Fun stuff!

I have been training and volunteering at the Seattle Aquarium the last few months.

We had the 5 session "boot camp" and then have been working around the exhibits, as well as taking an additional 5-6 "Aquaversity" classes on different animals, giving presentations, infrastructure, etc. Maybe 50 hrs of training or more. We were supposed to work 100 hours in the exhibits before moving on to other things if we wanted.

But as they are short of divers, they moved us up into the dive program a lot sooner. We provided some documentation and had our open water check out dives. Mine was interesting as the Diving Safety Officer Jeff not only had me do buddy breathing (as well as air sharing), but had me do a buddy breathing ascent. Said since I was an old timer I had that training and he wanted to see me use it. Yeah right, about 30 years ago...My buddy's skills weren't the best and he had a us rocketing up from 40' and I had to ask him for air twice on the way up! Oh well, we passed, it was a good skill review and I guess I'm rated as a "scientific diver" now by the city. Glad I didn't go pop!

So now I had my orientation dive in the dome tank this morning...

much more on my blog at:

http://opticalocean.blogspot.com/2006/06/b...uget-sound.html

Jack

Congrats, Jack! I think that's a great thing to do, and to the extent you get to be a guide or otherwise interact with the public, I'm sure your enthusiasm will help create another whole generation of divers and uw photographers! As my Southern friends say, "Good on ya!" B)

Congrats, Jack! Does this mean you get to dive with the six gills? I'm sooooo jealous.

Nice Jack,

I've been planning on doing the same thing here in Colorado. Oh and one other thing...just read your response in the June Scuba Diving Magazine Issue to Dive Boat manners. page 8. Still got a lot of fight in you I see...haha.

Gary

Yes, hopefully, eventually on the 6 Gill dives. The Aquarium is one of the only places doing research and tagging that I know of. They do a chummed tag dive about every other month, but have not been able to due to construction and the accidental destruction of the station and cage.

On SD: Gees, ya answer one question online and now the world knows it!

Jack