have now seen three different types of ants, one small, one large black and one large brown/red. Also large chafers and possibly hornets (black with red stripe around abdomen). 

I've decided to stay on the island this weekend. May go to Kep tomorrow and a jungle trek on Sunday, weather permitting. By next weekend hope to have decided about New Zealand!