[maggs_the]

you know, i've often wondered about my OWN training. i did the full 4-weekend course but i dont really feel that the course or pool or even open water certification dives really did as much as i would have thought to prepare me... the biggest thing i got out of it was a respect for how practice helps... i signed up and paid the extra $50 to be allowed to get in the pool for a year and just blow bubbles on the bottom... doesnt sound very "fun" but i was the dork who really took it seriously when the instructors said practice your basic skills.

i also immediately followed the open water cert with other classes to keep things fresh and then i found my best dive buddy (my boyfriend) and now have just under 100 dives under my belt and feel a lot more confident. but i'm still not a perfect diver. i dont slow him down and he doesnt push too hard (i have a time clearing my ears most days) so we compliment each other well.

but even so, i still wonder how others who took the same class from the same instructors as me have not seriously hurt themselves because the classes seemed wayyyy too easy and wrong answers were not really wrong.. just corrected and approved.

but, at the same time, they did give me the most important diving information. it's 100% my responsibility to take care of myself with knowledge and training. i'm grateful for that.