今天休息，去道格拉斯港潛水。搭乘的船隻不大，但是空間寬敞，沒有亂哄哄的觀光團。到達潛點後，潛水導遊簡報潛點地形，潛水客一起著裝依序下水。下水後，潛水導遊帶領潛水客導覽珊瑚礁。這才是當初去帛琉打工，想要的工作啊。
照片是那隻將近一公尺長的石斑魚
凱恩斯真小
剛下班還穿著制服在人行道上走著，突然聽到一陣汽車喇叭聲。喇叭聲在這不常聽到，因為凱恩斯只是個小鎮，而且駕駛人大部份都很有耐心。抬起頭來查看發生了什麼事，結果看到按喇叭的駕駛時，下巴差點掉下來。是船長湯姆，穿著我以前工作的潛水中心的T恤。當我們眼神交會的時候，他詭異的微笑好像要說些什麼。
三個月前離開那家潛水中心時，我告訴大家我還會回來凱恩斯。但是，我真的回來時，並沒有告訴任何前同事，因為我想在別家潛水中心工作。過去兩週以來，我都避免走到那家潛水中心附近。
因為後面的車流，湯姆沒有停留太久。他開著車，帶著詭異的微笑離去。我們沒有講到話，但是明天他肯定有很多話可以跟其他同事講。沒想到會這樣撞見以前的同事。凱恩斯真小。
照片是凱恩斯港口
三個月前離開那家潛水中心時，我告訴大家我還會回來凱恩斯。但是，我真的回來時，並沒有告訴任何前同事，因為我想在別家潛水中心工作。過去兩週以來，我都避免走到那家潛水中心附近。
因為後面的車流，湯姆沒有停留太久。他開著車，帶著詭異的微笑離去。我們沒有講到話，但是明天他肯定有很多話可以跟其他同事講。沒想到會這樣撞見以前的同事。凱恩斯真小。
照片是凱恩斯港口
Cairns Is Small
I just got off work and was walking on the pedestrian. I heard a blast of car horn. It was uncommon give that Cairns was a small town and most drivers were patient. I lifted up my head to check out what was happening. I was stunned when I saw the driver sounding the horn. He was skipper Tom wearing the T-shirts of the dive centre that I had used to work for. He smiled in a weird way when our eyes met.
When I quit the dive centre 3 months ago, I told everyone that I would have backed to Cairns. However, I did not let anyone at the dive centre know that I was back because I was seeking jobs at other dive centres. For the past 2 weeks, I had avoided to walk near the dive centre.
Tom did not stop for long because of the traffic behind him. He drove away with the weird smile. We did not talk, but he definitely would talk to other coworkers tomorrow. I never expected that I would bump into previous coworkers like this. Cairns is small.
The photo was Cairns harbour in a distance.
When I quit the dive centre 3 months ago, I told everyone that I would have backed to Cairns. However, I did not let anyone at the dive centre know that I was back because I was seeking jobs at other dive centres. For the past 2 weeks, I had avoided to walk near the dive centre.
Tom did not stop for long because of the traffic behind him. He drove away with the weird smile. We did not talk, but he definitely would talk to other coworkers tomorrow. I never expected that I would bump into previous coworkers like this. Cairns is small.
The photo was Cairns harbour in a distance.
求職拒絕信
求職信的回函寫道：「再次感謝你的時間。不幸地，基於你的駕照沒有持有超過三年...」
面試之前，我就在信中兩度表明最近才拿到駕照。面試時又特別再提起這件事。那時候似乎不是問題，現在卻變成回絕我的原因。
我回覆：「感謝你的回覆。我會繼續努力。」這不是第一次應徵這家潛水中心。八個月前因為沒有駕照，連面試的機會都沒有。這次考到駕照再次應徵還是失敗。會繼續嘗試，但是不曉得能繼續多久，肯定不會是三年。
照片是凱恩斯不知名的路樹
面試之前，我就在信中兩度表明最近才拿到駕照。面試時又特別再提起這件事。那時候似乎不是問題，現在卻變成回絕我的原因。
我回覆：「感謝你的回覆。我會繼續努力。」這不是第一次應徵這家潛水中心。八個月前因為沒有駕照，連面試的機會都沒有。這次考到駕照再次應徵還是失敗。會繼續嘗試，但是不曉得能繼續多久，肯定不會是三年。
照片是凱恩斯不知名的路樹
Job Application Rejection
“Thank you again very much for your time. Unfortunately, given the fact that you haven’t had your license for 3 years…” wrote in a reply to reject my job application.
I had mentioned the fact twice that my driver license had been issued recently in the email correspondence before the job interview. I even brought that up again during the job interview. It had not seemed to be a problem at that time. Now, it became the reason to reject me.
“Thank you for the reply. I’ll keep trying,” I wrote to reply. This was not the first time I applied for a position in this dive centre. I had not got a chance for interview because I had not had a driver license 8 months ago. Now I came back with a driver license but still failed. I would keep trying, but I did not know for how long, definitely not 3 years.
The photo was unknown flowers blooming on the street in Cairns.
I had mentioned the fact twice that my driver license had been issued recently in the email correspondence before the job interview. I even brought that up again during the job interview. It had not seemed to be a problem at that time. Now, it became the reason to reject me.
“Thank you for the reply. I’ll keep trying,” I wrote to reply. This was not the first time I applied for a position in this dive centre. I had not got a chance for interview because I had not had a driver license 8 months ago. Now I came back with a driver license but still failed. I would keep trying, but I did not know for how long, definitely not 3 years.
The photo was unknown flowers blooming on the street in Cairns.
凱恩斯潛水工作求職的好時機
人事部經理送我出潛水中心的時候說：「我會再通知你試工的日期。」
這是抵達凱恩斯一週內得到的第二個試工機會，出乎意料地容易。還記得八個月前，我必須走訪凱恩斯所有潛水中心，尋求面試的機會，這次只投履歷給幾家潛水中心而已。也許是因為聖誕節和新年檔期即將來臨吧。
目前為止，一切順利，但是都還沒確定。試工不代表聘用，只是應徵流程的最後一關。所以，下回分曉。
照片是凱恩斯海邊的聖誕樹
這是抵達凱恩斯一週內得到的第二個試工機會，出乎意料地容易。還記得八個月前，我必須走訪凱恩斯所有潛水中心，尋求面試的機會，這次只投履歷給幾家潛水中心而已。也許是因為聖誕節和新年檔期即將來臨吧。
目前為止，一切順利，但是都還沒確定。試工不代表聘用，只是應徵流程的最後一關。所以，下回分曉。
照片是凱恩斯海邊的聖誕樹
Right Timing for Diving Job Hunting In Cairns
“I’ll call you for arranging the trial trip,” said Human Resources Manager while she walked me through the gate of the dive centre.
This was the second trial trip I got since I had arrived in Cairns for a week. It was surprisingly easy. I still recalled that I had to visit all the dive centres in Cairns for interview opportunities 8 months ago. This time I just emailed my application to a few dive centres. Perhaps, the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays in next month were the reasons.
So far, everything seemed to be promising, but nothing was promised. A trial trip was not a job offer, but the final stage of the selection process. So, the story was to be continued.
The photo was the Christmas Tree on Esplanade.
This was the second trial trip I got since I had arrived in Cairns for a week. It was surprisingly easy. I still recalled that I had to visit all the dive centres in Cairns for interview opportunities 8 months ago. This time I just emailed my application to a few dive centres. Perhaps, the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays in next month were the reasons.
So far, everything seemed to be promising, but nothing was promised. A trial trip was not a job offer, but the final stage of the selection process. So, the story was to be continued.
The photo was the Christmas Tree on Esplanade.
Newbie driver: Townsville to Cairns
Finally, I arrived in Cairns after driving for 2,000km in 6 days. What a relief that I would not need to drive for long distance tomorrow (although I would have to drive back to Brisbane someday). I realised that I was better at being a drowsy passenger than a drowsy driver. It was more mobilised to drive by myself, but I would be tired within 2 hours. After that it became suffering instead of fun. When I had to drive again, the schedule had to be loose. It had better to stop for a few days, instead of driving everyday.
The figure was the route I took for this trip.
The figure was the route I took for this trip.
新手上路第六天：Townsville to Cairns
終於抵達 Cairns 了。6天開了2000公里，好不容易結束這趟旅程，明天不用再開長途了（雖然不久的將來得把車子開回 Brisbane）。心得感想是，我比較適合坐在後座，上車睡覺，下車尿尿。開車行動方便，但是不到2小時就累了。超過2小時之後只是折磨，沒有樂趣。將來還要再開長途的話，時間要更寬鬆。最好是在途中停留幾天，不要每天開車。
圖片是這次旅程大致的路徑。
圖片是這次旅程大致的路徑。
Newbie driver: Mackay to Townsville
Today I had to drive 400 kilometres, much longer than the previous days. From the lesson learned, I did not fight against sleepiness. I broke the journey into two segments, and took a long break in between. Perhaps, a tall cappuccino did the job, too. Anyway, I kept awake during the drive.
Another lesson learned after a few days of driving on highway, I got used to the speed of 100km/h. I felt everything moving in slow motion, when I had to slow down to 60km/h for road work. Also, it became so difficult to drive within the speed limits. Perhaps, I had already caught on the speed camera and a traffic ticket had been mailed to me.
I arrived in Townsville late. Not much things to do but watched a free movie at a stadium. The photo was taken at the stadium.
Another lesson learned after a few days of driving on highway, I got used to the speed of 100km/h. I felt everything moving in slow motion, when I had to slow down to 60km/h for road work. Also, it became so difficult to drive within the speed limits. Perhaps, I had already caught on the speed camera and a traffic ticket had been mailed to me.
I arrived in Townsville late. Not much things to do but watched a free movie at a stadium. The photo was taken at the stadium.
新手上路第五天：Mackay to Townsville
Newbie driver: Emu Park to Mackay
“DONT SLEEP AND DRIVE,” a common road sign on the national highway. I tried to keep myself awake by reading every road sign. There were also other road signs to keep drivers awake. Some are trivia games like “What is the largest island in Queensland” and the answer would be next road sign. Some are straight to the point like “Drowsy drivers die.” None of these road signs really work for me. I felt tired.
I had to drive longer than 300 kilometres at once today. I did not expect that it would be so difficult to keep awake. So, I took a break whenever I felt tired. I took so many breaks that it took me 5 hours to get to Mackay, but the estimated travel time was supposed to be 4 hours. I was so tried that I did nothing after the drive although I arrived in Mackay at noon. After a long rest, I went for a swim to make me relaxed.
The photo was taken in Memorial Swim Centre in Mackay.
I had to drive longer than 300 kilometres at once today. I did not expect that it would be so difficult to keep awake. So, I took a break whenever I felt tired. I took so many breaks that it took me 5 hours to get to Mackay, but the estimated travel time was supposed to be 4 hours. I was so tried that I did nothing after the drive although I arrived in Mackay at noon. After a long rest, I went for a swim to make me relaxed.
The photo was taken in Memorial Swim Centre in Mackay.
新手上路第四天：Emu Park to Mackay
「開車不要睡著，」國道高速公路上很常見的標語。嘗試著閱讀路上每一個標語讓自己保持清醒。路上還有其他提醒駕駛的標語。有的是問答遊戲，例如「昆士蘭州最大的島嶼」，答案會公布在下一個路標。有的是開門見山地說「疲勞駕駛ㄟ係。」這些標語對我來說都沒用，還是會想睡。
今天要一口氣開超過300公里。沒想到最大的問題是要保持清醒，所以每次一想睡就停車休息。結果，休息太頻繁了，預估4小時的車程，開了5個小時。雖然中午就抵達目的地 Mackay，可是太累了，什麼都不想做。休息了好一陣子，只去游泳放鬆一下。
照片是 Mackay 的游泳池「 Memorial Swim Centre」
今天要一口氣開超過300公里。沒想到最大的問題是要保持清醒，所以每次一想睡就停車休息。結果，休息太頻繁了，預估4小時的車程，開了5個小時。雖然中午就抵達目的地 Mackay，可是太累了，什麼都不想做。休息了好一陣子，只去游泳放鬆一下。
照片是 Mackay 的游泳池「 Memorial Swim Centre」
Newbie driver: 1770 to Emu Park
“Continue on National Highway A1 for 165 kilometres,” the navigation audio said. Then, it kept quiet for the next 2 hours.
Today I came back to the national highway. It was easier to drive on the national highway than the state route that I had traveled yesterday. No need to make a turn for a long distance. But, it was more boring, too. I understood how come people could fall into asleep while driving.
I arrived at Emu Park at noon. It was a quiet town on the coastline. There were many beautiful beaches nearby, but not many tourists around.
The white tower in the following photo is Singing Ship. The town built and present to Captain James Cook. The pipes of the tower “sing” when wind blows.
Today I came back to the national highway. It was easier to drive on the national highway than the state route that I had traveled yesterday. No need to make a turn for a long distance. But, it was more boring, too. I understood how come people could fall into asleep while driving.
I arrived at Emu Park at noon. It was a quiet town on the coastline. There were many beautiful beaches nearby, but not many tourists around.
