Tue
We have begun our navigation dives starting with 750 m. We did it twice, I got to do it during the day and Switzer did his dive at night. I was only off by 20 m and scored a 96.7 out of a hundred. During the night dive there isn't a lot to do when your buddy is navigating it is black and you feel like you are in a tube creating a sense of claustrophobia. Before this course you had do sign a waiver saying that you weren't afraid of the dark, water (obviously) or confined spaces and now I understand why.after a while I began to notice little green flashes on the bottom and that when you waved your hand in front of you there are little green glittering lights. Being board out of my mind I began thinking Avra Kedavra and pretended that magic shot out of my fingers then something swam through the grass right below us and startled us.
Thu
We finished our nav dives with a 3000 m test. My dive buddy failed and has to retest tomorrow so I will be diving it again. Near the end of my dive a Barracuda decided to swim with us for a little bit, they are scary looking.
Fri
Final checks on our dreagers and advanced closed circuit dive qualifications. We did a quick pace dive to time how long it takes us to swim 100m then did rout diving in the harbor where we did our ship bottom searches. In the murky deep water of the harbor you imagination goes wild and sees thing like the shadow of a massive shark. I got totally lost and had to do some major course corrections after doing some tactical peaks (you surface with only your head to get your bearing). The end of the day was filled with boat navigation and introduction to nautical charts.
Mon
Now we operate in 2 Operational Detachments (ODA and ODB) of 12 men and learned Beach Landing Sights (BLS) or where we infiltrate a beach. When diving as a group you all hook together and swim in a huge chain (we asked about sharks before our open ocean dive and were told "Your 40 feet long and scary as #%$@, nothing in the ocean is going to mess with you)". Getting all tied off is a huge chore trying to get all the lines in the right order but it has nothing on getting ready to BLS unhooking is an intricate dance of untying everything in the right order starting with your weapon, second securing your fins to a D-link then seperating 100 feet of line and storing it before you break the surface. You do all this while lying on your stomach in 3 feet of water with waves and in the dark and you can see why it's difficult. When everything is secured everyone stands up together and you hurry while being as quiet as you can to get out of the water and off the open beach..
Tue
To day we did BLS in the open ocean. We in ODA were dropped off a mile off shore then after 10 min of swimming on the surface (turtle backing) the Dive Sup began shooting airsoft at us and driving the boats at us making us do an emergency purge (clearing the dreagers of normal air and creating a pure O2 atmosphere, with a bad purge you will pass out because the CO2 absorbent doesn't take out Nitrogen). It was an exorcise for if we are discovered while on the surface. Diving in the open ocean with the closed circuit dreager was quite and relaxing, I didn't have a critical job so I was able to enjoy the ocean wildlife. Vibrant colored fish darted around us as we passed monolithic coral formations, I even saw a Puffer Fish. About 30 min into the dive we heard clicking and squeaking, thinking one of the dreagers was malfunctioning I began looking around for the source when two bottle nose dolphins swam up to us thinking we we rather interesting. The dolphins continued to swim around us for about 20 min getting close enough to touch as they investigated the human divers that don't make bubbles. As we approached the shore the dolphins took off as we had to fight wave movements picking us up off the bottom as slamming us down again while dragging us back and forth across rock, sand and coral. We hurried and prepared to surface and I notice some human legs out in front of us. When ODA surfaced we were about 25 feet from some snorkelers preparing to go out for a swim, they did not expect that the 2 red dive buoys floating in the ocean to be attached to 12 men with blacked out faces
in camo with M-16's at the ready, pop out of the water.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Dive School Notes
These are notes from my dive school training between 11 July- 03 September 2010
Pre-dive: West point military academy.
Mon
Today is our first day. Up at 0400 and we jumped into the back of a transport to go take our APFT. We started with 20, 1 was sent home today for failing the run due to heat cramps and the other failed the 500 m ACU swim. We are all nervous I haven't slept in 2 days.
Tue
Introduction to "undirected" stress events we did flutter kicks on the side of the pool with masks and fins on while the Dive Supervisors (Dive Sup) put water in our masks and dumped it over our faces. When the going got tough we were told to man up, to "stop feeling sorry for your selves!" "Get rid of that bu-bu lip!" Sgt. Braseno kept me from quiting and got me to change my attitude.
Wed
This is all a mind game. Stress the body so the mind becomes week then make the mind work till it breaks or shows it's true depth. Humor makes it so I can do this. Keep your heart rate down, when you get to the wall put your head back to open you airway and slow down your heart rate as fast as you can. RELAX.
Thur
Another one's gone, passed out in the truck from exhaustion. We all tend to try and take a quick nap on the way back but when we pulled in he wouldn't wake up all the way and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, the medic took care of him. Now the Dive Sups check our calorie intake.
Sat
We all needed supplies and away from camp so the Dive Sup gave us the keys the the transport. We got what we needed and went to eat out.
Sun
No church nearby and I can't get off post so I just studied the scriptures and prayed.
Mon
One week down. 5 quit today not wanting to train anymore. Often an individual plans on quiting but doesn't have the guts to till someone else does. Now I have a new dive buddy for surface swims and we came in dead last because he is broken mentally.
Tue
Because Farris made me so slow and the Dive Sups could tell how angry I was we will no longer swim as buddy teams. I came in third on the 2000m surface swim out in the lake. Because of the lake water we all have crazy ear problems but we get drops from the medic so the problems are going away. 2 more have quit.
Wed
Test day. I passed everything on the first try. They can't get us to panic or quit anymore. Sgt Kiwaha told me I had the most improved attitude. Three didn't pass the 3k swim and have another try tomorrow.
Thu
Hoose passed the 3k but the other two failed but we hold them in high regard for never quiting. Seven of us will continue on to Key West.
