This past week unit 43 went through the NAPD, SRD, (Search & Recovery Diving), training. They started in canals on Monday and practiced all the different search patterns along with actual training in an low visibility to no visibility environment.

Dive Master Mark Sowash (left) preparing to observer his two students, Nathan Mellas, and Connor Dual (right) in their search skills

It was great to see them all improve each day as they get more used to the public safety side apposed to the sport diving side. they all enjoyed it and progressed more and more each day. At the end of the week they had a chance to put their skills to the test and do a search for vehicles. They searched 2, lakes with a depth of 60′ and visibility of about 25′. found 2 vehicles 1 had been reported stolen in 2008.

Nathan Mcgrath (top) converses with his dive buddy, Jeremy Yoder as they practice a seach they must master to gain the title of a public safety diver

The past week the aquatics dive masters and past aquatic graduates, (the dive instructors), taught Unit 43′s ERT open water and advanced open water SCUBA training. The week started Sunday night with class, the day we arrived, to the next morning they were in the water and doing the skills.

Jordan Harvel (Instructor for CETI Dive corp.) a graduate of ALERT Aquatics over see's the in water skills in the shallow end of the pool

With a class of 25 students and 7 Dive master/Instructors the week went well and everyone adapted quickly from class room teaching to in water practicals. each day the students would dive twice to get the appropriate amount of time underwater to be able to be certified.

Jed Backus shows his students the correct way to find their regulator incase of it being pulled or knocked out of there mouths

they all did extremely well with only a couple problem students the dive masters worked fast and quickly taught all the appropriate skills for open and advanced SCUBA, including underwater navigation, night diving and deep diving. the students all excelled each day to meet all the required skills. In hopes of making the required certifications to make it to a public safety diver this next week through NAPD.

NASE Instructor Conference

August 2nd, 2010

The Aquatic Dive masters had the chance to participate in the first NASE Instructor conference at the NASE Worldwide head quarters starting Jul 30. We arrived in Ocala, FL on Thursday the 28, the following morning were treated to a tour of there facilities and were invited to dive in their narrow but deep blue hole. The visibility in the water was close to 50′ vertical and 72′ horizontal the water a dark blue color and a great diving experience.

The 40 fathom grotto

The instructor conference was all day Saturday the 30th and half day Sunday the 1st. During the conference they addressed the changes of NASE under its new management. We all had a wonderful time despite the extremely long drive.

In the beautiful blue waters of the grotto