The white tower in the following photo is Singing Ship. The town built and present to Captain James Cook. The pipes of the tower “sing” when wind blows.
新手上路第三天：1770 to Emu Park
導航語音播報：「繼續在國道高速公路A1上行駛165公里。」之後的兩個小時，導航語音保持沈默。
今天回到國道高速公路行駛。和昨天的州道相比，簡單多了，很長一段時間都不需要轉彎。可是，也無聊多了。了解到為什麼會有人可以開車開到睡著。
中午就抵達 Emu Park，一個海邊的寧靜小鎮。有很多美麗的沙灘，不過沒有太多觀光客。
照片中的白塔叫做「Singing Ship」，是小鎮建造來紀念詹姆士庫克船長的。塔上串了好幾個管子，風一吹就會像風琴一樣發出聲音。
今天回到國道高速公路行駛。和昨天的州道相比，簡單多了，很長一段時間都不需要轉彎。可是，也無聊多了。了解到為什麼會有人可以開車開到睡著。
中午就抵達 Emu Park，一個海邊的寧靜小鎮。有很多美麗的沙灘，不過沒有太多觀光客。
照片中的白塔叫做「Singing Ship」，是小鎮建造來紀念詹姆士庫克船長的。塔上串了好幾個管子，風一吹就會像風琴一樣發出聲音。
Newbie driver: Hervey Bay to 1770
I drove less than yesterday and arrived the destination 1770 at noon. A weird name for a town. It’s for memorizing that Captain James Cook landed here on 24 May 1770. The town is away from National Highway A1, so I drove on regular state route. The road condition was not as good as A1, but few cars traveled on this route. Most time there were no cars in sight.
The town of 1770 was known for surfing, but I could not find a decent beach for surfing nearby. Finally, I found out that the beach for surfing was closer to the next town Agnes Water in the late afternoon. It’s too late to rent a surf board, so just went for a swim instead.
The photo was the beach near Agnes Water.
The town of 1770 was known for surfing, but I could not find a decent beach for surfing nearby. Finally, I found out that the beach for surfing was closer to the next town Agnes Water in the late afternoon. It’s too late to rent a surf board, so just went for a swim instead.
The photo was the beach near Agnes Water.
新手上路第二天：Hervey Bay to 1770
今天開的路程比昨天還少一點，中午就抵達目的地：1770。很奇怪的地名，其實是為了紀念1770年5月24日，庫克船長在此地登陸。遠離澳洲國道一號高速公路的小村莊，所以今天開在一般的州道上。州道路況比不上高速公路，但是人煙稀少，常常眼前視線範圍內都沒車。
聽說1770是知名的衝浪地點，可是附近看起來不像是衝浪地點。直到傍晚才發現，是鄰近的 Agnes Water 小鎮附近的沙灘，沒時間衝浪，只能泡水應景一下。
照片是 Agnes Water 的沙灘。
聽說1770是知名的衝浪地點，可是附近看起來不像是衝浪地點。直到傍晚才發現，是鄰近的 Agnes Water 小鎮附近的沙灘，沒時間衝浪，只能泡水應景一下。
照片是 Agnes Water 的沙灘。
Newbie driver: Brisbane to Hervey Bay
After a long preparation for driving from Brisbane to Cairns: having a driving lesson in Taiwan two months ago and transferring into an Australian driver license two weeks ago. Finally the newbie driver hit the road today.
I drove 300km for 4 hours on the first day. It was as tiresome as I had thought. Perhaps the cruise device made the job easy. I did not need to pay too much attention to the accelerator but holding the steering wheel. A little bit unreal for driving a car at 110km/hr.
The photo was taken on the beach in Hervey Bay
I drove 300km for 4 hours on the first day. It was as tiresome as I had thought. Perhaps the cruise device made the job easy. I did not need to pay too much attention to the accelerator but holding the steering wheel. A little bit unreal for driving a car at 110km/hr.
The photo was taken on the beach in Hervey Bay
新手上路第一天：Brisbane to Hervey Bay
準備很久，計畫從 Brisbane 開車到 Cairns，兩個月前回台灣考駕照，兩週前申請澳洲駕照，今天終於上路了。
第一天開了 4 小時，跑了 300 公里，沒有想像中的累。尤其是車子有定速裝置，只要扶著方向盤，連油門都不用踩。以前不會開車，都是上車睡覺下車尿尿，頭一次坐這麼久的車沒睡，可是也沒能欣賞沿路風景。
照片是在 Hervey Bay 的海灘拍攝的。
第一天開了 4 小時，跑了 300 公里，沒有想像中的累。尤其是車子有定速裝置，只要扶著方向盤，連油門都不用踩。以前不會開車，都是上車睡覺下車尿尿，頭一次坐這麼久的車沒睡，可是也沒能欣賞沿路風景。
照片是在 Hervey Bay 的海灘拍攝的。
台灣駕照轉換澳洲駕照
不只是汽車駕照，機車駕照也是可以用台灣機車駕照申請。澳洲汽機車駕照是同一張卡片上註記汽機車類別，不像台灣是兩張分開的駕照。本來要一次申請汽車和機車駕照，沒想到機車駕照的英文譯本翻譯錯誤，為了不耽誤時間，先把汽車駕照的申請書送出，等拿到汽車駕照再補辦機車駕照。
今天早上收到汽車駕照，下午就去補辦機車駕照。由於馬上就要開車北上去凱恩斯，申請時想問承辦人員，是不是馬上可以拿到新駕照。手指著剛拿到的汽車駕照，還在思索要怎麼問時，承辦人員說：「你今天就會拿到它。」當下放心地送件，不然本來的備案是，到凱恩斯再辦理機車駕照。
辦好手續之後，承辦人員說新的駕照一樣會在兩週內郵寄給我，現有的駕照就失效了。我愣了一下，指著現有的駕照問：「所以，這不再是汽車駕照了？」
承辦人員回答：「這張變成是身分證件，收到新的駕照後，可以把這張剪掉。」
承辦人員沒說錯，我還是可以拿回現有的駕照。但是，他沒說現有的駕照會立即作廢啊！沒想到，等了10天的汽車駕照，不到 1天，就被我作廢了。
Last Trip
It was my last trip to work for the dive center. Usually I had to dive 3 to 4 times a day on the liveaboard ship, but I dived only a few times throughout the trip. Once I even volunteered to guide a diver for free because I was tired of running the dive deck all the times. The trip was quiet until the last day of my trip.
To Be Continued
I had sent out the leave notice before the last trip, and the manager had replied to ask for a specific date to stop working. I hoped to quit at the end of this month, but it was not the end of a trip and did not align with work shifts. So, I had proposed a flexible week long range.
A Quiet Trip
I just started another trip on the liveaboard ship and bumped into skipper Wade in the wheelhouse.
'Will you be the trip director?' asked Wade.
'It's not necessary for me to be the trip director. Tina is the trip director.' I answered with caution. I still recalled that he had commanded me to release the duty of trip director in the last trip.
'Will you be the trip director?' asked Wade.
'It's not necessary for me to be the trip director. Tina is the trip director.' I answered with caution. I still recalled that he had commanded me to release the duty of trip director in the last trip.
感覺很好
在船艙中醒來，完全沒有半夢半醒的過程。船艙還是黑漆漆地，但是我的思緒異常清楚，好像電源瞬間被開啟了。頭一次，我在船宿上醒來覺得精神飽滿。
前天開始這趟船宿。我是船上唯一的潛水教練兼旅程總監，忙碌地在兩個角色中切換。 抽出空檔在舵手室查閱隔天的旅客清單時，船長韋德剛好經過。
韋德說：「你想要聽聽我的建議嗎。」 他喜歡指導給意見，也許是他從中獲得了成就感。他繼續說：「明天盧卡斯來的時候，叫他當旅程總監。」
我說：「是啊，我全靠他了。」心裏也希望盧卡斯來接任旅程總監，可是他明天下午才到，而且他不喜歡中途接手。馬上接任旅程總監對他有點不公平，畢竟他明天沒有旅程總監的加給。我大概要撐到後天才能卸任吧。
隔天早上依舊忙碌，教進階潛水課，潛了三次水。下午潛完第四次水後，被告知船長要見我。在走道上遇到韋德，但是他沒開口說話，直到我們單獨進到舵手室。
韋德質問：「我是怎麼告訴你，叫盧卡斯當旅程總監的！」
我試著解釋：「盧卡斯不喜歡馬上接任...」
韋德命令：「不管盧卡斯喜不喜歡，我告訴你的不是他媽的讓你選擇！」
我回答：「瞭解，我會要他當旅程總監。」
離開舵手室後，馬上把盧卡斯找來。我也許不能像船長那樣強硬地命令，但是我可以讓盧卡斯知道這是船長的命令。
我開口說：「我知道你不喜歡一上船就接任旅程總監，不過...」
他打斷我說：「不會，沒問題的。」顯然地，他也知道韋德不高興我還在當旅程總監。
然後，我們討論了一下接下來的工作，幾分鐘內，他接手當旅程總監了。卸下重擔，即使剛剛被船長臭罵也不覺得不開心。
現在覺得一覺醒來精神飽滿。感冒還是沒好，還是有一整天的工作要做。但是，今天早上感覺很好。
照片是今天早上的日出
I Feel Good
I was sharply awaken in the cabin, no transitional half-awaken state at all. The cabin was completely dark, but my mind was crystal clear as though it were instantly switched on. This was the first time I felt energized after sleeping on the liveaboard ship.
I started this trip the other day. I was the only instructor and I had to be the trip director as well. I was busy to switch between these two roles. When I checked the passenger list for the next day in the wheelhouse, skipper Wade happened to pass by.
'Do you want my suggestion?' Wade said. He liked to give guidance probably because he got satisfaction from that. 'When Lucas comes tomorrow, ask him to be the trip director.' he continued.
'Yeah, I count on him.' I had known dive master Lucas would come tomorrow afternoon. But, I knew he did not like to take over the trip director role in the middle of a day. It would not be fair to ask him to do trip director's job if he would not be paid as a trip director on that day. I probably had to be the trip director until the day after tomorrow.
Next morning I was fully occupied because I was the only instructor. I taught advanced course and dived three times in the morning. I was told that skipper wanted to see me when I came back from my fourth dive in the late afternoon. I met Wade in the hallway, but he did not speak until we were alone in the wheelhouse.
'What did I tell you to ask Lucas to be the trip director?' he questioned.
'Lucas does not like to be the trip director right away...' I explained.
'What I told you is not a fucking choice. It doesn't matter if he likes it or not.' Wade commanded.
'Got it. I will ask him to be the trip director.' I answered.
Right after I left the wheelhouse, I asked Lucas to meet me in the office. I might not be able to command him as the way Wade had done, but I could let him know it was Wade's command.
'I know you don't like to be the trip director right away, but...' I said.
'No, no, it's okay.' he interrupted me. Obviously, he also knew that Wade was not happy that I was still the trip director.
Then, we discussed the remaining tasks and he took over as a trip director within minutes. It's a huge relief for me. I did not feel bad at all even the skipper had just sworn at me.
Now I felt energized after sleeping. I still had not recovered from a cold and I still had to work all day long. But, I felt good this morning.
The photo was the sunrise this morning.
I started this trip the other day. I was the only instructor and I had to be the trip director as well. I was busy to switch between these two roles. When I checked the passenger list for the next day in the wheelhouse, skipper Wade happened to pass by.
'Do you want my suggestion?' Wade said. He liked to give guidance probably because he got satisfaction from that. 'When Lucas comes tomorrow, ask him to be the trip director.' he continued.
'Yeah, I count on him.' I had known dive master Lucas would come tomorrow afternoon. But, I knew he did not like to take over the trip director role in the middle of a day. It would not be fair to ask him to do trip director's job if he would not be paid as a trip director on that day. I probably had to be the trip director until the day after tomorrow.
Next morning I was fully occupied because I was the only instructor. I taught advanced course and dived three times in the morning. I was told that skipper wanted to see me when I came back from my fourth dive in the late afternoon. I met Wade in the hallway, but he did not speak until we were alone in the wheelhouse.
'What did I tell you to ask Lucas to be the trip director?' he questioned.
'Lucas does not like to be the trip director right away...' I explained.
'What I told you is not a fucking choice. It doesn't matter if he likes it or not.' Wade commanded.
'Got it. I will ask him to be the trip director.' I answered.
Right after I left the wheelhouse, I asked Lucas to meet me in the office. I might not be able to command him as the way Wade had done, but I could let him know it was Wade's command.
'I know you don't like to be the trip director right away, but...' I said.
'No, no, it's okay.' he interrupted me. Obviously, he also knew that Wade was not happy that I was still the trip director.
Then, we discussed the remaining tasks and he took over as a trip director within minutes. It's a huge relief for me. I did not feel bad at all even the skipper had just sworn at me.
Now I felt energized after sleeping. I still had not recovered from a cold and I still had to work all day long. But, I felt good this morning.
The photo was the sunrise this morning.
