Well...Hello!

Feels like I haven't been on here for ages! (well...that's because you haven't you daft bint!).

Anyway...I've been busy. Teaching. Which I love. I've just spent the weekend teaching two great chaps the Rescue Diver course. It's a brilliant course - very hard work. Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while may remember when I took my Rescue Course - and how emotional it was for me. For a diver..it's the first time that their consciousness is expanded to think about others before themselves. It's extremely hard work...physically and mentally...and to pass the course is a great achievement. To teach it is an ever bigger thrill!

The chaps I have taught today - Paul and Adrian - are amongst my favourite students and they worked hard and did well. I was very proud of them.

All in all - a great weekend !

Robert

Oooh today has been a good day. I've been teaching. Originally I thought I was teaching a rather large chap on a course called 'Peak Performance Buoyancy'. PPB is all about being streamlined in the water - getting your weighting correct and being able to control your position in the blue by using just your lungs. If you can get your buoyancy right...you will never damage coral...use less air per dive..and just be a better diver. It's a great course. Sadly Fatboy didn't turn up...but Robert did. Let me tell you about Robert. Robert is 24 years old - but Robert has learning difficulties and has a learning age of 10. He struggles to read and write. He can get agitated if things don't go right first time. Frustration can get the better of him. But I like Robert. He's kind and gentle, respectful, has lovely manners, and a great sunny disposition. I taught Robert on his dry suit course just before Christmas and apparently he likes and trusts me.

He asked for me specially when he booked (with his Dad's help) his PPB course. He is an absolute pleasure to teach. He wants to learn and he wants to please. The academic parts of the course take a little longer...and I have to explain every question to him in simpler language than is written in the manual...but he understands...and he's always done his study before he comes to the dive centre (I wish all the students did that).

Today's dives went well - Robert is good in the water - and the look of sheer joy when we finished the dive and I told him he had passed the course was the very reason I started doing this job.

Robert is an un-complicated young man. He wants to dive. He wants to dive well. And it was absolutely my honour and pleasure to teach him today.

That is why I love what I do.