AOW Underwater Navigation Test

I passed the last of the Advance Open Water test. I now have my temporary card.

Pretty cool to be able do take a test underwater. I went to IWA Diving Center. It was perfect for the underwater navigation test as there was only about 3-5 meters in visibility.

There were not a lot of fish due to the heavy current another reason it was optimal to take the navigation test. I did get to see a black sea slug about the size of a basketball, "Man are they uuuuggly". Nothing else spectacular well there were lots and lots of red plankton. A bit disgusting but a nice couple of dives none the less.

It took a couple of hours to finish my testing and then I went bamboo picking. Yes it was a first for me also. This is why I love Japan. You can go diving then head up to the mountains and see wild monkeys, pick some bamboo, go have lunch at an old style Japanese restaurant (the owner wares a kimono everyday and she serves the food) and do all this in half a day.

I am great full to my instructor once again. As I have said before she is part hammerhead.

Boat Dive

Dive Location
Miura Dive Center
Weather Condition
Sunny
Water Temperature
Temperature 13.6c

Would that picture be called a dingy, a fish boat or a life saver?
When I first saw it I thought sensei was kidding. I always pictured my first boat dive to be from lets just say a bigger boat. However from experience I prefer to do things like the locals. I thought if I could dive from this boat. I could dive from any boat.

Our first trip out was cool. The icy cool water splashing on my face as my hands were practically in the ocean. I was sitting on the starboard side of the boat. I felt like I was going on some kind of reconnaissance mission. Mission In Possible theme music in the back ground.

We practice frontwards and backwards entry. My backward entry felt comfortable. I need to tuck my head in more, looking to my belly on the forward entry so the top of the tank hits the water first. It was a good experience.

I saw my first Octopus. It was only the tentacle but I now understand why National Geographic spends a lot of time on this creature of the sea.

Miura is a nice spot, small but there is a man made reef so lots of crevices and corners. It would be a real nice place to practice navigation diving.

We did a little drift diving as well. I found out about getting my commercial diver licenses, a 4 day course and boating licenses. There are boat shows about once a month In Japan. It is a good place to talk to the Japanese Coast Guard.

Lion Beach

Dive location: Shishihama, Lionbeach
Weather condition: Snow, Rain, and Sunshine
Water Temperature:13.4c

Downed my gear and was ready to hit the ocean. Our first stop was Iwa dive site however the wind was moving strong toward/east side of the Izu peninsula. So we opted to go to the west side, Shishihama for a Deep dive to test out a little nitrogen narcosis.

Our first dive was about 29 meters and to put it in an equation. Its pretty difficult
to multiply quickly at that depth. Fun however tricky. We didn't stay down long. We also tested the color changes from shallow to deep. Someday I would like to do research on this.

The next dive we tried to find octopuses but with no avail. We did find a blowfish/puffer and I held it in my hands. The blowfish wasn't to nervous because I was the one who didn't want to get stung. What was interesting is it felt really soft.

At the end of my dive I did a BCD surface removal and my dry suit became a wet suit. Not to thrilling the rush of cold water and buoyancy malfunction. Of course the dives were spectacular. I thought the snow and rain gave it a plus.

New PADI Open Water Diver

Today I am official. I received my PADI Temporary ID card as an Open water Diver.

I can't believe that every time I go underwater I have this feeling that I never want to come up. Todays dive was brilliant. I dove at Osezaki, by the way Mt. Fuji-san was in the back ground with a snow cap trim on this warm autumns day.

I finished taking the OWD underwater testing and it went pretty smoothly. On the mask removal some how I got salt water in my mouth and not my eyes. Sensei said I need to relax my shins more. I finally got use to the lag time when exhaling so I would have better buoyancy. So in a matter of words I feel a little more confident in my ability. Then of course sensei started to show off by swimming backwards using her fins. The next skill after mastering buoyancy.

The "Viz" as they say was about 8-10 meters. I was looking forward to finding a morel eel like my first time diving (saw two) but no such luck, however I saw a sea snake's head out of the sand and my first lionfish. Well worth the sacrifice.

Mt. Fuji-san, the weather, the company, and all the in betweens were a great experience for my training as an Open water diver. I have found what I've been searching for.

My First Ocean Underwater Dive

Today was my first experience at ocean underwater diving (scuba diving). I have to say that the experience has been one of the greatest moments in my life. I have seen and done a lot however the fulfillment of seeing natures gifts, is just astonishing. The life, colors, dangers and many other names I hope to add to this blog are just simply put incredible.

I do not think I have seen so many wonders in any one place at any one time.

I have found something new to challenge the Gypsy blood in me.

We dove at Osezaki, Japan. My Dive Instructor Mariko has logged over 4000 dives (She is part Hammerhead with the height of 4'5inches thanks Mariko). I saw about 30 species of life, hand fed fish and did not want to leave the ocean.

Temperature was 20-21c. My 5mm suit kept me warm with no trouble, keep in mind Mt. Fuji had snow on the top and the rest of my team wore Dry suits.

I have to remember this. Very cool, strange, and Japanese. The Dive shop was wild it had a pet Parrie dog as a mascot, I saw like 5 getto/grubby cats with snub tails. And everyone brought their dogs.

The picture above: Painted by Yukako for my Birthday the day I passed the PADI Open Water Diver final exam. P.S. Happy Birthday Sir Bugzy.