小船駕訓班
船長把所有潛水團隊叫到舵手室了解船上人手有多不足。結果只有一個潛水教練，一個實習教練，和三個實習潛水長。舵手室空間不夠寬敞，平常不會所有人都待在這裏。今天舵手室好像有平常的兩倍大。
對於人手這麼少，我不意外。上船之前就知道，又會是船上唯一的潛水教練，要管理所有的潛水和浮潛活動。但是，船長煩惱的是，怎麼用這麼少的人手停泊船隻。
為了要停船，我跳上一艘兩公尺長的小船。發動引擎，載著一個實習生，離開船宿大船。小心翼翼地開到錨繩旁邊。錨繩是在海上停泊船隻用的，一端連接著海底的水泥塊，另一端是個繩環。錨繩粗到要雙手才握得住。實習生用一條小一點的繩子，穿過錨繩的繩環綁好。
然後，在眾人的目光下，我以最慢的速度開著小船，拖著錨繩靠近船宿大船。要把粗重的錨繩遞給船宿大船很不容易。實習生使盡全力高舉繩子，船上的人伸長手來抓繩子。過程中，我設法穩住小船不被海浪沖走。
可是，小船的位置沒停好。當繩子遞給船宿大船時，繩子就在我面前橫跨過小船。必須抬起粗重的繩子，越過頭頂，才能把小船開走，不然會被繩子橫掃到海裡去。有點窘，不過至少把工作完成了。
看來，要在澳洲潛水產業工作，我不只要去汽車駕訓班，還要小船駕訓班。
Boat Driving Lesson
Skipper had called all dive crew to the wheelhouse to check how little manpower he had. There were only one instructor, one trainee instructor, and three trainee dive masters. The crew hardly ever all gathered in the wheelhouse because the wheelhouse was not spacy. Today the wheelhouse seemed to be doubled.
I was not surprised to see so little crew on the liveaboard ship. I had known that I would be the only instructor running all diving and snorkeling activities. But, what skipper concerned was how to park this ship with so little crew.
In order to park the liveaboard ship, I jumped in a 2-meter small boat with a trainee. I started the engine, drove the small boat away, and carefully approached to a mooring line. It's a rope for parking the liveaboard ship. One end of the mooring line was attached to the concrete blocks under the sea, and the other end was a loop. The line was so thick that it required both hands to hold it. The trainee tied a smaller rope through the loop of the mooring line.
Then, I drove the small boat as slow as I could to drag the mooring line to the liveaboard ship while all the crew were watching me. It was difficult to pass the heavy mooring line to the liveaboard. The trainee held up the line with all his strength while the crew on the liveaboard stretched their hands to grab the line. I managed the small boat not to be drifted away by waves when the line was passed to the liveaboard ship.
However, the small boat was not in the ideal position when the line was passed to the liveaboard ship. The line was across the small boat right in front of me. I had to lift up the heavy line over my head when I drove the small boat away so that I would not be swept into the sea. It was not pretty, but at least the job was done.
I needed a driving lesson not only for a car but also for a boat to survive in Australia diving business.
I was not surprised to see so little crew on the liveaboard ship. I had known that I would be the only instructor running all diving and snorkeling activities. But, what skipper concerned was how to park this ship with so little crew.
In order to park the liveaboard ship, I jumped in a 2-meter small boat with a trainee. I started the engine, drove the small boat away, and carefully approached to a mooring line. It's a rope for parking the liveaboard ship. One end of the mooring line was attached to the concrete blocks under the sea, and the other end was a loop. The line was so thick that it required both hands to hold it. The trainee tied a smaller rope through the loop of the mooring line.
Then, I drove the small boat as slow as I could to drag the mooring line to the liveaboard ship while all the crew were watching me. It was difficult to pass the heavy mooring line to the liveaboard. The trainee held up the line with all his strength while the crew on the liveaboard stretched their hands to grab the line. I managed the small boat not to be drifted away by waves when the line was passed to the liveaboard ship.
However, the small boat was not in the ideal position when the line was passed to the liveaboard ship. The line was across the small boat right in front of me. I had to lift up the heavy line over my head when I drove the small boat away so that I would not be swept into the sea. It was not pretty, but at least the job was done.
I needed a driving lesson not only for a car but also for a boat to survive in Australia diving business.
選擇
在一片漆黑中醒來，絲毫沒有一絲光線的黑。不曉得自己在哪裡，直到聽到海浪一陣陣拍打在船身的低沈聲音，才想到我是睡在船艙裡。迷迷糊糊中覺得有點異常，但說不出是什麼。啊！鼻塞了！呼氣時感覺到不順暢，這下完全醒了。這趟船宿之前，就覺得快感冒了。這下子真的感冒了。如果耳咽道堵塞，就沒辦法潛水了。趕緊捏著鼻子，用鼻子吐氣，試試看能不能做耳壓平衡，等一下還要教進階潛水課。
試了快一分鐘，總算是成功一次，有點擔心等一下的進階潛水課。船上沒別的教練，只有課程教練艾瑞克。他只在乎自己的開放水域潛水課，不會幫我教進階潛水課。沒有選擇只好賭一賭。
進階潛水課的學生和我沿著繩索下潛，和平常一樣，我在隊伍前面，倒退著下潛，面對著所有學生。但是，從入水開始，我就不斷地假裝捏著鼻子提醒大家做耳壓平衡，其實是平衡自己的耳壓。下潛了兩三公尺，捏鼻的動作越來越頻繁。總算在五公尺後，成功地平衡耳壓了。鬆了一口氣。
進階潛水課結束後，下一個挑戰是體驗潛水。今天要在午餐之前要完成三趟體驗潛水。老樣子，艾瑞克幫不了我，他早上要教開放水域潛水課。沒有選擇只好全部接下。
這次體驗潛水的困難在於，有一個不太會踢蛙鞋的三人團 。更糟的是他們早上要潛兩趟。昨天帶過他們潛水一次，知道在水中拖著他們逆流是件苦差事。如果潛深一點，也許可以避開強勁的水流。但是今天要潛很多趟，還是淺一點對身體比較好。
第一趟順利完成，但是第二趟就沒那麼幸運了。第二趟快結束時，氣力放盡，扛不動所有人。只好舉白旗投降，跟船上招手，派小船來接。很沒面子，但是沒有選擇。
最後的挑戰是下午的三個轉學生。 轉學生是難得的機會，可以讓我練習教學。這三個月來也只接過兩個轉學生。平常我會非常開心接下這項工作，但是不是今天。早上已經潛水四次了，接下轉學生的話，下午還要再潛兩次。希望艾瑞克早上教完課後，可以接手這三個轉學生。
「不行。我得補課再潛一次，有學生早上沒能完成訓練。你是潛水教練，你教啊。」艾瑞克回絕我。
沒有選擇，接下三個轉學生，繼續潛水。上完課之後，今天已經潛水六次了，快要追平個人一天七潛的紀錄了。
夠了，我有個選擇可以離開。
照片是小鬚鯨（Minke Whale）經過船宿時拍的。
Choice
I woke up in the dark, completely dark, no dim light at all. I did not know where I was until I heard the deep drum that waves periodically hit the ship hulk. I was sleeping in the cabin on the boat. Something weird but I could not tell. Oh no, my nose was a little stuffed. I sensed the difficulty breathing out when I completely woke up. I had been about to catch a cold before this trip. Now I really caught a cold. I could not dive if ears and sinuses were blocked. I pinched and blew my nose to check if I could equalize my ears. I had to teach an advanced diver course later.
It took my almost a minute to equalize my ears and it worked just for once. I began to worry about the advanced course. There were other instructors but course instructor Eric on board. He cared about his open water course and would not help me for advanced course. No choice but took my chance.
The advanced course students and I descended along a rope. As usual, I was in front of the students but descent backwards so that I could see all students. But, started from the surface, I kept pinched and blew my nose. I pretended to remind students to equalize, but in fact, I was trying to equalize my ears. As a few meters deeper, I was trying more frequently. Finally, I made it after descending five meters. What a relief.
The next challenge after the course was introductory diving. I had to do three introductory dives before lunch. Again, Eric was not going to help me. He would be occupied by the open water course this morning. No choice but did the three introductory dives.
The difficulty of the introductory dives was a group of three people who could not swim underwater well. Even worse was that they were going to dive twice this morning. I had taken them diving yesterday, so I knew it would be a heavy lifting to drag them against current. I could have descended deeper to avoid the strong current near the surface. However, I had to do many dives today and it would be better to keep it shallow for my health.
The first introductory dive was fine, but the last one was not. I was exhausted at the end of the dive. I could not fight against the current and was drafted away. I had to throw in the towel. I raised my hand to the boat for a pickup. It hurt my pride but I had no choice.
The last challenge was three referral students in the afternoon. Referral students were the rare chance to practice my teaching skills. I had taught two referral students in three months. I would be happy to take referral students but not today. I had done four dives in the morning, and it would take two more to teach referral students in the afternoon. I expected Eric could teach the referral students after he finished the open water course.
'No. I have to do a makeup dive. A student couldn't finish the skills this morning. You are an instructor. You teach the course.' Eric rejected.
No choice but taught the referral students. By the time I finished the course, I had had six dives today. Almost reached my person record seven dives a day.
Enough. I had a choice to quit.
The photo was taken when a Minke whale passed by.
It took my almost a minute to equalize my ears and it worked just for once. I began to worry about the advanced course. There were other instructors but course instructor Eric on board. He cared about his open water course and would not help me for advanced course. No choice but took my chance.
The advanced course students and I descended along a rope. As usual, I was in front of the students but descent backwards so that I could see all students. But, started from the surface, I kept pinched and blew my nose. I pretended to remind students to equalize, but in fact, I was trying to equalize my ears. As a few meters deeper, I was trying more frequently. Finally, I made it after descending five meters. What a relief.
The next challenge after the course was introductory diving. I had to do three introductory dives before lunch. Again, Eric was not going to help me. He would be occupied by the open water course this morning. No choice but did the three introductory dives.
The difficulty of the introductory dives was a group of three people who could not swim underwater well. Even worse was that they were going to dive twice this morning. I had taken them diving yesterday, so I knew it would be a heavy lifting to drag them against current. I could have descended deeper to avoid the strong current near the surface. However, I had to do many dives today and it would be better to keep it shallow for my health.
The first introductory dive was fine, but the last one was not. I was exhausted at the end of the dive. I could not fight against the current and was drafted away. I had to throw in the towel. I raised my hand to the boat for a pickup. It hurt my pride but I had no choice.
The last challenge was three referral students in the afternoon. Referral students were the rare chance to practice my teaching skills. I had taught two referral students in three months. I would be happy to take referral students but not today. I had done four dives in the morning, and it would take two more to teach referral students in the afternoon. I expected Eric could teach the referral students after he finished the open water course.
'No. I have to do a makeup dive. A student couldn't finish the skills this morning. You are an instructor. You teach the course.' Eric rejected.
No choice but taught the referral students. By the time I finished the course, I had had six dives today. Almost reached my person record seven dives a day.
Enough. I had a choice to quit.
The photo was taken when a Minke whale passed by.
爭吵
湯姆大叫：「嘿！為什麼你當瞭望員還可以分心來管客人入水？」他總是大叫使喚，因為他是船長。
「因為船上只剩我一個。」我不帶情緒地回應，只少，我試著隱藏怒氣。
「一個實習生在船首當瞭望，另一個在幫忙修理小船，所有的教練都在水裡。」我繼續解釋，掩飾先前回答的怒氣。
湯姆一時語塞，然後說：「找個客房服務生來當瞭望啊。」
我沒有理他，繼續幫客人入水。他只是找個台階下。
這個月開始在船宿當班。船宿總是人手不足，一如往常的混亂。在壓力下工作，情緒很容易失控。這趟船宿的第一天，同事之間就爭吵不休。今天是這趟船宿的最後一天，我的情緒也快要失控了。
昨天公司只留下一個實習生在船上。一般只少要兩個：一個當船首瞭望，另一個當浮潛導遊或在甲板幫忙。要唯一的實習生一整天在船首當瞭望員不太公平，所以，一早我自己還去船首當瞭望員。
昨天公司還把船上剩下的潛水裝備都撤走。今天有團體包船，要用那些裝備和一日遊的船。我想，今天應該沒有很多客人，應該可以順利地收工回家。結果出乎意料，居然來了十多個客人，卻沒有送任何裝備上船。好不容易湊出幾套裝備，讓客人輪流使用下水。
現在，危機還沒解除。船上人手也不足，我必須一個人管理甲板，同時應付一日遊和船宿的客人。湯姆憑什麼來對我大吼大叫。有本事你應該去跟店裏亂排班的人吼叫啊。況且，你是一日遊的船長，我是在船宿上工作，船宿的船長都沒意見，你憑什麼來對我大吼大叫。
算了，至少我今天收工可以回家。早上和下午兩個潛水時段之間，沒能休息，只有幾分鐘的時間，把午餐吞下肚。總算所有的客人都心滿意足地回到船上了，馬上把甲板收拾好，把握幾分鐘的空擋，開始收拾自己的行李，準備回家。
新的旅程總監來問：「你能留下來嗎？」
「不能，」我立刻拒絕。「很抱歉幫不了你。」我知道他很缺人手，但是我受夠了。我不只今晚不能待在船上，我也不能待在這家公司。我必須離開了。
照片是一早當班瞭望，看到水底潛水員吐出的氣泡時拍的。
Arguments
‘Hey! Why are you being the lookout and signing people in water?’ Tom yelled. He always yelled to demand because he was the skipper.
