So Chris Langehaug and I are attending the PADI Course Director Training Course in the Dominican Republic. Basically we are learning how to teach people to teach people to blow bubbles, becoming Instructor Trainers. Here are some of our adventures…
DAY 1
And it came to pass that instructors were gathered from near and far told to meet in the Dominican Republic. And thus it came to be that we band of brothers, we happy few started our CDTC! We were met at the door of the conference room and given our assigned group. 6 groups with 7 candidates in each. From the four corners of the globe-Russia to the Caribbean and Japan to Italy. After introductions and an orientation, lunch and a review of homework, we jumped in the pool for the first part of the skill circuit and some rescue practise. The end of the day brought a very pleasant cocktail hour as ice was broken and friendships begun.
We were placed in 6 groups, each with a color. Our first assign, find a team name-thus the GreenGos were born!!
Barbara-Italy’s favorite daughter is the beauty behind the GreenGos. She enjoys long walks on the beach, Marcello Mastroianni films and cave diving.
Stadomir-From the cold northern waters of Norway, Milo is at home in warm water, cold water, wetsuits, drysuits and no suits!! Yohan-A Frenchman living in Mexico whose favorite dives are in the Indian Ocean. Admired by men, desired by women, be careful with those piercings! Sascha-He lives on a lake but doesn’t dive there. He listens to Depeche Mode but isn’t depressed. He is Swiss but wears a Japanese watch. He is the most interesting man in the world.
Alex – Bad teeth and football? Think again. A death-defying tec diver with a Oscar-winning actress for a wife, if you think you know the English, you don’t know Brit!
Thierry – Did you know the official recreation of Belgium is scuba diving! Well, it should be and if Thierry had his way all school kids would have Wednesdays off for scuba dives!
Dave – He comes from Salt Lake City, Utah so that means he has a ready made squadron of bubblemakers. Dave dives in a hot spring so don’t mind the smell of sulphur.
John – Aka the other Belgian, John spends his days translating English to French, Italian to British, American to Swiss and Mexican to Norwegian.
DAY 2
During our morning sessions, we were counselled on counseling and critiqued on critiquing. Yes indeed, it was time for evaluation training. The afternoon brought some fun as we headed to the ocean for a little bit of confined water training. With some surge and bad vis, it was an interesting experience that made many of us glad for pools!!
After a quick shower, a bus took us into town for dinner. Dinner was divine as was the wine.