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Article #188: Scuba Diving In Crete

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While on vacation to Crete I decided I After the work in the classroom we had a
wanted to try scuba diving, I used to do chance to check out the equipment and get
some in the Lochs and around the coast of fitted for our training dive. The
Scotland when I was younger. training dive was before lunch and we
It was a beautiful place we were staying just went into the bay where the diving
with a wide clear bay and a few fishing school was. We carried our equipment down
boats, there was a small diving school the beach and waded into the water.
just up from the beach. I popped in to There was about eight of us with two
see what it would cost and see what sort instructors to keep an eye on us. They
of things I would be able to do. The gathered us around in a circle and
scuba industry is regulated by different proceeded to show us how to clear our
bodies depending where in the world you masks underwater, how to share a demand
dive. valve and some basic swimming exercises
I had trained in Britain where the to make sure we were comfortable with the
British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) is the equipment.
governing body and you have to get After the short lesson the instructors
certified and trained by a local BSAC took us for a swim around the bay, we saw
club in order to dive there. They keep many types of fish and a few crabs, there
records of all your training and any was some broken pottery and urns and a
dives that you do in a log book, if your sunken boat. Then we stopped near a small
log book is up to date you can take it on reef and the instructors took out some
holiday with you and show diving schools slices of bread so we could feed the
and tours your experience. The more fish.
experience you have the better and harder They took photographs of us being swarmed
the dives you are allowed to go on. by hundreds of fish. You could feel them
Well anyway the school in Crete was a nibbling your fingers as you fed them the
PADI affiliated diving school, PADI is bread. The fish were so dense that you
the international version of the BSAC. I had trouble seeing anyone else. It was
did not have my log book with me and it very exciting and great fun.
was a little bit out of date anyway, the After everyone had a shot of feeding the
last time I went diving was when I was at fish we headed back to the dive school.
University about 15 years ago. We had to carry our equipment up the
I would only be allowed to go on a beach to the storage shed and clean it
training dive to start with and if that down with fresh water, you should do this
went ok some shallow dives over the next with all equipment you use on a dive as
few days. salt water can be very corrosive if not
I signed up for the short day course and washed off metal tanks, demand valves and
another 2 dives I can't remember the ABLJ's/buoyancy aids. We also washed the
price but it was pretty decent, not too wetsuits and accessories we had used.
expensive but not dirt cheap. Once everything had been cleaned up we
The training started the next morning went back to the classroom and talked
with theory and book learning in the about the dive, we got our log books
classroom. It was pretty basic stuff and filled in if we had one and were issued a
I remembered most of it from when I had certificate to say we could dive down to
done my training. They just wanted to a certain depth. This certificate would
make sure we knew what we were doing and let me go for other dives while I was on
that we knew what to do in an emergency. vacation in Crete.






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