Tiny Bubbles

No, not from champagne. But I want to break out the bubbly, because I’ve finished my scuba class except for the check-out dive.

Those “tiny bubbles” are the ones we are to pace as we slowly ascend from the depths, giving our bodies time to adjust to the changes in pressure. It can save our lives.

Most of the skills we are required to learn are those that we will need in an emergency. We have to be able to breathe through the regulator without a mask for one minute. (If you grow up near the ocean as I did, it becomes second nature to block water from entering your nose.) Then we must put our masks back on and fill them with air while underwater. We had to show we could breathe from a nonstop free-flowing regulator, easier than it sounds. We must learn two ways to deal with running out of air: with a buddy and without. We have to be able to shed our equipment and put it back on underwater. We had brief training on how to read a dive computer, which displays crucial information on depth, time, and pressure.

It was a blast. I can’t wait to get to the Keys and earn my certificate. I’ve been invited by my instructor to visit class one last time to refresh my skills before going down to Florida, and I’ll take him up on that.

I won’t be able to take pictures during my checkout dives because I will be busy meeting class requirements. But I’ll be glad to tell you all about it. Meanwhile, raise a glass with me and celebrate with some tiny bubbles.