The Vessel Puffs Her Sails
About an hour ago, it started rumbling to the east.
It got close and I took this video. It started raining hard here as I took the video for maybe 2 minutes. And then the storm petered out. This was about 30 yards from my place out to the beach.
Earlier this evening, my tuk-tuk driver Jose, who I have gotten to know, said they needed rain bad. “Necisitamos Lluvia”
It is still slightly drizzling, and has dropped the temp about 10 degrees, but not in the apartment.
Last night the Instructor Candidates met with our “mentor”. The two other IC got their Divemaster (DM) last week, while I have 5 days left to get DM.
“Here are your study materials”…all 500 pages of it. “Just read as best you can. There are one hour lectures Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday of this week. Not mandatory but it helps.”
Then we got an email this afternoon that we will be tested on all of that material on Friday of this week. Huh? We are all shaking our heads.
Physics of pressure…Boyles Law, Daltons Law, Charles Law, Henrys Law, Physiology (thank goodness I took the EMT), Mechanics of scuba equipment, Decompression Theory.
Either somebody messed up or this is boot-camp style hazing.
Anyway. Have all day Wednesday and Friday to study. Its not hugely complicated but still.
Tomorrow I lead my first dives (for a grade) with mostly super experienced divers to judge me. Yay.
Then Thursday I have Rescue Assessment (rescuing a diver at the surface for a grade), a few make up items, then underwater equipment exchange (switching gear with another diver at depty) and something else…I can’t remember.
Not sure I’ve shared similar. But here goes. The two water shots are from the opposite sides of the bridge I cross to the Dive Center every day. This is a 4PM shot.
Supposedly the lagoon is a breeding ground for baby sharks. Haven’t seen sharks anywhere tho.
It’s 11am and I am still in the apartment relaxing.
I have a meeting at 5pm with the leader of my Instrutor Development Course. The class starts on August 7 (and lasts about 2 weeks) but they want to distribute the materials. Also trying to meet with my Divemaster mentor, but she is ill.
There are still have some items for my Divemaster to complete but they are not that difficult.
Will likey stay here till about 4pm. May go to the beach for a bit, it’s just across the street.
So I have neighbors. They live across the street and their property faces east and probably has the best climate on the island…why?
It faces east and gets full 15 knots of wind on to their ocean facing deck all day every day, very cooling.
Why are they the Bumpasses. If you don’t know the reference, google it.
They have at least 6 of the most barking ass dogs ever. Any noise and they are off.
Its all good though. Doesn’t really bother me.
Ok. Today was eclectic.
Slept in to about 8am, then putzed around an hour or two.
Then I walked downtown about a mile and finally found the electric company which is tucked in a back alley. Sorry no pictures will do next time. Paid for my usage and loaded my account for a few weeks.
From what I have researched, NYC is 18cents per KwH. NC average is 9 cents. I’m paying 9 Lempira which is about 36 cents per. Not surprising.
My landlord said to expect about $1-5 per day. I was a bit scared but have been averaging about $1.8 per day in usage. Maybe I can dial the thermostat down tonight.
I got a hair cut for $4 by some young kid. He whipped out the sheers (2&5) and straight razor and cleaned me up well.
Then went and prepped the boat and went out on a 2 dive trip (24 tanks) I had no “duties” and it was a fun dive. I was partnered with a new DM Chandler. We were asked to set a CESA line for both dives and did so (google it).
The first dive I did a coral survey which is a requirement for DM here. Chandler found the eco-skeleton of a lobster (they shed like crab and snakes).
There was a sting ray that had no fear of humans and cruised around inches from us for most of the first dive.
Second dive was just looking around.
Oh…Dove with my plate/wing today and it was much better than the best I had been using to teach.
Oh. Accidentally dove with my Garmin watch which is rated to 100m but not a dive watch. It survived. My GoPro however seems to have sprung a leak. It was a cheap one, but still, a disappointment.
Was back by 4pm. I was supposed to meet my DM mentor but she’s sick. Will meet her tomorrow. Also will be meeting my Instructor class mentor tomorrow at 5pm. Yay.
Had a couple beers at the shop and then humped it back to apartment. Today is “Carnival” one of the biggest parties of the year, but I’m just not into it.
So I got back and carved up a massive papaya and cooked some rice and chili.
It was a relief to figure out the electric thing. Such a minor hassle. I still have order my tank of water. Oh, finally figured out the ATM. Got a decent exchange rate actually.