Combat Diver Qualification Course (CDQC): Key West, FL
2 August
Mon
The first week was hell. We are up till often midnight and get up before 0400 most days. We have been training for hours, 7 hours to get Jock-up (getting on you gear) down then 6 hours on the bottom of the pool so we can learn how to pass one man confidence test. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZO9AMy-vQ0
In the end I was so hypoxic and bent on untying every knot that I took 1 min 15 sec to untie the final knot that you are supposed to ditch your gear because it's "unrecoverable." They tied it again and this time I dropped the tanks.
Tue
We did a two man confidence test with my dive buddy Lance Switzer. It was fun, the Dive Sup would take our equipment make us switch tanks and try to separate us. Once I got separated from Lance and the air tanks, I climbed over the top of the Dive Sup to get back. Lance said that is looked epic, he had a dive mask and could see. For the last few minutes on the Diver Recall System (DRS, underwater speaker) they played "Sweet Home Alabama." It was the end of events that everyone fails.
Wed
Pool PT, it was very difficult but a nice change to getting worked on land. We also did our first Navigation dive and I got a 97.6 % for being 20 feet off the dive sign. Also we did a ship bottom search on a Coast Guard Cruiser. We were on our backs checking the hull for damage and possible bombs, it was disorienting but fun.
Thur
Today was relaxed. We did a few search dives for weapons and wreaks. I got a jelly fish sting on my wrist (as of dec still there) it didn't really hurt too bad till I went and got a fresh water rinse and it felt like my arm was getting cut of by a red hot knife.
Fri
We finished our Advanced Dive today diving off a sunken ship to 130 ft and then we finished off the day diving on a coral reef.
Mon
We were introduced to the Draeger closed circuit dive system. Trying to get used to the change in breathing pattern in the pool was difficult but once in the ocean I got a rhythm and became accustomed to it.
Pre-dive: West point military academy.
Mon
Today is our first day. Up at 0400 and we jumped into the back of a transport to go take our APFT. We started with 20, 1 was sent home today for failing the run due to heat cramps and the other failed the 500 m ACU swim. We are all nervous I haven't slept in 2 days.
Tue
Introduction to "undirected" stress events we did flutter kicks on the side of the pool with masks and fins on while the Dive Supervisors (Dive Sup) put water in our masks and dumped it over our faces. When the going got tough we were told to man up, to "stop feeling sorry for your selves!" "Get rid of that bu-bu lip!" Sgt. Braseno kept me from quiting and got me to change my attitude.
Wed
This is all a mind game. Stress the body so the mind becomes week then make the mind work till it breaks or shows it's true depth. Humor makes it so I can do this. Keep your heart rate down, when you get to the wall put your head back to open you airway and slow down your heart rate as fast as you can. RELAX.
Thur
Another one's gone, passed out in the truck from exhaustion. We all tend to try and take a quick nap on the way back but when we pulled in he wouldn't wake up all the way and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, the medic took care of him. Now the Dive Sups check our calorie intake.
Sat
We all needed supplies and away from camp so the Dive Sup gave us the keys the the transport. We got what we needed and went to eat out.
Sun
No church nearby and I can't get off post so I just studied the scriptures and prayed.
Mon
One week down. 5 quit today not wanting to train anymore. Often an individual plans on quiting but doesn't have the guts to till someone else does. Now I have a new dive buddy for surface swims and we came in dead last because he is broken mentally.
Tue
Because Farris made me so slow and the Dive Sups could tell how angry I was we will no longer swim as buddy teams. I came in third on the 2000m surface swim out in the lake. Because of the lake water we all have crazy ear problems but we get drops from the medic so the problems are going away. 2 more have quit.
Wed
Test day. I passed everything on the first try. They can't get us to panic or quit anymore. Sgt Kiwaha told me I had the most improved attitude. Three didn't pass the 3k swim and have another try tomorrow.
Thu
Hoose passed the 3k but the other two failed but we hold them in high regard for never quiting. Seven of us will continue on to Key West.
Combat Diver Qualification Course (CDQC): Key West, FL
2 August
Mon
The first week was hell. We are up till often midnight and get up before 0400 most days. We have been training for hours, 7 hours to get Jock-up (getting on you gear) down then 6 hours on the bottom of the pool so we can learn how to pass one man confidence test. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZO9AMy-vQ0
In the end I was so hypoxic and bent on untying every knot that I took 1 min 15 sec to untie the final knot that you are supposed to ditch your gear because it's "unrecoverable." They tied it again and this time I dropped the tanks.
Tue
We did a two man confidence test with my dive buddy Lance Switzer. It was fun, the Dive Sup would take our equipment make us switch tanks and try to separate us. Once I got separated from Lance and the air tanks, I climbed over the top of the Dive Sup to get back. Lance said that is looked epic, he had a dive mask and could see. For the last few minutes on the Diver Recall System (DRS, underwater speaker) they played "Sweet Home Alabama." It was the end of events that everyone fails.
Wed
Pool PT, it was very difficult but a nice change to getting worked on land. We also did our first Navigation dive and I got a 97.6 % for being 20 feet off the dive sign. Also we did a ship bottom search on a Coast Guard Cruiser. We were on our backs checking the hull for damage and possible bombs, it was disorienting but fun.
Thur
Today was relaxed. We did a few search dives for weapons and wreaks. I got a jelly fish sting on my wrist (as of dec still there) it didn't really hurt too bad till I went and got a fresh water rinse and it felt like my arm was getting cut of by a red hot knife.
Fri
We finished our Advanced Dive today diving off a sunken ship to 130 ft and then we finished off the day diving on a coral reef.
Mon
We were introduced to the Draeger closed circuit dive system. Trying to get used to the change in breathing pattern in the pool was difficult but once in the ocean I got a rhythm and became accustomed to it.
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