Writer Takes Assignment, Dives Right In Gear, Proper Breathing Keys To Scuba Training

Relax and don’t panic, I told myself. I hadn’t even put on my scuba gear and already I was feeling apprehensive.

I had met with Mike Lusco, from Landlocked Divers, to discuss scuba lessons. Usually, the most basic classes are for certification. Extensive lectures and pool time prepare the diver for exploring under water.

I was going to do a basic overview in a couple hours. I thought it would be easy until I was advised of the health requirements and hazards.

Lusco made me aware that anything from stubbing my toe to death was possible while scuba diving. However, my experience would be in a pool, so the risks were minimized.

The hazards in open water are greater. For example, one could have dangerous encounters with marine life, get tangled, collide with a boat or have complications with the gear.

After I was forewarned, Lusco handed me a waiver. Read this carefully, he said, check off any health problems and sign it.

I looked at the box marked medical history. Numerous conditions were listed, from dizziness to heart problems. I checked sinus trouble.

Lusco said this might pose a problem. One of the most common diving injuries is barotrauma. Basically, it results from not clearing the pressure in your sinuses and ears when changing altitudes, causing mild to severe ear injury. He showed me different ways to clear my ears. They worked and I signed my life away.

Noticing how nervous I was, Lusco told me it was better to be nervous than to come in with a big ego.

Two days later, I met up with him at the YWCA pool, where he and Bill O’Dell were instructing a class.

I took the equipment set aside for me and headed for the dressing room.

With my bathing suit on, I took a deep breath and zipped up the black nylon wet suit, squeezing and compacting my flesh tightly and securely. Then, I tucked my feet into the squishy, ankle-high boots, and made my way to the pool.

Lusco advised me of the three main diving rules: Breathe normally, equalize the pressure (release the pressure of the sinus and ears) and, if anything happens to your air or mouthpiece, always exhale. Never hold your breath. I felt safer after lowering myself into the warm water.

Lusco had me try the mask and a snorkel first to make for an easier transition to the scuba gear.

While in the pool, I slipped on the fins. I adjusted them and made my frog-like journey through the water.

Now, it was time to put on the scuba gear. Usually, you put it on out of the water with a partner, do a physical check to make sure all is secure, then do another check when in the water.

I put on an inflatable life jacket with the air tank strapped to the back, fastened the buckle across my stomach and struggled to balance the weight. Then I went through a series of drills.

I had to become accustomed to the breathing device (regulator). That took a moment. The hissing sound of air being forced into my lungs sounded more like the air being sucked out of a balloon.

Underwater, I was in a different world. As I focused through the mask, I was shocked to notice how easy it is to communicate with simple hand gestures. Lusco then showed me how to clear my mask in case water entered or it became foggy. I had to let water enter the mask, then press gently on the top and in one breath, out my nose, get the water to escape and suck the mask back onto my face.

The first few times, I snorted water up my nose and panicked. I came up choking and gasping for air.

Then it was time to venture to the bottom of the pool. We got on our stomachs and slithered along. I felt like a baby learning to crawl. I must have looked like a blowfish, stopping every few feet to equalize the pressure, but I was playing it safe.

The final 10 minutes, I spent attempting somersaults and standing on my head. Then I watched the group of faceless masks and fins experiment with twists and turns.

Soon, I had to leave this peaceful, voiceless world. I felt teased with only 2 hours and wanted more. I wanted to explore rivers, lakes and oceans. If I could find such tranquility at the bottom of a swimming pool, I can’t imagine what large bodies of water could bring me.

SCUBA SOURCES Landlocked Divers: Mike Lusco or Bill O’Dell, 534-7313 Atlantis Aquatics: Wayne Molesworth, 534-2144 Scuba Center of Spokane: Jerry Moss, 326-4653 Tom’s Diving: Tom Michalski or Eric Rouse (208) 664-0852 Divers West: Larry Knudsen, (208) 664-0751.