‘Because I’m the only person onboard.’ I said without emotions. At least, I tried to hide the anger.
‘One trainee is being lookout on bow, and the other one is helping to fix the tender. All the instructors are in the water.’ I explained to cover the anger in my first reply.
Tom was lost for words for a few seconds. Then, ‘get a hostee to be the lookout.’ he said.
I did not respond, continued to signed in people. He just said something to give an out.
This month I started working on liveaboard. It was understaffed and chaotic as usual. As a result, people were working under stress and losing temper. From the first day I started this trip, there were arguments among staff. This was the last day of this trip, and I was about to lose my temper.
Yesterday the shop had left me only one trainee. It had been weird because it took at least two trainees to run the diving and snorkeling session, one being the lookout on bow and the other being the snorkel guide. It had not been fair to put the only trainee to the lookout for a whole day, so I had even put myself as the lookout in the early morning session.
Also, the shop had pull back almost all the spare diving equipments from liveaboard yesterday. The equipments and regular daytrip boat would be used for a charter trip today. I had assumed that not many passengers were coming. I had been supposed to finish the job easily and go home. However, it had been a surprise that more than a dozen passengers had come but no diving equipments this morning. I had barely prepared a few set of diving equipments so that new passengers could take turn for diving.
Now the crisis was not over yet. I didn’t adequate staff, either. I had run the dive deck for both daytrip and liveaboard passengers by myself. What the hell Tom were shouting at me. You were supposed to shout at someone in the shop that had made me in this situation. Besides, you was the skipper of the daytrip boat, but I was working on the liveaboard ship. What the hell you were shouting at me.
Whatever, at least, I could go home tonight. I had no break at all between morning and afternoon sessions. I had grabbed a plate and gulped down my lunch within a few minutes. Finally, all passengers had fun and came back from water. Right after the dive deck was packed up, I took a few minutes to pack up my belongs for home.
‘Can you stay?’ new trip director came to ask me.
‘No,’ I instantly rejected, ‘I’m sorry that I cannot help you.’ I knew they desperately needed manpower, but I had enough. Not only I couldn’t stay on this boat, but also I couldn’t stay in this company. I had to leave.
‘Because I’m the only person onboard.’ I said without emotions. At least, I tried to hide the anger.
‘One trainee is being lookout on bow, and the other one is helping to fix the tender. All the instructors are in the water.’ I explained to cover the anger in my first reply.
Tom was lost for words for a few seconds. Then, ‘get a hostee to be the lookout.’ he said.
I did not respond, continued to signed in people. He just said something to give an out.
This month I started working on liveaboard. It was understaffed and chaotic as usual. As a result, people were working under stress and losing temper. From the first day I started this trip, there were arguments among staff. This was the last day of this trip, and I was about to lose my temper.
Yesterday the shop had left me only one trainee. It had been weird because it took at least two trainees to run the diving and snorkeling session, one being the lookout on bow and the other being the snorkel guide. It had not been fair to put the only trainee to the lookout for a whole day, so I had even put myself as the lookout in the early morning session.
Also, the shop had pull back almost all the spare diving equipments from liveaboard yesterday. The equipments and regular daytrip boat would be used for a charter trip today. I had assumed that not many passengers were coming. I had been supposed to finish the job easily and go home. However, it had been a surprise that more than a dozen passengers had come but no diving equipments this morning. I had barely prepared a few set of diving equipments so that new passengers could take turn for diving.
Now the crisis was not over yet. I didn’t adequate staff, either. I had run the dive deck for both daytrip and liveaboard passengers by myself. What the hell Tom were shouting at me. You were supposed to shout at someone in the shop that had made me in this situation. Besides, you was the skipper of the daytrip boat, but I was working on the liveaboard ship. What the hell you were shouting at me.
Whatever, at least, I could go home tonight. I had no break at all between morning and afternoon sessions. I had grabbed a plate and gulped down my lunch within a few minutes. Finally, all passengers had fun and came back from water. Right after the dive deck was packed up, I took a few minutes to pack up my belongs for home.
‘Can you stay?’ new trip director came to ask me.
‘No,’ I instantly rejected, ‘I’m sorry that I cannot help you.’ I knew they desperately needed manpower, but I had enough. Not only I couldn’t stay on this boat, but also I couldn’t stay in this company. I had to leave.
潛水不是極限運動
過了快三個月，第二次收到潛水的轉學生。這個轉學生已經是水肺潛水員，完成大部份訓練。理論上，只要再兩次的潛水訓練，就變成合格的開放水域潛水員。不過店裡有事先打電話來說明這位轉學生的狀況，她上次潛水的時間，已經是三年多前。
和學生談話後，發現她已經忘記以前的訓練內容。保險起見，打算在兩次潛水訓練完成所有合格必備的技巧。轉學生聽到訓練中有一項技巧，是要在海底把潛水面鏡脫掉，再重新戴上，開始感到害怕。
想到昨天同事艾瑞克才跟我說過，「如果學生有一項技巧不敢做，你有兩個選擇：一個是要求學生立刻完成該項技巧， 結果學生恐慌嗆水，衝上水面受傷。或是延到下次訓練，讓學生開開心心地潛水，之後再完成該項技巧。」所以，我告訴學生第一次潛水訓練可以試看看，害怕的話，下一次潛水訓練再完成也可以。
希望能在第一次潛水訓練完成大部份的技巧，可是轉學生光是下潛十公尺就花了五分鐘。不僅浪費時間，讓我擔心的是，等一下練習技巧時，她會太緊張害怕。先從最簡單的技巧開始，只要讓潛水面鏡稍微進水即可。每次完成一項技巧，我就拍手鼓勵。對她的表現感到滿意，所以示意她脫掉潛水面鏡。她猶豫了幾秒鐘，然後，搖搖頭。
不得已只好跳過這項技巧。回到船上準備下一次潛水訓練時，我再次談到這項技巧動作。
轉學生問：「 我可以閉著眼睛嗎？」
我回答：「沒關係，只要能把潛水面鏡戴回去就好。」即使她張開眼睛，在水下也是看不清楚。重點是她不要驚慌嗆水。
第二次潛水訓練又花了五分鐘下潛。 我示意她脫掉潛水面鏡。她沒有搖頭，但是還在猶豫中。不能讓她猶豫太久，我閉著眼睛，再次做出脫掉潛水面鏡的動作。另外，我高舉雙手，然後抓住她肩膀上的揹帶讓她安心。她深吸一口氣後，閉上眼睛，脫下潛水面鏡。然後，她戴回潛水面鏡。潛水面鏡束帶沒有扭曲，也沒有纏住頭髮。動作平穩不急躁。最後，鼻子呼氣把潛水面鏡內的水排出。非常好。
我高舉雙手，為她的表現，和她擊掌慶祝。我們幾乎要在水下開懷大笑。 她完成這個技巧後，信心大增。兩次潛水訓練完成後，她不僅成為合格潛水員，也有信心在沒有教練帶領下，和其他人一起潛水。
潛水訓練不是單純地照著教案練習技巧動作，還要配合學生的狀況適時調整。潛水訓練應該是開開心心的。畢竟，我總是跟顧客說：「潛水是休閒活動，不是極限運動。」
Scuba diving is not an extreme sport
After almost 3 months, I finally got another chance to certify an open water scuba diver. She was a referral student and had completed most training dives. In theory, she just needed the last two training dives in the ocean to become a certified diver. However, I got a phone call from the dive shop for the referral student. Her last training dives were 3 years ago, and she was not confident for diving.
I tried to figure out what she had learned for diving and the reason that she was lack of confidence when she arrived. She did not remember her training well. Since she was not sure what training had been done, I attempted to run through all the essential skills within two training dives. She was worried when she knew one of the skills was to take off her mask underwater and then put the mask back.
I recalled what Eric had said, 'if a student does not dare to a skill, you have two choices. Either you insist the student must complete the skill, so the student may chock on water and bolt to surface. Or, you can postpone the skill to the following training dives, so the student has fun for diving and complete the skill later.' So, I told the student to try but she did not need to take off her mask in the first training dive.
I hoped to complete as many skills as possible in the first training dive, but it took the student 5 minutes to descend for 10 meters. That was not only wasting too much time, but also made me worried if she would be stressed later when practicing the skills. I had her started with the easiest skill that her mask was only partially flooded. Whenever she completed a skill, I clapped my hands to cheer her up. I was growing confidence for her performance, so I signed her to take off her mask. She hesitated for a few second. Then, she shook her head.
I had no choice but skipped the mask removal skill. When we got back to the boat and prepared for the next dive, I mentioned the mask removal skill again.
'Can I close my eyes?' she asked.
'It doesn't matter. As long as you can put your mask back.' I replied. She wouldn't be able to see anything even she opened her eyes underwater. Everything would be blurred without a mask. The point was she must not panic and chock on water.
We spent 5 minutes for descending again for the second dive. I signed her to take off her mask. She did not shake her head but was still hesitating. I couldn't keep her hesitated til give up. I signed again with my eyes closed. Also, I raised my hands high and then grub her shoulder straps to keep her safe. She took a deep breath and took off her mask with eyes closed. Then, she put her mask back. Mask strap was not twisted nor tangled with hair. Her movement was clam and steady, not in a hurry. Then, she cleared the water inside her mask by blowing her nose. Well done.
I put my hands up and we high five for her accomplishment. We both smiled and almost laughed underwater. She grew self-confidence after this skill. After the two training dives, she was not only certified, but also confident to go diving with other certified divers.
Training was not simply following the skills on teaching guidelines. Training could be adjusted according to student's conditions. It was supposed to be fun. After all, as I always say to customers, 'Scuba diving is a recreational activity, not an extreme sport.'
I tried to figure out what she had learned for diving and the reason that she was lack of confidence when she arrived. She did not remember her training well. Since she was not sure what training had been done, I attempted to run through all the essential skills within two training dives. She was worried when she knew one of the skills was to take off her mask underwater and then put the mask back.
I recalled what Eric had said, 'if a student does not dare to a skill, you have two choices. Either you insist the student must complete the skill, so the student may chock on water and bolt to surface. Or, you can postpone the skill to the following training dives, so the student has fun for diving and complete the skill later.' So, I told the student to try but she did not need to take off her mask in the first training dive.
I hoped to complete as many skills as possible in the first training dive, but it took the student 5 minutes to descend for 10 meters. That was not only wasting too much time, but also made me worried if she would be stressed later when practicing the skills. I had her started with the easiest skill that her mask was only partially flooded. Whenever she completed a skill, I clapped my hands to cheer her up. I was growing confidence for her performance, so I signed her to take off her mask. She hesitated for a few second. Then, she shook her head.
I had no choice but skipped the mask removal skill. When we got back to the boat and prepared for the next dive, I mentioned the mask removal skill again.
'Can I close my eyes?' she asked.
'It doesn't matter. As long as you can put your mask back.' I replied. She wouldn't be able to see anything even she opened her eyes underwater. Everything would be blurred without a mask. The point was she must not panic and chock on water.
We spent 5 minutes for descending again for the second dive. I signed her to take off her mask. She did not shake her head but was still hesitating. I couldn't keep her hesitated til give up. I signed again with my eyes closed. Also, I raised my hands high and then grub her shoulder straps to keep her safe. She took a deep breath and took off her mask with eyes closed. Then, she put her mask back. Mask strap was not twisted nor tangled with hair. Her movement was clam and steady, not in a hurry. Then, she cleared the water inside her mask by blowing her nose. Well done.
I put my hands up and we high five for her accomplishment. We both smiled and almost laughed underwater. She grew self-confidence after this skill. After the two training dives, she was not only certified, but also confident to go diving with other certified divers.
Training was not simply following the skills on teaching guidelines. Training could be adjusted according to student's conditions. It was supposed to be fun. After all, as I always say to customers, 'Scuba diving is a recreational activity, not an extreme sport.'
