SCUBA students jump into program
by Paul Matson, sports editor

    Imagine floating effortlessly, in zero gravity, surrounded by a sea of clear blue.

    The SCUBA program offered on NE Campus may help students realize this experience and more.

    The SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) course usually consists of one day of classroom instruction and one day in the pool each week.

    “We get right into it,” Buzz Gardner, SCUBA instructor, said.     “We’re in the pool in the second week.”

    The school provides everything, from mask and fins to tanks and regulators, needed to participate in this class. No other extra equipment is required and no extra expenses are incurred.

    A 300-yard, surface swim test, with no time limit, is required to join the SCUBA class.

    In order to participate, however, a 60-foot underwater swim, a 10-minute survival float and a medical form signed by a doctor or a health practitioner are also required.

    The class has a 20-person maximum, with one instructor and one assistant in attendance.

    “People who sign up really seem to enjoy the class and we have almost perfect attendance,” he said.

    Gardner said the course is so popular it fills every semester.

    “There is always something new to learn, and I don’t think the class is boring to them,” he said.

    This class satisfies two of the three steps in obtaining an Open Water Certification.

    TCC follows (PADI) the Professional Association of Diving Instructors certification standards, he said.

    “The only part of the certification process we don’t complete is going to the lake for an open water dive,” he said. “Otherwise, we help the student complete the rest of becoming certified.”

    At the end of the class, Gardner will call a local dive shop to arrange the final open water dive, which allows the students to complete the Open Water Certification.

    “The students have one year to complete the process. About 50 percent of the class take the open water test right after instruction is finished,” he said.

    Another 20-30 percent of the students complete the certification process within the one-year limit. Some go to such exotic locations as Cozumel, Australia or the Florida Keys.

    Gardner, a licensed Master SCUBA Diver Trainer, also instructs weight training, golf and concepts of physical activity.

    “If you like the water and you’re comfortable in the water with average swimming skills, you will have a great time,” he said.