Reflections on becoming a qualified diver

Diving is an activity that’s exciting, full of magic and peace, happiness and is also scary all at the same time. Diving calms you down, let’s you let go of busy thoughts and you can escape from reality because underwater in the sea makes you believe you’re in another world. Every dive is unique and there’s no better feeling when you get to see a new environment that’s full of colour, be it corals, kelp or fish.

Taking your first breath underwater is exciting but strange. There are new sensations to get used to and to do this when you’re not overly confident in your own ability is scary. Diving allows you to meet new people and make new friends and what better way of doing this than with the Blackwater Sub Aqua Club.

From day one when we passed through the clubhouse door to start our trainee course, we got such a warm welcome by everyone into our new diving family. A group of the nicest, most friendly people who share a passion of diving and all of whom were willing to help the 9 new trainees begin our journey to becoming divers. No one goes on this experience solo, we’re a team, a club, but most importantly we’re all buddies who look out for each other.

The amount of work, time, dedication and effort that goes into running a trainee course is

phenomenal. Instructors voluntarily gave up their free time to give us this amazing opportunity and it didn’t go unnoticed. From our very first night of lectures, it was so obvious that team work was very important in the club. “No man is an island” came to mind, because it was all hands-on deck to help us trainees through our weekly lectures and then when we started our pool training.

The knowledge of each instructor is mind blowing and it was such a pleasure to have them take time out to teach us. All you wanted to do is to strive to be like them and build on our skills and knowledge to one day experience some of what they’ve done and seen.

We had the privilege

of a trip to the National Marine College of Ireland in Ringaskiddy to experience their deep pool, which allowed us to practise our skills taught to us in Fermoy pool before we made our debut in open water.

Our first open water dive was in Oysterhaven, there was a little bit of nervousness but we needn’t have worried because our buddies were there to quell them all, and as we were paired up to dive the nerves quickly turned to excitement and in we went. Only for having my regulator in my mouth to allow me to breathe, I would have been picking my jaw off the sea bed several times with amazement of what we got to see. A hidden world came into view full of dogfish, spider crabs, shrimp, blenny fish and kelp of all shapes and colours. David Attenborough eat your heart out, what we see on TV has become a reality.

What an introduction to diving we got that evening; it definitely ignited our enthusiasm to strive for our diver 1 star qualification. Surfacing that evening with such a feeling of accomplishment and self-confidence is something that stays with you. How could anything top that feeling? Little did I know that the next dive would be better again.

As time went on the confidence we gained was absolutely down to the superb skills of our diving instructors who are by our side every step of the way. On one Saturday morning in early May, four trainees went out for a day’s diving. It was our first time doing two dives in one day. What a fantastic way to spend a day! We left Lower Aghada that morning and enjoyed our first dive, came back into land for our tea and sandwiches and to collect our cylinders, before heading back out to sea for our second dive. This time we entered the water as trainees but when we exited, we were now diver 1 star. That was mind blowing to think we had done it; we passed and got our qualification. Being presented with our certification papers was so surreal but it was the best feeling in the world to stand there with the other trainees, my new

friends and know we did it together.

While I look forward to my next dive on a continual basis, every new venue brings different challenges, of course it has its rewards. It’s the amazing new world underwater and each new depth brings new fascinating features. And most importantly, every dive brings fantastic memories to be made with a wonderful group of buddies in Blackwater Sub Aqua Club. Roll on the summer of diving.

By Louise Feeney - who recently qualified as

a one star SCUBA diver

OTHER ACTIVITIES

A huge thanks to everyone who assisted with providing safety cover for the Fermoy triathlon and also everyone providing safety cover to the Fermoy regatta this weekend. Congratulations also to Finbarr Murphy who this past weekend completed a fundraising triathlon on behalf of the search unit; well done Finbarr and also to Aaron Goggin who completed his first open water try-a-dive in Kilkee at the weekend and did great.