合格畢業
在2公尺高的海浪中前往外礁，然後在一小時內帶4個體驗潛水遊客外加2個潛水學生。下午原班人馬，再一次體驗潛水和潛水課。潛水課結束後，又冷又累，但是工作還沒結束。一日遊的潛水船還要去和船宿的潛水船會合，接遊客回凱恩斯。
兩船會合時，艾瑞克跑來問：「學生們表現如何？她們合格畢業了嗎？」
我回答：「合格畢業了啊。」思索他為什麼會來問這個問題。這兩個學生的泳池訓練是艾瑞克教的，他很清楚只要今天外中實習兩次就合格畢業了。
他接著說：「我跑去恭喜她們成為合格潛水員，可以她們還不確定自己是不是合格畢業了．．．」邊說邊裝哭，彷彿學生們剛剛跟他哭訴了。艾瑞克又要開始誇張地說教了。他是優秀的潛水教練，他誇張戲劇地表達方式在教學上很有效。可是，有位同事說得好，艾瑞克把每個人都當成他的學生在說教。
「喔！我還沒在文件上簽名而已．．．」嘗試停止他冗長的說教。我累了，只想要快快收工回家。
艾瑞克提高分貝：「尚尼！」每次他真的要對我說教，都會這樣叫我。「教練應該要在學生結束最後一次海中實習，剛回到水面就立刻為學生歡呼。不管什麼文件簽核了有的沒有．．．」我後悔剛才在他沒說完就嘗試打岔。從這幾個月的共事，我了解艾瑞克不是難搞，只要讓他把想講的話說完就好。他很會表達敘述，但不是個好聽眾，更不能打斷他的話。
我立刻承認：「是我的錯。」從這幾個月的工作，學到另一件事是承認自己的疏失，不要找藉口。要面對自己的失敗。艾瑞克說得對，最後一次海中實習的氣氛應該要是歡樂的。對學生來說，是很值得慶祝的成就。我應該在海中實習一結束就恭喜學生成為合格的潛水員。亡羊補牢，艾瑞克說教完後，趕快去跟學生恭喜。下一次帶海中實習應該要把氣氛炒熱。
照片是我的潛水教練證 。
Certification
It’s a long trip to get to outer reef under 30 knot wind and 2 meter waves. It’s a long dive to take 4 introductory divers and 2 diving students within 1 hour. It’s a long day to repeat the long dive again in the afternoon. I was cold and tried when I finished the diving course. Yet, the long day was not finished. The daytrip boat had to meet the liveaboard ship to pick up passengers.
Instructor Eric came when the boats met. ‘How are the students? Are they certified?’ he asked.
‘Yeah, they are certified.’ I answered. Wondering why he suddenly asked the question that he had known the answer. He had trained the students in the pool. It’s for sure that the students would be certified once they completed the last open water dive this afternoon.
‘I congratulated them on their certification,’ he said, ‘but they were not sure if they were certified…’ Eric pretended to weep as if the students had answered in tears. Eric started him lengthy dramatic talking again. He was an excellent course instructor, and his dramatic talking certainly worked for his students. But, once another colleague had commented that Eric talked to everybody like talking to students.
‘Oh, I haven’t signed on their student records…’ I explained and tried to stop his endless talking. I was tired. I just wanted to finish the work and go home.
‘Seany!’ Eric raised his tone. He always called me this way when he was about to lecture me. ‘The instructor should cheer for students as soon as they get back to the surface from the certify dive. Not because the instructor has not signed the paperwork…’ I regretted what I had said. One thing I learned from the past few month was that Eric was not difficult as long as I let him finish what he wanted to say. I could learn a lot from his experiences. He was a good speaker but not a good listener. Never interrupt him.
‘It’s my fault.’ I said. Another thing I learned was to admit my mistake without any excuses. I had to face my own failure. Eric was right. The certify dive had been supposed to be joyful. It was a great achievement for students. I should have celebrated right after the students finished the certify dive. I congratulated to the students right after Eric finished his lengthy lecture. Next time, I should be cheerful for students.
The photo is my instructor certification card
Instructor Eric came when the boats met. ‘How are the students? Are they certified?’ he asked.
‘Yeah, they are certified.’ I answered. Wondering why he suddenly asked the question that he had known the answer. He had trained the students in the pool. It’s for sure that the students would be certified once they completed the last open water dive this afternoon.
‘I congratulated them on their certification,’ he said, ‘but they were not sure if they were certified…’ Eric pretended to weep as if the students had answered in tears. Eric started him lengthy dramatic talking again. He was an excellent course instructor, and his dramatic talking certainly worked for his students. But, once another colleague had commented that Eric talked to everybody like talking to students.
‘Oh, I haven’t signed on their student records…’ I explained and tried to stop his endless talking. I was tired. I just wanted to finish the work and go home.
‘Seany!’ Eric raised his tone. He always called me this way when he was about to lecture me. ‘The instructor should cheer for students as soon as they get back to the surface from the certify dive. Not because the instructor has not signed the paperwork…’ I regretted what I had said. One thing I learned from the past few month was that Eric was not difficult as long as I let him finish what he wanted to say. I could learn a lot from his experiences. He was a good speaker but not a good listener. Never interrupt him.
‘It’s my fault.’ I said. Another thing I learned was to admit my mistake without any excuses. I had to face my own failure. Eric was right. The certify dive had been supposed to be joyful. It was a great achievement for students. I should have celebrated right after the students finished the certify dive. I congratulated to the students right after Eric finished his lengthy lecture. Next time, I should be cheerful for students.
The photo is my instructor certification card
零能見度的潛水課
果然，今天一日遊的客人不多，又不用去船上工作。不過，有華裔的澳洲妹和加拿大妹要去小島上潛水課，把我調回小島分店。塞翁失馬，焉知非福。不用在強風大雨的天氣去外礁，只要去小島教潛水，下水兩次就完工。
潛水課程的海中實習教過幾次，都是一對一教學，這是頭一次帶兩個學生。到了小島分店才知道，小島渡假村有個香港員工也要參加，變成三個女生一起上課。自信熟悉潛點，一次帶三個學生不成問題。
大雨的影響，水中能見度比豆漿好一些，幾乎要貼到面前，才看得清楚學生的表情。剛下潛時，澳洲妹的面鏡一直進水。立刻向其他學生打手勢，要她們待在原地，自己上前幫澳洲妹調整面鏡。好不容易調整好面鏡，回頭才發現其他學生已經不見了。忐忑不安，牽著澳洲妹在海中找其他學生，怕連最後一個學生都搞丟。找了一下還是不見蹤影，升上水面去追蹤學生呼出的氣泡。還沒到達水面，加拿大妹和香港妹已經回到水面，朝自己拖在水面的潛水旗游過來。還好下水前有交代，萬一分散，只能在水中找一分鐘，就要回到水面會合。
找回學生後，不敢再讓學生離開視線，不時地要學生手牽著手。沒有再分散，不過課程進行得很緩慢，不像平常可以抽出一半時間導覽珊瑚礁。有了早上的教訓，下午第二次潛水時，保持所有學生都在觸手可及的距離。游動的時後，倒退游保持所有學生在視線內。不用手牽著手，可以自己游，學生比較進入狀況，開始像個潛水員了。要成為合格的潛水員，學生還要再潛水兩次。希望明天的工作分配到潛水課程，可以完整教完海中實習。
照片是凱恩斯的天氣預報
Teaching in zero-visibility open water
It had been rainy and windy this week, so not many tourists signed up for a day trip to Great Barrier Reef. Yesterday, only 3 passengers took the daytrip boat, so the shop canceled my shift to save the cost. This morning, I could hear the rain struck and the wind gusted against the window before I completely woke up. I was worried that my shift would be canceled again.
Surprisingly it turned out to be positive for me. We didn’t have many passengers, and the shop didn’t need me to work on the daytrip boat. However, we had an Aussie girl and a Canadian girl going to the island shop for a diving course. So, I was re-assigned to the island shop today. I didn’t need to travel to outer reef under severe weather. Simply teaching the course and having two dives on the island could finish my day.
I had taught the diving course, but only in a one-on-one class. This was the first time I had to teach two students at once. Later when I got to the island shop, I was informed there was a Hong Kong girl from the island resort attending the course. I ended up with 3 students in the class, but I was confident to do the job because I was familiar with the dive sites near the island.
Due to the rain and wind, the visibility was merely better than soy milk. I had to be so close as within 1 meter to see a student in the eyes. Right after we descended, the Aussie girl got her mask flooded. I pointed my palm to the other students and signed them to stay put. When I finally got the mask adjusted, the other students just vanished. I skipped a beat, grabbed the Aussie’s hand, and looked for the other students in the water for a minute. Still no visual of them, so I started ascending and hopped to find their bubbles from surface. Luckily they did what I had told them before the dive. Looking for each other up to 1 minute and getting back to surface. So, they found my dive flag on surface and swam toward me.
Then, I didn’t dare to let any one out of my sight. I even asked them to swim hand in hand. No body got lost, but the course progressed slowly. Unlike the one-on-one class, the students didn’t have time for exploring the reef for fun. Because of the lesson learned from the first dive, I kept everybody so close that I could instantly reach them for the second dive. Also, I swam backward and kept everyone in sight while having them swimming. They didn’t need to swim hand in hand and were getting better as if they had been certified divers. To be a certified diver, they still needed two more dives. Hopefully, I could be assigned to be their instructor to complete the remaining training tomorrow.
The photo is the recent forecast in Cairns.
Surprisingly it turned out to be positive for me. We didn’t have many passengers, and the shop didn’t need me to work on the daytrip boat. However, we had an Aussie girl and a Canadian girl going to the island shop for a diving course. So, I was re-assigned to the island shop today. I didn’t need to travel to outer reef under severe weather. Simply teaching the course and having two dives on the island could finish my day.
I had taught the diving course, but only in a one-on-one class. This was the first time I had to teach two students at once. Later when I got to the island shop, I was informed there was a Hong Kong girl from the island resort attending the course. I ended up with 3 students in the class, but I was confident to do the job because I was familiar with the dive sites near the island.
Due to the rain and wind, the visibility was merely better than soy milk. I had to be so close as within 1 meter to see a student in the eyes. Right after we descended, the Aussie girl got her mask flooded. I pointed my palm to the other students and signed them to stay put. When I finally got the mask adjusted, the other students just vanished. I skipped a beat, grabbed the Aussie’s hand, and looked for the other students in the water for a minute. Still no visual of them, so I started ascending and hopped to find their bubbles from surface. Luckily they did what I had told them before the dive. Looking for each other up to 1 minute and getting back to surface. So, they found my dive flag on surface and swam toward me.
Then, I didn’t dare to let any one out of my sight. I even asked them to swim hand in hand. No body got lost, but the course progressed slowly. Unlike the one-on-one class, the students didn’t have time for exploring the reef for fun. Because of the lesson learned from the first dive, I kept everybody so close that I could instantly reach them for the second dive. Also, I swam backward and kept everyone in sight while having them swimming. They didn’t need to swim hand in hand and were getting better as if they had been certified divers. To be a certified diver, they still needed two more dives. Hopefully, I could be assigned to be their instructor to complete the remaining training tomorrow.
The photo is the recent forecast in Cairns.
