Altitude: 873ft – 30ft
A Christmas Disappointment Turned New Beginning
One of the highlights of the Christmas cruise vacation was going to be scuba diving; it would have been Emmali’s first experience of scuba diving in the ocean, and I was excited to share that moment with her. Unfortunately, it was canceled due to a lack of a divemaster.
When we returned home to Wisconsin, we decided that we wanted to pursue a job in scuba diving so that others could experience the joy and wonder of the underwater world. This was a big revelation for us considering that, at the time, Emmali had less than 10 dives, and I hadn’t been diving in 10 years. Getting to the point of working as a divemaster involves a minimum of 40 dives, completing a series of courses, and going through the rigorous divemaster candidate program.
Diving in Landlocked Wisconsin
Being in landlocked Wisconsin, there is no opportunity to do ocean dives—arguably the most exciting type of diving—which some may consider a non-starter for beginning a scuba career. Nonetheless, we started planning how we were going to achieve this goal by the end of the summer. We counted the number of weekends we had available and began working backward. It was going to be tight to finish all the classes in time.
Over the summer, we spent every Wednesday in the water at Devil’s Lake State Park participating in fun dives to accumulate underwater time. The fun dives are a chill and safe time to practice skills such as assembling gear, navigation, and buoyancy. They also offer an opportunity to complete individual PADI specialties such as the DSMB (delayed surface marker buoy) and Dive Against Debris.
With only an open water certification under our belts, there was a long way to go. With Wisconsin’s short diving season, the timing felt especially tight.
Advanced Open Water: The First Milestone
The first class, Advanced Open Water, took place during the third weekend in July. It involved two long days of diving and driving to and from the dive sites. Advanced Open Water introduces five unique specialties, any of which you can choose to explore further. However, we were on a mission and didn’t have much time to get sidetracked.
Facing the Challenge of Rescue Diver
After completing the Advanced Open Water Diver course, we spoke with the wonderful Don and Cassie at Breezeway Bubbles. They mentioned that the Rescue Diver class would take place the very next weekend. The thought was daunting since it required completing over 20 hours of online coursework beforehand. We knew we had to make it happen, so we agreed. We spent every morning and evening that week studying for the upcoming weekend.
Of all the PADI classes, Rescue Diver was the most fun. It includes one pool day and one lake day. During these sessions, you learn to respond to emergencies and practice with divemasters playing victims in various scenarios. While the class is full of lighthearted moments, it comes with the serious knowledge that these skills could one day save someone’s life. To complete the certification, a CPR course is also required which we fulfilled by doing the WMA Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course.
Reflections on the Journey
Through determination and a shared goal, we’ve managed to turn a disappointment into a fulfilling adventure. Our time spent diving in Wisconsin has proven that you don’t need to live by the ocean to begin chasing your dreams beneath the waves.
Leave a Reply