LEARNINGCURVE
Site briefing on exam day one and allowing the students to mimic it , correcting if necessary . The pool was surprisingly cold , which provided an excellent demonstration of heat loss in water , one of the theory topics covered later in the week !
Overnight , we were tasked with preparing our own theory presentations to deliver on Day 2 , with some friendly competition to see who could come up with the best visual aids to support each point . We then moved into a planning session to prepare our own pool lessons , covering lessons such as mask , snorkel and fins , and controlled buoyant lift . Delivering our first lessons in the pool was a great opportunity to try things out , to nail the safety points , and to make and learn from silly mistakes . We then considered how to translate these lessons into the open water context , in particular how to make best use of open water sites for training purposes and additional safety considerations .
On Day 3 , we ventured into open water at Kampouri Beach for the Open Water Instructor Course . We revised rescue scenarios , including controlled buoyant lift , rescue breaths and towing , in advance of the rescue skills assessment , now a compulsory part of the practical exam . I earned a reputation for playing a particularly convincing unconscious diver , while Cheytan delivered a thorough compass lesson on the surface . We all had the benefit of very thorough feedback from Stephen , as well as self-reflection and peer-to-peer feedback . It was very helpful to hear from our guinea pigs for feedback about what had worked or what had been confusing during the lesson .
The bad viz simulation test
On exam prep day we returned to Kampouri beach and took the opportunity to practise our rescue skills and to try out different lessons , again acting as students for each other . This was a very useful day because we could now focus on polishing our performances , for example , by using a delayed surface marker buoy as a datum to improve the safety of our lessons .
For the Practical Instructor Exam , we moved to Green Bay near the town of
Protaras . Green Bay has a rocky entrance down into a shallow lagoon of about 2-3 metres depth , with a narrow channel at the far end . Swimming through the channel leads to a small reef , and beyond the reef , a statue garden on a sandy bottom in about 10 metres . We had recce ’ d the site from shore the previous afternoon and noted that the lagoon looked milky . When we entered the water on exam day , we found out why .
It is a very busy dive site with chalky stones on the bottom , and the visibility quickly deteriorates . However , this proved to be quite good practice for instructing in ‘ simulated ’ UK conditions .
Managing distractions also proved more challenging at this site ; an elderly man sat down with a mandolin next to the dive van
and proceeded to serenade my SEEDS brief and dry run . All three dives seemed to go quite well , with lots of demonstrations and mimicking of progressive steps . After the assessed dives we all had lots of air left , so we managed a short fun dive into the statue garden at about 10 metres , where we saw a pipefish , goatfish and some puffer fish , and Cheytan knocked over a statue – it took three of us to prop it back upright ! The theory instructor exam , comprising a theory test and a presentation , were quite restful by comparison .
All assessments safely completed , we breathed a collective sigh of relief and went out for a well-earned meal and a cold drink or two . This was an intense week with long days , but it was very rewarding because we could all see the development in our own instructing technique as the week progressed . Everyone had a brilliant experience and learnt a lot .
At the outset , Steve had told us that he would not get tired of answering questions and he was ultimately proven correct , although we tried to break him ! Thanks to Mark Paisey and Will Stratford for all their organisation , and especially to Stephen Batt for getting us through the week and sharing so much knowledge and experience . �
For more information on BSAC Instructor courses go to bsac . com / instruct
High morale on the way to a pool session
The trio at Green Bay
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