大堡礁一日遊行程
這個月從小島潛店調到一日遊的船上工作，載遊客到大堡礁浮潛和潛水。和小島潛店的悠閒步調相反，早上從六點半開始上班，一直忙到下午五點半洗完船下班。
早上遊客登船後，旅遊總監要花十五分鐘，跟遊客介紹船上設施和行程。頭一次當旅遊總監，拿著簡報提示卡，講得零零落落的。第二次比較熟練，沒有提示卡也講得出八成內容（其實是忙中有錯，拿錯提示卡）。第三次就開始即興演出，搞笑娛樂遊客。
娛樂完遊客之後，要趁著遊客還沒暈船之前，跟體驗潛水的遊客上課。船上人手不夠，一個教練要在一個小時內，帶三趟體驗潛水。所以要提前把準備工作完成，船一下錨，潛水甲板準備好，就立刻帶客人下水。
中午遊客在船上享用午餐時，船員沒得休息，要起錨到下一個珊瑚礁。等到潛水甲板再次準備好，遊客也休息完了。午餐只能扒個兩口，就又要下水了。
下午第二次浮潛和潛水結束，回凱恩斯的路上，要清洗裝備，整理甲板。不過回程遊客大多都累了，癱在座位上昏睡。這時才有機會，抽空到廚房搜刮吃喝。
一日遊的船上工作不難，但是時間緊湊。在海裏潛水，也要留意時間，準時把客人送回船上。只要有一項工作沒有準時完成，整個行程就延誤了。
照片是小島潛店外的沙灘，短時間內沒機會在這悠閒的小島工作了。
早上遊客登船後，旅遊總監要花十五分鐘，跟遊客介紹船上設施和行程。頭一次當旅遊總監，拿著簡報提示卡，講得零零落落的。第二次比較熟練，沒有提示卡也講得出八成內容（其實是忙中有錯，拿錯提示卡）。第三次就開始即興演出，搞笑娛樂遊客。
娛樂完遊客之後，要趁著遊客還沒暈船之前，跟體驗潛水的遊客上課。船上人手不夠，一個教練要在一個小時內，帶三趟體驗潛水。所以要提前把準備工作完成，船一下錨，潛水甲板準備好，就立刻帶客人下水。
中午遊客在船上享用午餐時，船員沒得休息，要起錨到下一個珊瑚礁。等到潛水甲板再次準備好，遊客也休息完了。午餐只能扒個兩口，就又要下水了。
下午第二次浮潛和潛水結束，回凱恩斯的路上，要清洗裝備，整理甲板。不過回程遊客大多都累了，癱在座位上昏睡。這時才有機會，抽空到廚房搜刮吃喝。
一日遊的船上工作不難，但是時間緊湊。在海裏潛水，也要留意時間，準時把客人送回船上。只要有一項工作沒有準時完成，整個行程就延誤了。
照片是小島潛店外的沙灘，短時間內沒機會在這悠閒的小島工作了。
旅程總監的挑戰
輪調到小島的分店工作快兩週了。每天早上所有的遊客一起湧進店裏租浮潛用具，下午卻是門可羅雀。已經能獨自看店，所以下午有一位同事提早下班回家，另一位同事則是坐在沙發上看Youtube。
接到總機打電話來問「你明天可以來船宿工作四天嗎？」按照班表，這個月都會在小島的分店工作。這個通知太突然了，不知道怎麼回覆「嗯，不太確定。可以待會再回電話給妳嗎？」想到後天就可以放假，一時猶豫不決。
總機回覆「我們真的很需要你到船宿上工作。請你回電給吉勃遜 。」
為什麼要我回電給營運經理？是他做的決定還是總機想用他的名義逼我就範？
趕快查看最新的班表，我的名字居然已經放到船宿的航班了，而且還是旅程總監那一欄。原本是安排給別的同事，到底發生了什麼事？仔細研究班表，一起搭乘這趟航班還有難搞的課程教練艾瑞克，難道這是沒人想接這工作的原因嗎？
旅程總監的頭銜有點誘人，想證明自己能勝任。但是這個挑戰有點艱難，上回意外變成旅程總監（還是船上唯一的教練）的下場還餘悸猶存。自己下不了決定，沒回電話給公司，隔天去店裡報到，讓公司決定我的命運。
吉勃遜說：「如果你不去船宿的話，船上會只剩一個教練。因為你上次的遭遇，我決定不再讓同樣的情況發生。」找不到理由反駁營運經理，就接下工作。
打算在早上登上船宿之後，有幾個小時的時間可以請教現任的旅程總監馬修。沒想到，接駁的潛水船也缺工，把我留在船上接體驗潛水。結果變成只有幾分鐘的時間可以交接。
只好早上在兩艘船會合的短暫空擋，直接切入重點跟馬修說：「抱歉不能早點和你交接。」
馬修驚道：「你是旅程總監？」他眼袋浮腫，滿臉鬍渣，應該有幾天沒刮了，「所以，我可以回家了？」
我求救說：「你知道我沒有經驗，本來以為有時間可以跟你學怎麼當旅程總監。」
馬修毫不猶豫地說：「沒關係，我會把要做的工作寫下來。」
稍後兩船再度會合時，他給我一份詳細的行程表，記載了每一個小時，旅程總監該做的事情。拿到這份攻略大全，信心大增。
眼前的工作是安排潛水團隊今晚的班表。 團隊中唯一叫不動的是艾瑞克，公司最資深的課程教練，熟悉船上所有作業。他就像是資深的一等士官長，我頂多算是是菜鳥副排長。他只需要照顧好他的學生，不像我要負責張羅所有乘客的行程。
拿了一張空白的班表給他表示善意，「我要安排大家的班表，只是想了解你待會要做什麼。」與其我安排工作，不如他告訴我他的工作。 千穿萬穿馬屁不穿，此舉奏效，把士官長變成我的顧問。
接著，再次倚賴潛水長們做日常的工作。我只把團隊的工作寫下來，跟他們說：「我不在意細節，你們可以自己彼此安排交換工作。」與其傷腦筋個別安排每個人的工作，不如讓他們自行分配，反正他們比我還清楚日常的工作。
剩下的主要的工作就是和乘客講話，從他們踏上船的那一刻開始，囉哩囉唆地簡報船上的設施，安全規定，每日行程等等。順便還要瞭解一下每位乘客，安排潛水或是浮潛活動。 大部份時間我都待在潛水甲板上，讓其他教練和潛水長下水工作。
即使這次做好準備，還是避不開莫非定律：「凡是可能出錯的事必定會出錯」正當我以為潛水甲板準備妥當，只等著潛水客一個一個跳下水。
潛水長問：「還有鉛塊嗎？」
我回答：「都在籃子裏啊。」
潛水長說：「可是籃子裏沒有鉛塊了。」
檢查了一下，籃子裡真的空了。這下非同小可，沒有足夠的鉛塊，客人要怎麼下潛？ 我的腦袋和籃子裡一樣空。
這時不知道是誰說：「浮力裝置口袋裏可能有多餘的鉛塊。」
一語驚醒，趕緊檢查所有裝置口袋。潛水時，客人下沉不了的時候，潛水導遊會把額外的鉛塊放到客人的浮力裝置口袋。客人潛完水常常忘記口袋中額外的鉛塊。謝天謝地，讓我找到兩塊鉛塊，剛好足夠這次潛水。事前確認有沒有足夠的裝備，卻漏掉了最不起眼的鉛塊，差點前功盡棄。隔天早上接駁的潛水船來的時候，上船大肆搜刮鉛塊，以免再出包。
整趟旅程莫非定律一直糾纏著我。旅程的最後一天，最後一次潛水誤點了。我還在水裡護送客人回船，接駁的潛水船已經要來接送回凱恩斯的客人了。我忘記自己也是要回凱恩斯，沒時間整理潛水裝備。回到船上後，直接走到接駁船上，把身上還在滴水的裝備卸下。然後趕緊跑回船上的房間，把所有家當行李拿在手上，奔回接駁船。
終於結束這趟航班，再度回到小島的分店工作。旅程總監的工作對我來說，依舊是個挑戰。不過，下次我不會遲疑地接下這份挑戰。只是，現在需要在下次挑戰之前，先喘口氣休息一下。
照片是這次旅程最常停靠的 East Timor 的 GPS 地圖。
Trip director challenge
I had been swapped to a small-island dive shop for two weeks. It was busy in the morning when all tourists arrived at the same time but quite in the afternoon. A colleague got off work early because I almost could run the shop by myself, and the other colleague was sitting in the sofa watching Youtube on his MacBook Air.
I got a phone call from the company receptionist, ‘Can you come to work on liveaboard tomorrow for 4 days?’ It’s a surprise because I was suppose to work on the island shop for a month. In addition, it's a short notice for me to work on the liveaborad ship.
‘Hmm… I am not sure yet if I can make it.’ I would have two days off from the day after tomorrow. ‘Can I call you back later?'
‘We really need you to work on the liveaboard. Please call back to Gibson.’
Why did the receptionist ask me to call be the operation manager instead of her? Was the decision made by the manager or she just tried to abuse the manager’s authority?
I checked company online roaster instead. Surprise, surprise. My name has been put on the trip for liveaboard as the trip director. The trip had been assigned to another colleague. What was happening? After studying the roast, I found that I had to cowork with a difficult instructor. Was it the reason that nobody wanted to take the job?
The job title of trip director was attracting to me. I wanted to prove myself. However, it’s a huge challenge. I still remembered how stress to be a trip director and the only instructor on board just for one day last time. Therefore, I hesitated to make the decision. Instead of calling back, I went to work and let the company decide my fate in the next morning.
Gibson showed up and said ‘If you don’t go to liveaboard, there would be only one instructor on board. Because of what happened to you last time, I have made it clear that never happen again.’ I had no excuses to overrule him but took the job.
I expected to arrive on the liveaboard in the morning and have a few hours to learn from trip director Matthew before he left in the afternoon. However, the daytrip boat was lack of manpower and negotiated with Matthew to borrow me for the morning. Then, I would have to swap with Matthew within a few minutes.
When I met Matthew in the morning, I had to go straight to the point, ‘I’m sorry that I could arrived early to swap with you.’
‘You are the trip director?’ he had puffy eyes and had not shaved for a few days, ‘So I can go home?’
‘You know how inexperienced I am. I thought I could have time to learn how to be a trip director from you.’ I said.
‘That’s okay, I will write down what you need to do.’ he answered without hesitating.
Later when we swapped in the afternoon, he gave me a hourly schedule specifying all the duties. What a great reference for me to do the job.
The immediate task was to arrange dive team roaster for the night. The only team member beyond my control was instructor Eric. He was the most senior instructor in the company and familiar with all operations on the liveaboard. His job was to take care his student divers only. In other words, he did not need to take care the other passengers nor the liveaboard operations.
I brought him an empty roaster sheet to show my respect and support. ‘I’m arranging the roaster for everyone. Just wanna know what you are going to do in the following hours.’ I said. Instead of arranging his tasks, let him tell me what he was going to do in the following hours. Flattering did work, and he was willing to be my consultant whenever I had questions.
Then, I counted on dive masters to run the daily routines. I outlined what needed to be done on the roaster and told them, ‘I don’t care about the details. You can swap your work yourselves.’ Instead of telling them who doing what, let them decide the details as long as the goals were fulfilled. They knew much better than I do about the daily routines.
So, the job left for me was talking. Mostly talking to passengers, from the moment they arrived, gave them a lengthy briefing about onboard facilities, safety rules, and daily schedule. Also, I had to know a little about their background for arranging diving and snorkelling activities. Most time I stayed dry on deck by having instructors and dive masters to do diving/snorkelling.
However, I deliberately arranged myself to go diving with new arrival divers. Inexperienced divers often had problems at their first dive. I could help them troubleshoot the problems. Moreover, I could give other instructors and dive masters a heads-up when they took over for the following dives.
Although I had planed in advance, Murphy’s law still stood in this trip: anything that could go wrong, would go wrong. I had prepared the dive deck in order. I was expecting all the divers jump into the water one by one.
‘Do we have more weight belts?’ a dive master asked.
‘It’s all in the baskets.’ I replied.
‘But, no weights are in the baskets.’ he said.
I checked the baskets myself, and the baskets were really empty. How come! How are divers going to descend without enough weight belts! My head was as empty as the baskets.
‘There could be extra weights in the BCD packet.’ someone said and woke me up.
Yes, dive guide would put extra weights into divers’ packet when they had difficulty descending in the water. The diver often forgot to take out the extra weights after diving. Thanked God! I found two extra weights in a BCD’s packet. The weights were just enough for all divers. I had carefully calculated all the equipments required to run the dive deck but had missed the weight belts. It almost ruined every effort I had made. In the next morning, when the daytrip boat came for transferring passengers, I grubbed as many weights as I could from the daytrip boat.
The Murphy’s law kept ambushing me. One the last day of the trip, the last dive was delayed. I was still escorting divers swimming towards the liveaboard ship while the daytrip boat was arriving. The daytrip boat was picking up passengers back to Cairns, and I forgot I was one of passengers. No time to take off and pack up my diving equipment. I got out of water and hopped on the daytrip boat while the equipment on my back was still dripping. After dumping the equipment, I rushed to the liveaboard ship, grubbed all my belongs in hands, and jumped back to the daytrip boat within a minute.
Finally, I got back from the liveaboard trip. The trip director remained a challenge to me, but I wouldn’t hesitate to challenge it next time. I wanted to improve myself. But right now, I was exhausted and needed a break.
I got a phone call from the company receptionist, ‘Can you come to work on liveaboard tomorrow for 4 days?’ It’s a surprise because I was suppose to work on the island shop for a month. In addition, it's a short notice for me to work on the liveaborad ship.
‘Hmm… I am not sure yet if I can make it.’ I would have two days off from the day after tomorrow. ‘Can I call you back later?'
‘We really need you to work on the liveaboard. Please call back to Gibson.’
Why did the receptionist ask me to call be the operation manager instead of her? Was the decision made by the manager or she just tried to abuse the manager’s authority?
I checked company online roaster instead. Surprise, surprise. My name has been put on the trip for liveaboard as the trip director. The trip had been assigned to another colleague. What was happening? After studying the roast, I found that I had to cowork with a difficult instructor. Was it the reason that nobody wanted to take the job?
The job title of trip director was attracting to me. I wanted to prove myself. However, it’s a huge challenge. I still remembered how stress to be a trip director and the only instructor on board just for one day last time. Therefore, I hesitated to make the decision. Instead of calling back, I went to work and let the company decide my fate in the next morning.
Gibson showed up and said ‘If you don’t go to liveaboard, there would be only one instructor on board. Because of what happened to you last time, I have made it clear that never happen again.’ I had no excuses to overrule him but took the job.
I expected to arrive on the liveaboard in the morning and have a few hours to learn from trip director Matthew before he left in the afternoon. However, the daytrip boat was lack of manpower and negotiated with Matthew to borrow me for the morning. Then, I would have to swap with Matthew within a few minutes.
When I met Matthew in the morning, I had to go straight to the point, ‘I’m sorry that I could arrived early to swap with you.’
‘You are the trip director?’ he had puffy eyes and had not shaved for a few days, ‘So I can go home?’
‘You know how inexperienced I am. I thought I could have time to learn how to be a trip director from you.’ I said.
‘That’s okay, I will write down what you need to do.’ he answered without hesitating.
Later when we swapped in the afternoon, he gave me a hourly schedule specifying all the duties. What a great reference for me to do the job.
The immediate task was to arrange dive team roaster for the night. The only team member beyond my control was instructor Eric. He was the most senior instructor in the company and familiar with all operations on the liveaboard. His job was to take care his student divers only. In other words, he did not need to take care the other passengers nor the liveaboard operations.
