Day 10 Problem Solving

Our morning Albanian lesson.

This morning began with a different kind of fried bread with honey, coffee, sausage links but totally rectangular, apples.  Funny how we associated food shapes with being correct when it is processed food like sausage, just because I get it round at home doesn’t mean everyone else isn’t eating sausage with right angles. Today was about tasks and problem solving in the water as well as task loading. I got to be the beach master for the first time. Before we got in the water though we got our new scientific diving slates, which we assembled and figured out our preferred pencil in medical tubing and BC clip configuration set up for our gear and comfort.  Today we dove off the base, swimming around the point, we then took a bearing to the shore and headed down the line to where a group of tasks had been set up for us to accomplish. 

Part of the view from our home base.

Today Dave was my dive buddy. First we worked on estimation of distances by learning how many hand over hand pulls or fins kicks took us 25 meters, we then swam out 25 meters took a reciprocal heading and headed back to the meter tape to see how good our simple navigation was.  We also practiced an expanding square search pattern, semi-circle expanding search pattern, and used a lift bag to raise a scuba tank to the surface. Though we got the lift bag to the surface and were told our form was good we do need to practice as we purged air a little too much as we surfaced and I ended up lifting some of the weight myself instead of the lift bag and that used a lot of my air shortening my dive time.  There was also a puzzle to put together underwater, we agreed beforehand that if not every group finished the puzzle we would buy Lee and Derek gelato, not every group finished due to air constraints so we owe Derek and Lee gelato.  After we rinsed and hung our gear to dry we enjoyed lunch then got back together for classroom time. 

Gear drying in the sun.

This afternoon our classroom lesson was accident scenarios: cause, signs & symptoms, response and treatment.  Everyone pulled an incident and location from a hat separately. I got hazardous marine life injury at Quirjalco’s, our place.  We had to come up with our scenario, the cause of our issue, the signs and symptoms we may be exhibiting, what resources are available, and what treatment we would utilize.  I decided I accidently touched a bristle worm and went from there.  We also had Leslie in full arrest at the point, where we enter the water for our marina dives from the base, then Effie had decompression sickness on the pier out front of the dive lockers, Dave went and tripped and fell carrying his BC and tank across the uneven ground to the rinse tank, then we returned to Quirjalco’s where Cam had sliced his arm on a rusty screw in his room.  After we all outlined our incidents and we discussed them fully we took a break before dinner.  We students decided to utilize our break to work on our rescue exam together as is allowed, we have out essay portion left but the rest is done.  The group then picnicked with crepes on the beach, though I had a sandwich, a baguette with meat, veggies and fries, like I had at the bus station the first day.   We hit up the store after dinner for lunch goodies, especially needed since Effie and Leslie’s room lost power and their fridge was warm for a chunk of the day.  I wandered off after we shopped and went to the Alpha Market, the big store in town.  I got figs and this crazy nutella with white chocolate on the other half, amazing!  After returning home I grabbed my computer and headed to Erjoni’s for internet.  I checked in, emailed my sweetie, and finally remembered to download my dive computer manual so I can work on that test as well.  The day started about 6.30 and at midnight it was time for bed.

Fantastic crepes!