I brought him an empty roaster sheet to show my respect and support. ‘I’m arranging the roaster for everyone. Just wanna know what you are going to do in the following hours.’ I said. Instead of arranging his tasks, let him tell me what he was going to do in the following hours. Flattering did work, and he was willing to be my consultant whenever I had questions.
Then, I counted on dive masters to run the daily routines. I outlined what needed to be done on the roaster and told them, ‘I don’t care about the details. You can swap your work yourselves.’ Instead of telling them who doing what, let them decide the details as long as the goals were fulfilled. They knew much better than I do about the daily routines.
So, the job left for me was talking. Mostly talking to passengers, from the moment they arrived, gave them a lengthy briefing about onboard facilities, safety rules, and daily schedule. Also, I had to know a little about their background for arranging diving and snorkelling activities. Most time I stayed dry on deck by having instructors and dive masters to do diving/snorkelling.
However, I deliberately arranged myself to go diving with new arrival divers. Inexperienced divers often had problems at their first dive. I could help them troubleshoot the problems. Moreover, I could give other instructors and dive masters a heads-up when they took over for the following dives.
Although I had planed in advance, Murphy’s law still stood in this trip: anything that could go wrong, would go wrong. I had prepared the dive deck in order. I was expecting all the divers jump into the water one by one.
‘Do we have more weight belts?’ a dive master asked.
‘It’s all in the baskets.’ I replied.
‘But, no weights are in the baskets.’ he said.
I checked the baskets myself, and the baskets were really empty. How come! How are divers going to descend without enough weight belts! My head was as empty as the baskets.
‘There could be extra weights in the BCD packet.’ someone said and woke me up.
Yes, dive guide would put extra weights into divers’ packet when they had difficulty descending in the water. The diver often forgot to take out the extra weights after diving. Thanked God! I found two extra weights in a BCD’s packet. The weights were just enough for all divers. I had carefully calculated all the equipments required to run the dive deck but had missed the weight belts. It almost ruined every effort I had made. In the next morning, when the daytrip boat came for transferring passengers, I grubbed as many weights as I could from the daytrip boat.
The Murphy’s law kept ambushing me. One the last day of the trip, the last dive was delayed. I was still escorting divers swimming towards the liveaboard ship while the daytrip boat was arriving. The daytrip boat was picking up passengers back to Cairns, and I forgot I was one of passengers. No time to take off and pack up my diving equipment. I got out of water and hopped on the daytrip boat while the equipment on my back was still dripping. After dumping the equipment, I rushed to the liveaboard ship, grubbed all my belongs in hands, and jumped back to the daytrip boat within a minute.
Finally, I got back from the liveaboard trip. The trip director remained a challenge to me, but I wouldn’t hesitate to challenge it next time. I wanted to improve myself. But right now, I was exhausted and needed a break.
一日總監
「你想要多賺點薪水嗎？」吉姆說。他是船上的總監，管理整個潛水團隊。他知道我手頭有點緊。「今天只有六個客人，店裡要你和布萊恩回去放假。或者，」他停頓了一下，「布萊恩和我放假，你留在船上。」
隱約覺得，他不想留在船上。可是我還不熟悉船上的工作，而且少了布萊恩，我的工作量會變多。
「艾瑞克會取代我當船上的總監，所有的潛水長也會幫你工作。」吉姆似乎知道我猶豫的原因，想遊說我接下工作。
「OK，」雖然不確定這個決定好不好，還是答應了。
隔天早上查看工作的班表 ，艾瑞克指派我帶兩個體驗潛水的客人，潛水長帶領一個新來的客人潛水。很合理，要是我也會做一樣的安排。雖然我不想帶體驗潛水，可是只有教練才能帶體驗潛水。不指望像艾瑞克這麼資深的教練，會親自下海帶體驗潛水。往好處想，我可以獨攬所有體驗潛水的佣金。
「那個客人是75歲，所以你必須帶他潛水。」艾瑞克突然來到潛水甲板。
「75歲？」我還沒搞清楚是怎麼回事。我才剛結束體驗潛水，正在甲板上充氣瓶，身上還在滴水。
「就像我告訴潛水長的一樣，你要帶那個客人潛水。我已經叫那個客人準備好，潛完這次之後，吃午餐，然後馬上再潛一次。那個客人兩點半要離開。」 艾瑞克的指示超快，好像講話不用喘氣一樣。
啊！那個新來的客人！當然，要是我也會做一樣的決定。考量到客人的年紀，當然是指派教練帶客人潛水。更何況，船上的潛水長都還是受訓當中。
「OK，」沒辦法，只好接下工作。兩小時內又潛了兩次水，中間還抽空去扒飯。
「 換我回家了，」 艾瑞克突然又來到甲板了，「店裡昨天送錯人回家，他們應該送你和布萊恩回家的。」
我不知道該說什麼好。
「我再跟店裏說。」艾瑞克轉頭離開。他似乎願意留在船上。店裡應該也會希望是資深的教練留在船上吧。
兩點半接駁的小船準時來了，甲板上一陣忙碌，把要回凱恩斯的客人送上小船 。艾瑞克突然出現，手上還提著背包。
「阻止他！」我邊喊邊指著艾瑞克。
「不用擔心， 你只要帶進階課程的客人，其他的交給潛水長們去做。明天早上就會有新的總監來接應的。」艾瑞克講話毫不停頓，他的腳步也是。
我不知道該說什麼好。
突然成為船上唯一的教練。不，更正，是船上的總監，要怎麼做好？沒時間想太多，馬上又要帶體驗潛水的客人了。不過按照規定，甲板上至少要留一個教練應變緊急狀況。只好硬著頭皮去問船長，同不同意讓我下水了。
「我也是潛水教練，」船長法蘭克幽默地眨了一下左眼，「只是沒有執業的責任保險。我太太也可以幫忙，她也是潛水長。」他指著身旁年紀頗大的婦人說。
白髮蒼蒼的法蘭克真像是我的聖誕老人，有求必應一樣。只要他同意我下水就好，不應該讓他來做我的工作。趕緊帶著客人，完成體驗潛水，回到船上。
危機還沒解除，但是至少有進展。下一個面臨的問題是，有9個客人潛水今晚需要潛水導遊。
法蘭克來關心狀況，「你了解什麼是授權嗎？」 他問，「你沒辦法自己做所有的事情。」他說的對，我絕對沒辦法一個人帶9個客人夜潛。
只好從潛水長中，指派最資深，只有一個月的工作經驗的，來帶一半的客人。先安排潛水長跟客人做簡報，建立他的威信，讓客人信任他。然後，各自帶一半的客人夜潛，順利完成任務。
在甲板準備夜潛的時候，順便和一位上船之前，就預約要上進階課程的客人，討論明天一早的深潛課程，先安排好怎麼度過最後一道難關。旁邊的客人聽到了，也要求上進階課程。
「抱歉， 我沒辦法幫你上進階課程。我沒辦法答應超出我能力範圍的事情。」今天已經潛太多次水，太累了，明天的深潛要是再多一個學生，風險有點高。
仔細想想，只帶一個客人深潛，對另一個客人不太公平。乾脆全部取消，把進階課程推給新的總監，明天早上可以好好休息。
把潛水長們找來討論隔天早上的計畫。我待在船上的時候，他們之中有一個人可以去潛水，只要另外兩人可以幫我把事情做好。他們期待潛水很久了， 來船上打工，就是為了有機會潛水。提出的獎賞很誘人，為了可以潛水，他們願意每個人分擔多一些工作。
隔天早上，潛水長們幫我把甲板上的工作都做好，直到新的總監來了。甲板上依舊很忙，但是我不忙。
「你能待在船上嗎？」船長法蘭克微笑著問。
「不是，我今天要回家了。」
「我是問，你能不能在船上多留一晚。」 法蘭克認真的問。原來他是在幫店裏問，有誰可以繼續留在船上工作。看來店裡有人又做出離譜的決策。
「No．」這次非常確定我的決定。
One day director
‘Do you want to make more money?’ Jim asked. He was the director supervising the dive team on board. He had known I was kind of having a cash flow problem. ‘We only 6 passengers, so the shop is sending you and Brian home. Or,’ he paused, ‘Brian and I go home, and you stay.’
I sensed that Jim didn’t want to stay for two more nights for some reasons. But, I was hesitating to make the decision, because I was not familiar with all the operations on the boat. Also, I would have more workload without Brian on board.
‘Eric will be the director and all the dive masters will help you. You will be fine.’ Jim somehow knew what I was concerned and tried to convince me it’s a good deal.
‘Okay.’ I answered although I was not sure what to choose.
I checked the roaster in the next morning. Eric assigned me to do introductory diving with a couple and a dive master to guide a new customer who would be arriving later. I would have made the same arrangement. I preferred guiding but only instructors could conduct introductory diving. I probably had to take care all the introductory dives in this trip because it’s impossible to ask Eric such a senior instructor to do the job. Whatever, looked at the bright side, I could earn all the commissions myself.
‘The man is 75 years old, so you have to take him diving.’ Eric suddenly came to the dive deck.
’75 years old?’ I repeated. I hadn’t realised what was happening. I was refilling tanks with my wetsuit still dripping. I had just come back from the introductory dive.
‘Just like what I've told the dive master, you take him diving now. I already told him to get ready. Take him diving again right after lunch. He is leaving at two thirty.’ Eric spoke fast as though he hadn’t need to breath.
Ah! the newly arrival customer. Sure, I would have made the same decision. Took the risk for taking a 75-year-old customer diving into account, I would have had an instructor to do the job instead of a dive master. Besides, all the dive masters were still on training.
‘Okay.’ I replied. I had no choice but took two more dives and a quick lunch in between.
‘I’m going home.’ Eric suddenly came again. 'They sent the wrong person home. They should’ve sent you and Brian home yesterday.’
I was in a shock and speechless.
‘I will talk to the shop.’ Eric suddenly left. He seemed to be willing to stay instead of me. The shop would probably prefer an experienced instructor to stay, too.
The glass bottom boat came as scheduled at 2:30. The dive deck was getting busy for transferring passengers back to Cairns. Right after all the passengers hopped on the glass bottom boat, Eric suddenly showed up with a backpack in his hand.
‘Stop him!’ I yelled and pointed to Eric.
‘Don’t worry, just do the advance course and have dive masters do the rest. New director will come tomorrow morning.’ Eric still spoke fast without pausing. His feet did not pause, either.
I was in a shock and speechless, again.
I was left as the only instructor. No, for correction, I became the director. How was I going to run the business on my own? No time to think about that. I had to do introductory diving soon again. But, there ought have been at least 1 instructor on deck for emergency while I was in the water. Alright, I had to ask the approval of the skipper for going into water.
‘I’m also an instructor,’ Frank said and winked his left eye, ‘just no liability insurance coverage. Kathy can also help. She is a dive master, too.’ He pointed to the elderly woman next to him.
He appeared to be my Santa Claus for whatever I requested. Never seen such a nice skipper. With his understanding was good enough. I should not have had a skipper doing my job on the dive deck.
After getting the support from the skipper, I needed the support from dive masters, too. Perhaps, I had never thought I were superior than them, all of them helped me to run the logistics without asking. After I finished the introductory diving, the dive deck was well organised.
The crisis was not over, but at least I had made some progress. The next immediate problem was the night dive. I had 9 customers needed to be guided for the night dive.
Frank came to check if everything was fine. ‘Do you know delicate?’ He said, ‘You cannot do everything on your own.’ He was right. I definitely could not guide so many customers at once.
I bet on the most senior dive master to guide the half of the customers although he had only about 1-month work experience. I had him to do the briefing before the night dive in order to establish his authority in front of customers. Customers would trust the dive guide who just briefed them for the dive site. Then, we spitted the customers into 2 groups for guiding. The night dive went well.
When I was preparing the night dive on deck, I was discussing with a customer who had booked an advanced course before arriving. That would be the last problem to be solved before the next director came to rescue me. Another customer overheard the discussion and wanted to have an advanced course, too.
’No,’ I said, 'I cannot give you the advanced course. I’m sorry that I couldn’t commit something beyond my ability.’ The 2 customers could take a deep dive together in the next morning, but I just couldn’t take more workload now.
Just after I turned down the customer's request for an advanced course, I realised that would be unfair if I took the other customer for a deep dive. So, I cancelled the deep dive and left the new director to worry about that. Instead, I would stay on board for the first dive in the next morning. I was so tired and really needed a break.
I let the dive masters know my plan for the next morning. I knew they were longing for diving. They worked for nothing but diving for fun. I clearly stated that I would have 1 dive master go diving for fun if the others can run the dive deck on their own. They were all willing to take more workload because of the reward of a fun dive.
In the next morning, dive masters handled everything for me. The dive deck was busy but I was not. Finally, the new director came to take over the job.
‘Can you stay?’ Frank seemed to joke with smile.
‘I am going home today.’ I cheered with smile.
‘No, I am asking can you stay one more night.’ Frank said. He was serious. He was asking on behalf of the dive shop. Someone in the shop must have made a ridiculous decision again.
‘No.’ This time I knew what to choose for a certainty.
I sensed that Jim didn’t want to stay for two more nights for some reasons. But, I was hesitating to make the decision, because I was not familiar with all the operations on the boat. Also, I would have more workload without Brian on board.
‘Eric will be the director and all the dive masters will help you. You will be fine.’ Jim somehow knew what I was concerned and tried to convince me it’s a good deal.
‘Okay.’ I answered although I was not sure what to choose.
I checked the roaster in the next morning. Eric assigned me to do introductory diving with a couple and a dive master to guide a new customer who would be arriving later. I would have made the same arrangement. I preferred guiding but only instructors could conduct introductory diving. I probably had to take care all the introductory dives in this trip because it’s impossible to ask Eric such a senior instructor to do the job. Whatever, looked at the bright side, I could earn all the commissions myself.
‘The man is 75 years old, so you have to take him diving.’ Eric suddenly came to the dive deck.
’75 years old?’ I repeated. I hadn’t realised what was happening. I was refilling tanks with my wetsuit still dripping. I had just come back from the introductory dive.
‘Just like what I've told the dive master, you take him diving now. I already told him to get ready. Take him diving again right after lunch. He is leaving at two thirty.’ Eric spoke fast as though he hadn’t need to breath.
Ah! the newly arrival customer. Sure, I would have made the same decision. Took the risk for taking a 75-year-old customer diving into account, I would have had an instructor to do the job instead of a dive master. Besides, all the dive masters were still on training.
‘Okay.’ I replied. I had no choice but took two more dives and a quick lunch in between.
‘I’m going home.’ Eric suddenly came again. 'They sent the wrong person home. They should’ve sent you and Brian home yesterday.’
I was in a shock and speechless.
‘I will talk to the shop.’ Eric suddenly left. He seemed to be willing to stay instead of me. The shop would probably prefer an experienced instructor to stay, too.
The glass bottom boat came as scheduled at 2:30. The dive deck was getting busy for transferring passengers back to Cairns. Right after all the passengers hopped on the glass bottom boat, Eric suddenly showed up with a backpack in his hand.
‘Stop him!’ I yelled and pointed to Eric.
‘Don’t worry, just do the advance course and have dive masters do the rest. New director will come tomorrow morning.’ Eric still spoke fast without pausing. His feet did not pause, either.
I was in a shock and speechless, again.
I was left as the only instructor. No, for correction, I became the director. How was I going to run the business on my own? No time to think about that. I had to do introductory diving soon again. But, there ought have been at least 1 instructor on deck for emergency while I was in the water. Alright, I had to ask the approval of the skipper for going into water.
‘I’m also an instructor,’ Frank said and winked his left eye, ‘just no liability insurance coverage. Kathy can also help. She is a dive master, too.’ He pointed to the elderly woman next to him.
He appeared to be my Santa Claus for whatever I requested. Never seen such a nice skipper. With his understanding was good enough. I should not have had a skipper doing my job on the dive deck.
After getting the support from the skipper, I needed the support from dive masters, too. Perhaps, I had never thought I were superior than them, all of them helped me to run the logistics without asking. After I finished the introductory diving, the dive deck was well organised.
The crisis was not over, but at least I had made some progress. The next immediate problem was the night dive. I had 9 customers needed to be guided for the night dive.
Frank came to check if everything was fine. ‘Do you know delicate?’ He said, ‘You cannot do everything on your own.’ He was right. I definitely could not guide so many customers at once.
I bet on the most senior dive master to guide the half of the customers although he had only about 1-month work experience. I had him to do the briefing before the night dive in order to establish his authority in front of customers. Customers would trust the dive guide who just briefed them for the dive site. Then, we spitted the customers into 2 groups for guiding. The night dive went well.
When I was preparing the night dive on deck, I was discussing with a customer who had booked an advanced course before arriving. That would be the last problem to be solved before the next director came to rescue me. Another customer overheard the discussion and wanted to have an advanced course, too.
’No,’ I said, 'I cannot give you the advanced course. I’m sorry that I couldn’t commit something beyond my ability.’ The 2 customers could take a deep dive together in the next morning, but I just couldn’t take more workload now.
Just after I turned down the customer's request for an advanced course, I realised that would be unfair if I took the other customer for a deep dive. So, I cancelled the deep dive and left the new director to worry about that. Instead, I would stay on board for the first dive in the next morning. I was so tired and really needed a break.
I let the dive masters know my plan for the next morning. I knew they were longing for diving. They worked for nothing but diving for fun. I clearly stated that I would have 1 dive master go diving for fun if the others can run the dive deck on their own. They were all willing to take more workload because of the reward of a fun dive.
In the next morning, dive masters handled everything for me. The dive deck was busy but I was not. Finally, the new director came to take over the job.
‘Can you stay?’ Frank seemed to joke with smile.
‘I am going home today.’ I cheered with smile.
‘No, I am asking can you stay one more night.’ Frank said. He was serious. He was asking on behalf of the dive shop. Someone in the shop must have made a ridiculous decision again.
‘No.’ This time I knew what to choose for a certainty.
悼念二舅
上週得知，住在布里斯本的二舅在睡夢中過世了。噩耗來得好突然，好不真實。還記得，兩個月前和舅舅騎腳踏車上山，我一路氣喘如牛，舅舅還有餘力和路人打招呼，回家還被表弟嘲笑騎輸七十幾歲的老人。實在無法相信，怎麼突然說走就走了。
回到布里斯本，景物沒什麼變化，只有多了一張簡易的供桌祭拜。親戚們齊聚一堂，反而比我獨自一人在凱恩斯的生活熱鬧許多。一切還是很不真實，好像舅舅只是外出運動或是去工作發放傳單。
告別式當天早上，禮堂內，大家忙著佈置會場。禮堂外，表弟獨自坐在長椅上，一身的黑西裝襯衫，胸前抱著二舅的照片，略微低頭，怔視前方，神情漠然。此刻才突然感到哀傷，真真實實地感覺到，舅舅已經走了。
感謝二舅，家族中來澳洲落腳的第一人。仗著有舅舅在布里斯本接應，我才有勇氣移民來澳洲。
照片是和二舅騎腳踏車上Mt Cootha拍攝的
回到布里斯本，景物沒什麼變化，只有多了一張簡易的供桌祭拜。親戚們齊聚一堂，反而比我獨自一人在凱恩斯的生活熱鬧許多。一切還是很不真實，好像舅舅只是外出運動或是去工作發放傳單。
告別式當天早上，禮堂內，大家忙著佈置會場。禮堂外，表弟獨自坐在長椅上，一身的黑西裝襯衫，胸前抱著二舅的照片，略微低頭，怔視前方，神情漠然。此刻才突然感到哀傷，真真實實地感覺到，舅舅已經走了。
感謝二舅，家族中來澳洲落腳的第一人。仗著有舅舅在布里斯本接應，我才有勇氣移民來澳洲。
照片是和二舅騎腳踏車上Mt Cootha拍攝的
第一個潛水學生
工作了將近一個月，終於有機會教學生潛水。學生是從別的潛水中心轉學過來的，已經完成所有泳池的訓練，剩下4次開放水域潛水就可以畢業。
學生是20出頭的德國女生，左邊鼻翼穿了個鼻環。會說英語，但是有時候需要先想一下，才說得出口。我簡單介紹第一次下水要練習的動作，包括第一個，也是最重要的清除面鏡積水。雖然德國女生已經在泳池練習過同樣的動作，她還是有點擔心。我也有點擔心，怕第一次教學生就搞砸，不斷地拿出提示卡複習，並在腦海中沙盤推演。
要練習清除面鏡積水，學生要先跪坐在海底的沙地上，故意讓面鏡進水到淹過鼻子，但是不超過眼睛。有些人不擅水性，當水淹過鼻子時會驚恐。德國女生只讓面鏡進了一點點水，還沒淹過鼻孔。我用食指比了一下自己的面鏡，示意她需要讓面鏡進更多水。她猶豫了幾秒，才繼續讓面鏡進水，到淹過鼻子。
接著，她以手指壓著面鏡鏡框上緣，抬頭往後仰，以鼻子呼氣，把面鏡內的積水排出。每個步驟都正確，不過只有三分之一的水被排出。有些人這個時候會開始驚慌，因為看不到自己的面鏡中的水有減少，以為一點效果都沒有。德國女生暫停了一秒鐘，我也屏住了呼吸一秒鐘，緊盯著德國女生的雙眼，要是她顯露出一絲絲驚慌的神情，準備隨時上前協助。這一秒鐘對我而言好像有一小時之久，因為在水中不能說話，只能希望她重複同樣動作，把剩下的水排出。
感謝老天，她沒有猶豫太久，繼續重複同樣動作，把剩下的水排出。真的是感謝老天，我高興的跪坐在沙地上，雙手抱拳，仰頭感謝老天。不是刻意要誇張搞笑，只是直覺地脫稿演出。不過德國女生忍不住在水中爆笑。這一笑也緩和了緊張的情緒，之後的練習動作也都順利進行。
隨著課程的進行，德國女生在水中越來越有自信。自己也同樣地越來越有自信。好像自己也是學生一樣，一開始過度擔心，缺乏自信。其實只要相信自己，我也可以做得到。
First Certified Student
After working for almost a month, finally I had a chance to certify a student to be an open water diver. The student was referred from another dive centre with all pool training completed, so I needed to conduct only 4 open water dives in 2 days.
The student was a German girl at her early twenties with a piercing on her left nose. She could speak English, but sometimes needed a little time to clear her thoughts before speaking. I briefly explained what skills she needed to perform. The first skill, also the most essential one, was mask clearing. She had done the skill in pool training, but she was a little worried. So was I worried whether she would panic in the water. I did not want to screw up for my very first certified student. I had reviewed my cue cards and rehearsed the skills in my head so many times before the dive.
We descent to a sandy bottom at 12 meter deep and got ready for practicing skills. To perform mask clearing, the German girl had to intentionally let water flood into her mask, until the water was above nose but below eyes. That could be the scary part for some people because the water would flood their noses. The German girl let a little water into her mask, but so little that just touched her nose and was insufficient for practicing the skill. I pointed my mask to signal her that she needed more water in the mask. She hesitated for a few seconds, but let more water into her mask.
I kept watching her in the eyes, in case she showed any signs of panic, I could instantly reach and assist her. She pressed the upper frame of her mask, tilted her head back, and blew air through her nose to push the water out of her mask. She did every steps right, but only one third of the water was drained. I hold my breath for a second. That was another critical moment that some people might panic because they could not see themselves and thought the skill had not worked at all. The German girl paused a second as well. The second was like an hour long to me. I couldn’t speak in the water but hoping she would repeat the skill again to clear the remaining water.
Thanked God that she did not hesitate too long and repeated the skill again and again until all water was cleared. I literally mean ’Thank God.' I hold my hands and prayed while I kneed on the sandy bottom. I didn’t mean to be so exaggerated. It was off plan. I was just too glad that she completed the skill. She burst into laughter when she saw me praying. The laughter probably also eased her nerves a little bit and made the following skill easier.
As the following dives continued, the German girl gained more confidence in the water. So did I gain more confidence in myself. I was also a student, worried too much, lack of confidence before the dive. All I needed is to believe in myself a little bit more. Yes, I can do it.
The student was a German girl at her early twenties with a piercing on her left nose. She could speak English, but sometimes needed a little time to clear her thoughts before speaking. I briefly explained what skills she needed to perform. The first skill, also the most essential one, was mask clearing. She had done the skill in pool training, but she was a little worried. So was I worried whether she would panic in the water. I did not want to screw up for my very first certified student. I had reviewed my cue cards and rehearsed the skills in my head so many times before the dive.
We descent to a sandy bottom at 12 meter deep and got ready for practicing skills. To perform mask clearing, the German girl had to intentionally let water flood into her mask, until the water was above nose but below eyes. That could be the scary part for some people because the water would flood their noses. The German girl let a little water into her mask, but so little that just touched her nose and was insufficient for practicing the skill. I pointed my mask to signal her that she needed more water in the mask. She hesitated for a few seconds, but let more water into her mask.
I kept watching her in the eyes, in case she showed any signs of panic, I could instantly reach and assist her. She pressed the upper frame of her mask, tilted her head back, and blew air through her nose to push the water out of her mask. She did every steps right, but only one third of the water was drained. I hold my breath for a second. That was another critical moment that some people might panic because they could not see themselves and thought the skill had not worked at all. The German girl paused a second as well. The second was like an hour long to me. I couldn’t speak in the water but hoping she would repeat the skill again to clear the remaining water.
Thanked God that she did not hesitate too long and repeated the skill again and again until all water was cleared. I literally mean ’Thank God.' I hold my hands and prayed while I kneed on the sandy bottom. I didn’t mean to be so exaggerated. It was off plan. I was just too glad that she completed the skill. She burst into laughter when she saw me praying. The laughter probably also eased her nerves a little bit and made the following skill easier.
As the following dives continued, the German girl gained more confidence in the water. So did I gain more confidence in myself. I was also a student, worried too much, lack of confidence before the dive. All I needed is to believe in myself a little bit more. Yes, I can do it.